howeird | Over The Hump (Reply)

I had two things I wanted to do today. Go the PetSmart for female non-dwarf blue gouramis, and fillet the four tilapia.

Woke up on time, no Spook. The usual breakfast, but I got stuck online because the system would not let me pay the radiology bill but I was able to play the cardiology bill. Desert Radiology support said the bill was a mistake, the system would not let me pay anything because there was nothing to pay. Also got my Allstate docs in email, and printed out the new proof of insurance card, which does not take effect for another month.

Also some FB discussion prompted me to order a small freezer and an extension cord for it. It can fit under the bar in the dining nook. And the screen door company said they will be here 7 am Saturday to remove the prison doors and install the sliding screen doors.

By now it is 11:30. I had planed on being at PetSmart around 10.

Today was food truck day, huge line at the clubhouse for people who managed to score tickets at the main building during the 2 hours they were available. I'm not a fan of roach coaches. Or the shenanigans the park plays to make it difficult to get the perks we paid for.

Finally got to PetSmart, but signs on the tanks said no fish sales till May 6. I'm guessing their fish person quit.

I decided to take that as a sign and just go home.

In the mail was a prescription and a form from the DMV asking for proof I had insurance on the 2019 car.

Meanwhile, the aquarium water is crystal clear and no dead fish.

Watched some tornado chasers on Twitch and set up my hummer feeder cam. Lots of swallows flying around, and some goldfinches in the sage bush. But by now it is after 2, so too late to go to the bird preserve. Lunch was about 1/3 of the 3 lb fruit bowl. Everything was ripe except the mango slices.

My car's battery was down to 32%, so on a whim I drove way out to the Petco with the large aquarium section. I had to wait for the staffer to help a guy with a Middle Eastern accent who knew nothing about what to put in his 50 gallon tank. I think he pulled that number out of his butt and has something smaller, but staffer got him some fish which could hold their own in a big tank with big fish. Maybe. He did not know what was in his tank, just that it was big.

That done, staffer got me a pair of juvenile female blue gouramis. Smaller than I wanted but they will grow (not dwarfs).

Long drive home made longer by traffic and missing my turn onto Tropicana. On the way I detoured to the PO and dropped off the form for the DMV telling them I sold the 2019 car.

Home, and on the porch was an Amazon delivery - cat treats and water hardness test kit. I tested the tap water and the water hardness 1st test was 12, which was the hardest on the scale. The 2nd test was 15, also on a scale of 0-12. Moving to the aquarium, similar results. 10/12 and 13/12. I will let the driftwood do its thing before putting a salt pillow into the filter pump.

Let the new gouramis out, there was a flurry of chasing around which has settled down.

Car battery is down to 25% so I'm charging it overnight.

Watched Below Deck Sailing Yacht on the Tivo 4k. It quit after a few minutes. I'd loosened the HDMI cable from the TV when I moved the receiver to plug in the 4K.

Washed off the tilapia and made a complete mess of trying to fillet the first two. Watched more YouTube how-to's and managed to do better but not good on the final 2. Bagged the usable meat and threw it in the freezer. Will make fish curry maybe tomorrow. Made a salad and a meat loaf and mac&cheese frozen meal instead. Next time I'll buy fillets not whole fish. Except for trout, which one pan fries whole.

Saw two episodes of PTI before I'd had enough.

Spook is doing her passive aggressive thing with Maam. It's funny.

Also delivered today was 4 containers of diet cola syrup and Ethel M liquer chocolates.

Plans for tomorrow:
Bird preserve