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Paul B

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Thanks Andy. I was going for amazing but sometimes it comes out like detritus instead.
I will probably come to the store Sunday for some fish as my yellow wrasse jumped out and I want something really unusual, not the normal bait fish like tangs, angels, wrasses etc. I want something odd like a coelacanth, Janss pipefish, orca, anything interesting so you have a mission to get me something out of the ordinary.



We had some friends on our boat last night for diner and there was a mildew smell in the head (bathroom) I changed the screens on the windows last week and apparently didn't seal the window very tight and the heavy rain we had this week soaked in to all the towels and they got moldy so we had to take everything home to wash. My wife is an extreme fanatic about cleanliness so now we have to go and bleach everything even though it is about 60 degrees and windy.
Anyway, while she is doing that I will collect some grass shrimp which there are thousands around my boat. I probably can't collect amphipods yet because there is no seaweeds yet growing there where they congregate to and I am not going to my collection tide pool today because it is to cold and I don't feel like jumping into 50 degree water.
I also probably won't collect any mud because I don't take that from my marina as those bacteria are always high from PCBs, LSD, Quaaludes, fuel oil, anthrax and now, Clorox. (from my wife's cleaning)
But as soon as it gets back at least into the 70s I can get some mud.


 

Paul B

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I got another Queen anthias today at my favorite LFS, Aquarium Village from my favorite LFS worker, Andy and he is doing very well. He settled in with his 5 friends and was enjoying a sumptuous meal of new born brine shrimp with a side order of clams.
I also got another flasher wrasse and I have not seen him yet because that is what flasher wrasses do. Everything but flash. Well occasionally they do, but they do it very sparingly. But I am sure I will see him in a day or so.
 

Paul B

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Thank you, I modeled it after one of my old girlfriends.


Today I had to do some maintenance because I could use my algae scrubber as a produce stand and my three powerheads are not even putting out enough flow to make a bowlegged pod get out of breath. I haven't changed water in so long that I dropped a net in there and it is still standing up.
So I took off the algae screen and clogged my sink cleaning it. Then I reached in to grab the powerhead and BAM, POW, ZZZZZZZZ, BBBUZZZZzzzz. I am embarrassed to say I got a huge shock. It was so huge it threw me back, out the front door, across the street into the path of a 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.
OK, I may have ad libbed a little, but I did hit the couch on my knees. Being an electrician (and a real Man) these things don't normally bother me but I did immediately look in the mirror to see if my hair started to grow back. Only out of my nose it seems. There is nothing wrong with my powerhead, the problem is with me. When I built my very cool water cooled LED light fixture I added about 10 bare wires sticking straight up an inch or so that I use as test points in case an LED goes out. But, I know I am not supposed to have one arm in the water while my other arm is touching one of those live wires. My nervous system generally frowns on that sort of thing. As you know, electricians do things in their own homes that we would never do in some one else's house. You should see my panel.
All is well and most of my fish stopped laughing.
I don't need an excuse to post Greta.


 

4Fish

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I have been keeping fish tanks for 40 years. I think of all the times I almost electrocuted myself or flooded the house, and let's not forget about the 100 gallons of dirty water I drank trying to start a siphon and who knows what is now growing in the sewers in Bayside Queens from all the water changes. Glad to hear you are ok.
 

4Fish

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I know you remember Looking Glass aquarium, but do you remember the pet shop near the Northern Blvd bridge (left hand side if traveling west). He sold reptiles as well, but I remember it was one of the first times I saw saltwater fish.
 

Paul B

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I may build another Steam Punk anglerfish. I am not sure as I have enough steampunk for the art show in August but once the Steam Punk Bug bites you, you just have to keep going.
This stuff keeps me up at night. I used to think about Supermodels, now I think about Supermodels swimming with Steam Punk fish. I guess its an aging process.
If I build another fish I will make it with more Pizazz.
The Supermodel counselor at the VA told me that building stuff and staying awake is probably part of my PTSD. Who knew!
If I didn't have to sleep I could do this kind of stuff all night. It's kind of a curse. Sort of like reefing. :rolleyes:
 

Paul B

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As we age we normally gets aches and pains which are good because they let us know we are still alive. If we didn't feel anything that is because we are dead and no one wants that, or at least no dead people ever complained so we don't know how that experience will be, but most of us will find out in due time.


I have had this backache for about six months. Most people have backaches because we were designed wrong, kind of like seahorses.
I just figured my back ache was a muscle thing, but I am retired and it's not like I have been throwing Supermodels up on my shoulders to impress them. I actually never did that and Supermodels don't weigh enough to hurt your back anyway.
So after the 6 months my back is getting worse and I went to a lung doctor to see if it was a lung thing because it is higher on my back than normal, run of the mill backaches. Luckily, it is not my lungs. The lung guy, (or pulmonologist) said I have so much asbestos in my lungs that I could probably run through a burning house and nothing would happen to me. The asbestos is not affecting me right now because all the Agent Orange in there has it encapsulated which is fine.
He says I need to go to a muscular/skeleton guy.
I need an MRI.


I get an appointment with this Doctor and I like him very much. I bring the MRI and he says, OMG all the nerves in your lumbar region are inflamed and your disks are bulging. That is fairly normal for a guy who worked construction for forty years. I am sure accountants, lawyers, and people who make those little things on the ends of your shoelaces also get this, but I am only talking about me right now, let them write their own story.


(By the way, This story is going to be very anticlimactic as nothing exciting is going to happen. I figured I would mention that in case you don't want to read any more.)


He says he thinks he can fix this, temporarily anyway, but I will have it for the rest of my life. At my age, that will probably not be that long anyway so I am not worried.
He wants to stick needles in my spine and inject me with Grand Marnier. Or something that sounds very much like that. If that doesn't work, he will stick me with a larger dose and if that doesn't work, a larger dose. I said, why not stick me with the whole bottle of the stuff right away and forget about all the Sissy stuff in between. Maybe you can force it in there with a funnel and a plunger.
He didn't like that idea because I would imagine, this way he can charge my insurance three or four times. I also don't think he knew what a plunger was.
Anyway, if that doesn't work, he will give me an epidural, like they give pregnant ladies. I don't feel pregnant and I thought that was only a temporary pain thing for the Mother but what do I know!
I will let you know how it goes, I may enjoy the journey.
(I told you it was anticlimactic)
 

Paul B

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The Doctor gave me some medication to take before I have this back procedure. I looked up some of the side effects to see if I got any.
Amazingly, I have all of them.
clear.png



What side effects can this medication cause?


  • drowsiness (I am sleeping as I write this)
  • tiredness or weakness (I'm to drowsy to notice)
  • dizziness (which way is my computer)
  • headache (Oh yeah, I got that)
  • uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body (my left earlobe is shaking at a different rate than my right ear lobe)
  • double or blurred vision (I think I see two Supermodels)
  • unsteadiness (I just fell into my tank)
  • anxiety (OMG, I hope no one reads this thread)
  • memory problems (what is this thread about)
  • strange or unusual thoughts (I thought Christie Brinkley texted me, maybe I was mistaken)
  • unwanted eye movements ( I am looking left to see right)
  • nausea (Oh No, not on my key board)
  • vomiting (same thing, isn't it)
  • heartburn (Heartburn and I burned my hand on the MH light bulb)
  • diarrhea (I won't go there)
  • dry mouth ( I have been drinking Grand Marnier or that)
  • constipation (It's hard to be sexy when your constipated)
  • increased appetite, (Is that a salami sandwich)
  • weight gain (Ugh)
  • swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
  • back or joint pain (If I didn't have back pain I wouldn't have to take this)
  • fever (no, I don't have that)
  • runny nose, sneezing, cough, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms. (all of the above)
  • ear pain No, but I hear angels singing)
  • red, itchy eyes (sometimes with swelling or discharge) (only green discharge)
Some side effects may be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
  • rash ( the heartbreak of psoriasis)
  • itching (it's hard to type and scratch at the same time)
  • swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes (It's also hard to see with my face swelled up like this)
  • hoarseness (Seabiscuit in the third)
  • difficulty swallowing or breathing. I am even as we speak giving myself CPR)
  • seizures (no, not right now)
 

Paul B

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I received the new copper toilet bowl float and I* aged it last night because it comes shiny copper and that is not the look I am looking for.* Now it has a nice patina on it with green streaks.
I also have a much larger tesla globe which will be a quarter of the fish.* I hope to build this one more elaborate as I have a little more experience and more stuff, gears and such.
I will post pictures as I make the thing.

As for my reef, I thought I was missing a flasher wrasse but I found her hiding place.* She hangs out on the top of the tank behind the three UG filter tubes.* The only time a fish would hide there is when they are bullied so I assume the other one is chasing her up there whenever she comes out.* I can't be sure because she never comes out.* Now that I know where she is, at least I can feed her but I am not sure how long she can live there. * There is no way to catch her so I doubt she will live long.

Every thing else looks fine
 
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Thank you. The rest of my health is great and most of my parts are working like a well oiled machine. That is probably due to the krill oil I take every day.
I am not exactly 20 years old any more although I only look like 30. (a 30 year old krill) :bigeyes2:

Paul you are not 20 yrs old any more
But you are 20 yrs old with 30 + yrs experience.
 

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