"Faith"

I'm wrong so very often. But the older I get, the less I dwell on my mistakes.

Tonight I had dinner and drinks with a friend, someone that I lost touch with for a little while. Our lives were not in the right phase to really interact with one another, and so we didn't talk for a while.

She's a pretty spiritual person - always driving for answers, looking beyond to really figure out "what's going on??!!"

During our first margarita (Grand Gold, TYVM) I asked her what Faith looked like to her. Her immediate reply was "Oh, it's corny!" and I waved my hand in reply. Shortly thereafter she said - "it is the KNOWING. The secure idea that some greater power out there realllllly knowwwwws me."

Fair enough.

But then I pondered a moment; "Then why are we only truly omnipotent for ourselves? 'We' are the only ones that know our thoughts and feelings at any given time... and yet, we have such little faith in ourselves."

It was pretty quiet at our dinner table until the second round of margaritas arrived.

TGI Friday... I guess

Friday's are the worst day for me at work. My phone rings off the hook and I'm made aware of every mistake that I've made during the previous week. For me, Fridays are the 20/20 hindsight slap to the forehead.

I guess it pushes me harder to try and be better - which is why I just got ANOTHER sizable quarterly bonus. Yet, I'm sure - by 9:00 this morning I'll be contemplating jumping out my fifth floor window.

At least they got me a headset so I can take all the calls without sprouting a hunchback.

Happy Mother's Day

imgage courtesy of the fabulous work at
www.lorenadams.com

Whole lotta shakin'

Today promises to be jam-packed with all sorts of activity! Woo!

Maybe I'm being a little "glass half full" with the "woo" I added just now.

I'm already late for work (and blogging, what does that tell you about my motivation to actually GET to work?)
I have another check run to issue today, for all the people that are having financial difficulty (who isn't?!?) and can't wait until next week for funds.
I'm starting lessons with a new guitar instructor today.
J has a gig tonight
& the gig will double as a co-worker's birthday party.

This list of activity might sound fabulous to some people, but this is normal madness for my life. At least I don't have toddlers!!! *GASP* ugh, I can't imagine having small children ever again.

I like my kids, truly! Love em to bitty pieces. Damn, I'm glad they are teenagers. I've got great kids, all three :)

Ash is trying her dad's patience right now, but what 18 year old girl doesn't? I'm secretly kind of proud of her for starting to try and find her way in the world. Yeah, she's being a little nut about it, but she's OK.

K-man has his first job. Can you believe it? He's MALE and WORKING.... like, all willingly and stuff- and he's still on the honor roll.

Cheese is going more emo these days, the boy has a black and white picture of fully blooming roses on his facebook *chuckle* I think he's got a new girlfriend. He's got straight A's in school and doing well :)

And I'm just rollin along.....

ps: I didn't give J exploding foot fungus. He redeemed himself last night by taking me out for pancakes. I *heart* pancakes, see - but I don't eat them often. Pancakes are my sushi.

Wounded Toe

Last night I was intent on a task, strolling barefoot through the house and I came into sharp realization as to how treacherous it is to live with a drummer.

I walked right into one of J's drum thrones.

Now, for those of you that aren't familiar with drum equipment, let me sum up by saying it is commonly referred to as "Hardware". My toe agrees that this nomenclature is accurate.

I don't think it is broken, but it certainly still smarts on top. There is a weensy red mark, but it belies the agony! Oh, cruel world, deny me not the vision of suffering that torments my soul!

Super cute shoes though, eh? Fifteen bucks!!

Going Fishing, 29g Community tank

This is "my" tank for the most part. I really like the 29g size, you can put together a decent landscape and the water parameters are a breeze. Here in New Mexico the water naturally tends to be hard, the pH runs on average around 7.8 - 8.0; so by adding some natural elements to the water you can get really great results. Environment is fairly simple; just a couple of pieces of driftwood, miscellaneous hard grasses, sword plants, Java moss & fern (natural sunlight simulation "green light"). Filtration is a Penguin 200 bio-wheel, and a little bubble bar just for kicks. The substrate is a medium pebble gravel, and petrified wood. The substrate is not as natural (brown) as the 55 - I actually like the look of this better ;-) Since the volume is medium sized, I have a colorful little assortment of easy care critters. I have various (all brightly colored and varied species) swordfish and platys, a rainbow shark, spotted mollies, an iridescent gourami, and assorted algae eaters. Easy and fun, this tank is located in my home office. In my humble opinion, this is still the prettiest tank in the house. J would argue, but DUH that's his JOB.

ps: this tank taught me that you need to soak the snot out of your wood before putting it in the tank, even if the tag says otherwise. I had tea-colored water FOREVER. oh well, it was a learning experience that helped J with the 55 so it was worth it in the end.

Going Fishing, 55g Community Tank

You'll have to excuse the blurry picture - I don't have a setup that properly captures the various aquaria living in the tank. This is the "big fish" tank since the smallest critters are two half-dollar sized tiger barbs and the largest is a pleco, I think he's almost 8" by now. He's a gorgeous boy... in a creepy sort of way. I've also got a silver dollar that is about the diameter of the palm of my hand, and a pair of bala sharks that are almost 7", two Angels and three Gouramis; each ranging around 4". There are other fish in the tank, but they are going to be relocated to the 20gLong when the cichlids are moved. Keep in mind, all of these huge fish were purchased at adolecent age and have grown beautifully :) (I'm particularly proud of the sharks since I've had them since they were tiny and they lived in my first 20g tank) The substrate here in the 55 is natural pea-gravel, very smooth. Natural plants, petrified wood, and driftwood. J could tell you more about the filtration on this tank - I know he's got a powerhead for the undergravel filter, as well as a whisper somethingorother. This tank is located in our livingroom, and it is so nice to sit and watch a movie with just the light of the TV and the tank. Makes for a very snuggly-wuggly evening! I wholeheartedly suggest any single couple investing in a fish tank or eight.

Passion? Obsession?

Have I told you that I love fishtanks?

Last year for Valentine's day, J bought me this 20g standard tank - and since I had very little experience with aquariums; the tank quickly became known as "the tank of mysterious death". Of course now I know that I didn't let the tank go through its various stages of growth (Nitrogen bloom, algae bloom) to establish the biological filter that fishies love so much. This tank has been lovingly re-named "the Goddess tank"

I love the blue colors, but Jeff cringed at all the tacky stuff I got when I set this up. What can I say, it was my first tank in a long time and I was having fun!?!

Anytime that I learn something new, I jump in with both feet. After I moved in, the Aquarium collection grew. Now there is a 55g community tank, a 30g goldfish tank, two 29g tanks (one is a community tank and the other is a new setup.. I'll talk about that one in a later post), a 20g long tank with malawi cichlids (I didn't know much about them at first, which is why I now have a 29g in setup - another 55 will be in the future since these fish are breeding like mad), my 20g standard is a community tank, and finally, three 10g tanks (one is a quarantine tank for new fishies, one has three divisions and bettas in all, and the other is a swordtail tank).

Pictures will follow. You decide if I'm the crazy old lady down the street with a million fishtanks....

xo