I wish it would always flow like that

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh... 'Tis a Monday morn' after a kind weekend. This weekend was very kind to me, it was. Rather, my husband was very kind to me. It was smooth sailing and fluffy rainbows the whole way. Ron wasn't the LEAST BIT assholian during the ENTIRE weekend! Amazing...

Saturday we woke up to a gloomy morning. The bedroom wasn't bathed in sunlight, as it usually is. We need to change our blinds. Even when those things are shut, way too much light gets in. The sun rises in the direction that the window is facing. Yes. East. I've learned to battle the sunrise room by getting used to sleeping with my head sandwiched between two pillows. So I didn't have to do that on Saturday. Got to enjoy sleeping in without the sun in my face. Then we got up, showered and dressed and it was off to run our usual errands before we enjoyed a wonderful sushi lunch. I love that it also rained. Shit, good old California weather. It was 85 - 90 all during the week and then come Saturday, it rains.

Our last errand, which we saved until after lunch, was picking up my brand new 50 gallon glass aquarium. We took Ron's beat up old Toyota to the fish store and loaded up everything I'd need to change my system over to the new tank. The nice fellas at the shop let me borrow one of their 30 gallon plastic trash cans that they use to acclimate new fish at the store. They also let me borrow a styrofoam box to put all of my rocks in. The changeover wasn't so bad, it was just all that water transferring that got tiring. Plus I had to drive all the way back to the fish store to get more water 'cause I ran out. The water level was only about 5 inches below what I needed it to be. Ain't that the pits?! Turns out I went from an approximately 45 gallon tank to an approximately 60 gallon tank. I just found a site that calculates gallonage from tank measurements. I didn't realize the new tank was so much bigger! I'm glad I got those extra base rocks for the bottom of my "reef pile" 'cause I had to make it higher.

The procedure took about 4 hours altogether. The first three were on Saturday... Emptied clear water from tank to trash can and two extra 5 gallon jugs. Dug out half of the old sand, as instructed, in order to replace it with new. I couldn't put all of the old sand into the new tank, because all the poo is stirred up, then it sits for a few hours... Then putting it back into a system that's been disrupted just makes your water quality get shot to hell. So, I changed out some sand and got some new rocks, all of which have beneficial bacteria in/on them to help get everything back on track. The tank will be going through a mini-cycle in the next few weeks, where certain elements spike and such. Once it gets back to normal I'll be able to add corals and fish again.

By the time I was done on Saturday, I was exhausted. The tank looked as though a tsunami hit. I just didn't have the energy to arrange the rocks after all that water lugging. That task was saved for Sunday...which was another lovely day. My new friend Erica came over for a barbeque. Yes, I've actually met a few cool people on shitspace. Very few. And most of them live too far away to hang out with. But Erica contacted me a few months ago, she was new to the area again after living in the south for a few years. Well, it seems that we've hit it off after hanging out a few times. She's right there with me when it comes to being a silly goof and loving animals. She also happens to have a cute little critter of the human kind. Yes. A BAY-BEE. I must admit, I certainly enjoy them when they're critters...from about 7/8 months to about 2 years old. I'm thinking she came into my life for a reason. I really enjoyed having her son there yesterday... But did it change my mind and give me the baby rabies? HEY-ELL NO! I just enjoyed revisting the days that I used to take care of my little nephew...who is now 17 years old. I miss his critter days so.

Ronnie was a good hubby yesterday. Good and social. He shopped, he barbequed, he helped clean up. Critter boy just LOVED Ron and his silly faces. Erica kept saying how he loves men. You shoulda seen that little face light up when Ron talked to him. At one point Erica and I ran to the store and left munchkin with Ron. They were sitting on the couch watching football when we got back. So adorable. Yes, Ron does have the knack for being cutsie to kiddies and animals. I'm the same way. Little kids and animals gravitate toward me. I will admit, kids are totally cute in small doses. I was very proud of Ron for being cool and not being all, "SEE? Wasn't that just SO FUN?! Don't you wanna go make a baby RIGHT NOW?!", after Erica left. Good boy. But Erica is a good kinda mom. She let him crawl around and get dirty, she didn't give in to his crying when it was play pen time and especially when it was bed time. Poor little guy was PISSED, but he eventually tired himself out. Just like what I used to do with my little pistol of a niece. *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAM! WAAAAIILLL!!!* GOOD NIGHT, LAUREN. *click* goes the door...

Let's see, what else... Oh yea, we also got a new livingroom area carpet. The one we were using was old and light colored, making it not so great for couch front placement. I got a nice light brown/burgundy carpet. It's mostly burgundy and brings out the red in things. It's also much larger. I love it. That purchase was long over due.

Tonight is laundry night. I was going to do it yesterday, but finishing the rock placement in my tank took precedence. That and the fact that I had a friend over. I didn't wanna be running back and forth while they were there. How rude. Anyway, I'm going to borrow the work camera and take a picture or two (or 10) of the new tank. Now it's time to really start collecting corals so I can get this thing lookin' more lively. I've only got about 5 or 6 at this point. I also want at least 2 to 4 more fish. There's TONS of swimming room now...and I don't have to bend over when I view the thing anymore! It's a tall tank! But not too tall in that it's taller than it is wide. I really like that about it. Yea. Okay, that's it for now. I have to go concentrate on this thing called "work" again.