Just some random things that happened

The other day I decided it was high time to clean my aquarium.  It's not a big one, just 20 gallons and I had eight fish left in it.  These eight fish have been around for a long time, a few years.  

I've been in somewhat of a fog the last several months for reasons most of you can guess, so I haven't been keeping up with a lot of things of which I am normally meticulous.   So the aquarium has really suffered and I am surprised those eight fish were even alive.   I decided to completely re-do the whole aquarium and give it a new look.  Something I do about once a year and I always do the same things beginning with removing the fish and putting them in an extra aquarium for the time being.  So all eight fish were finally removed from the pond scum looking home I had them in.  It literally was that bad, like an old stagnant pond with green algae growing on everything.  

I drained the other aquarium, took out all the old plants and rocks etc, put everything new into it and treated the water to get it ready to move the fish back in.   I always wait several hours before putting them back and I did that this time.  I have never ever had a problem doing it this way.

Finally I put them all back into the original aquarium and they were swimming around happily like they were so grateful to have nice clean clear water.   

Thirty minutes later, I walk in there and all but one fish was floating upside down!  What???  I kind of nudged them just to make sure, and then I removed them all and my granddaughter buried them out in the back yard next to the dog and cat.  Which technically I don't think I was supposed to bury the dog and cat in my back yard because there is probably some city ordinance against that, but I am a country girl at heart as well as a rebel so oh well.  Now I have a real pet cemetary going on.

A little later, the last fish was found floating upside down, so out he went with the others.  

That was my Sunday. I single handedly killed eight fish within 30 minutes.  So now I have a very clean sparkly aquarium with nothing in it .    Maybe I will get new fish or maybe I won't.   I am such a murderer now I don't deserve them!!  

I have been testing the water everyday and it is perfect to add fish, but seeing the way this year has gone, I just can't bring myself to kill anything else!

Last night I woke up to use the bathroom at 2 AM in the morning and as I am sitting on the toilet (no need to picture this !) I hear something fall. It sounded like something getting knocked over in the cabinet under the sink.  Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something scurry across the floor toward my granddaughter's bedroom.  The first thing I thought was her hamster had somehow gotten out of it's cage, which horrified  me because hamsters might as well be mice and I am insanely terrified of mice and rats and other rodents. Thank goodness I have never seen one in this house and I have lived here 21 years.

I finished my business then went into my granddaughters bedroom and looked in the cage. Normally that rat creature hamster is climbing all over the cage at night, but I didn't see her.  She does tend to burrow under the bedding to sleep, so I tapped on the cage... nothing.  Then I shook the cage... nothing.  Oh crap.   I turned on the light then and tapped on the cage and I see movement under it's little house, so I felt better.  I figured I must have imagined that I saw something.  I turned out the light and walked out and "something" jumps past me.  I looked over toward the bathroom door and there is the ugliest Cuban frog sitting on the door.  Cuban frogs are an invasive species here in Florida and I have seen plenty of them outside, even on the walls of the house, but never saw one in my house.  I had an EEEEKKKK moment, but then realized I was going to have to remove that critter and put it back outside, which was a dilemma because I don't pick up frogs anymore, now that I am an adult and I don't like touching certain critters.   

I went and got a water pitcher and figured I would put it over the frog and he would get inside and I could cover it and take it outside.  Only Mr. Frog had other plans. Everytime I got close he would hop to another door or wall and I would just miss him.  He stayed up high too and me, being vertically challenged could not reach him, so I got the broom and tried to nudge him down a little, but no, Mr. Frog decides to hop down and very quickly hop away.  I chased his little azz into the kitchen and then he headed for the office but I quickly shut the door, so he jumped on the door of the office and finally I was able to get him in the pitcher but realized I didn't have anything to cover the top so I used the straw end of the broom to cover it.   He was "Hopping" mad !!!  Jumping around like crazy in that pitcher.  I opened the front door and tossed him out and he hopped away.  But I have this terrible feeling he is going to be lurking up on the wall one evening and when I least expect it, he will jump on my head and I will have a heart attack and die right there on the front porch with a frog on my head 😨😨😨 .   

I have that same fear about those ugly pink geckos that crawl around on the ceiling of the front porch, but that is a story for another day. 

Lia  10/14/2021

This is not the frog, but this is what they look like. The one in my house was much bigger....

Michael

 You came into our lives the year you were in the 7th grade.  You were my son's best friend all through middle and high school and beyond until today.   But not only were you his best friend, you were like a brother to him. An only brother since he was surrounded by sisters. 

I immediately fell in love with you and you became a big part of our family.  Through all of these years, you were here. At every family gathering, cookout, every holiday get together.  You were always here with a smile, and your crazy jokes, and your silly stories.   Always making everyone laugh or keeping the conversation going when there was a lull.  

You were an artist, a really talented one.  You loved cats!  I mean you are the only guy I know who would bake a birthday cake for your cat on his birthday!!  

You were sweet and caring and compassionate and I can't think of one single person who did not love you.

Right after high school, you lost your Mama.  I remember the pain I felt in my heart for you and it was probably about that time that I took you in as a son.  No, you didn't move in with us, but I decided then and there to be your second Mama and that is what you called me all through these years.  

In 2014 you had a stroke. You were only in your 20's and we were so afraid we were going to lose you, but you Michael were a fighter. You were not going to let a stroke get you down.  You even laughed about it.  And you fought your way back over the months of rehab and you came back strong.  You started working out and got into the best shape you had ever been in.  You were determined to get your life back, and you did.

A couple of years later, you lost your dad.  My heart broke for you once again, but you took it in stride and kept on going. Your positive attitude was so contagious!

This past May, I lost my daughter to suicide.  And right along with all my other children, you were here for me.  I remember that day so well.  After everyone had gone home except for my other son, you stayed.  I remember the way you kept looking at me like you were waiting for me to just fall apart and I knew you wanted to be there if I did.   I finally told you it was okay for you to go home. I would be okay.  But you stayed awhile longer and before you left you gave me the biggest tightest hug I had ever gotten from you.  

That is my last memory of you . It is seared in my mind. And I remember telling you as you walked out the door, to not be a stranger. And you promised to come around more.  But your  life got busy and you found a nice young lady and started dating and I was happy for you.   But I knew when the next holiday or cookout came along, our Michael would be here right along with the rest of my children.

Three weeks ago, I got a strong feeling that I needed to call you and I had that on my agenda for the day.  My youngest daughter said she had that same strong feeling to contact you.  But before the day was over, I got a call from my "other" son and he gave me that bad news that you had been put in the hospital with covid pneumonia and they had you on a ventilator. 

I did not want to hear that, but I was not going to give up on you.  So I prayed everyday that you would get well and come home to us.  At one point you rallied, but then you got another infection in your lungs.   Still I didn't give up, but yesterday, I had this feeling that maybe this was not going to end well. It was the first time I felt that way.  I prayed to my God to heal you, but yesterday I just said, "if he is not going to get better, please release him ".

This morning the phone rang. I looked to see who it was and it was my other son, your lifelong best friend.  And I knew before I picked up the phone.  He said "Mama" and  all I could say was "NO".  

You fought hard after you had your stroke years ago, you fought to come back fully and you did. You fought hard to get in shape so you could live a long life.   You fought so hard baby, but you could not fight this bioweapon. 

I hope you knew how much we all loved you, how important a part of our family you had become. I hope somehow you could sense that we were there with you while you lay up in the hospital fighting for you life.   I hope you knew my SON.

Rest in Peace our dear Michael  

Thank you for all the love,  joy, and laughter you gave through the years.

You will forever remain in our hearts and our lives will not be the same without you here.

Love.

Your Second Mama