HERE WE GO

Goodbye weekend - hello Monday. Here we go.

Busy day today - right from GO! I fully intended to do a post first thing off the bat this morning - but then the whole entire day got in way. ..........and that's the kind of day it's been. My kind of day.

We had a really nice weekend. We did errands, had naps, ate fish* (I'll get to that), watched movies, had visitors, played darts and even got out and about for bit. Serious - it was awesome. Nice! NICE! Gotta like that.

So another farewell again coming up this week, yes there's been a lot of those lately and just as many newcomers too by the way. Balikpapan is not emptying out - least not where I live anyway. We have all kinds of new neighbours moving in. (starting to feel a bit like the Welcome Wagon Lady) Our longtime countryman/been in Balikpapan forever (5+ years) friend is finally on his way. All the empty corn flake boxes he threw out over the weekend pretty much gave that away. Anyways had a nice dinner with him last night, gave him his 'Get of Jail Free' card** and wished him on his way. Oman - he's on his way. I think today, the other me starting checking out his options for a new cell mate.

** Apparently after 5 years it can feel like that. I even know a few other people who would most likely confirm that for me. Guess I haven't been here long enough yet - not quite.

* Ate Fish. I think I've gotten my asterisks mixed up. Oh well - I did eat fish though. Fabulous BBQ fish (at 10:30 a.m.)(with loads of chilies) - that the driver's wife cooked and sent over for me. Awww. That was nice. Real nice.

Weekend Sides Notes:

:: Just because you asked - my Dengue Fever friend is on the mend. Looking like things are going to be Ok.

:: It's like 49.5°C in Sharjah (Dubai). Wholly HOT!

:: "........ I don't do that joining letters together thing." I think you meant hand writing. Right?

TODAY: It's Monday! (down to the last little bit of it by now though) HERE WE GO! Let's do this week.

Good to Go!

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Ok, this whole keeping fish as pets thing is turning into a bloody mess. What was I thinking?

So what started out as an inexpensive fish bowl and two tiny little fish - has now turned into ............ first a new replacement fish, and then yesterday, an actual aquarium to keep them in, a pump for the new said aquarium, special water for the aquarium and a jerry can to haul the special water in. A splitter wall receptacle thingy for the plug-in, and now believe it it or not, I still need an electrical extension cord to actually plug it all in. Which and of course, in Balikpapan - you can't actually buy one of them. You have to build it. Some electrical cable and two ends.

........ and, now that we have an aquarium, slightly bigger than the original fish bowl we started with - I just have this feeling, when the other Me gets back into town, we're going to end up heading out this weekend and getting more fish.

What was I thinking?

A couple other things: The cat that is (was) attached to our house, is so fed up with with all the rest of the little ones that keep hanging about. She's pretty much moved out. Found a new house to hang at for awhile - but at least she comes for a visit every now and then.

A huge fire in Balikpapan Tuesday night. In Kampung Baru Ujung. Way on the other side of town - where the houses are mostly built from wood and very, very tightly packed in. Where one house fire very quickly and easily almost immediately turns into 10. Last count I heard was 100.

TODAY: I'm busy. Busy with a whole bunch of stuff.

And here's an interesting thing, something that came in my in-box this morning.

IRONY AT ITS BEST
90 people get the Swine Flu and everybody wants to wear a mask.
Millions of people have AIDS and no one wants to wear a condom.

Hmmmm. Thanks for reading everyone.

Good to Go!

LIFE IN THE FISH BOWL

I think maybe I'll title this photo "How to cross a river when you can't find a bridge". That works, doesn't it?

Looks like I'm in for an interesting day. Woke up this morning to an empty fish bowl. What (?) What's that all about you ask? Hmmmm. Has me wondering too.

Fortunately the housekeeper managed to rescue the poor fish before they were completely out of water and dead. They now have a temporary home in a plastic (pink) bucket instead. Seems sometime in the middle night the fish bowl gained a few cracks. Lots of cracks in fact. Faulty glass? Perhaps?

TODAY: Buy a new fish bowl! And fast!

Good to Go!

FISH 1 AND FISH 2

Yesterday was (Ascension Day) another one of those Red Calendar Days here - that means public holiday. Public Holiday number (?) - I don't know what. We have lots of holidays here.

Ok, so about yesterday's fish. Lets just say they were a present. A Happy Something Day kind of gift. Might even go down as a "Remember the year you gave me the fish?" thing. Long story - but let's just say these guys have moved in with us. Kinda like having new room mates I guess.

So some background on the fish. Except that one's orange and the other one black - I have no idea what kind they are or where they originate from. They were not bought off the back of a motorcycle, but they were displayed along with a whole bunch of other fish (*parana) hung up in neat little rows in their nice clear plastic bags. (see photo here) Clear plastic bags are used for selling just about anything and everything here. Water, ice, drinks, snacks, etc. etc. and fish.

Anyways - so now we are tasked with naming these fish. These guys have no names as of yet. I like to call them Fish 1 and Fish 2. (no idea which one is which) The other Me's not too crazy about that. Any suggestions out there? Names for fish?

* To my surprise (and I'm not sure why I would/should be surprised by this) (scared the %#@! out of me in fact) as I went up for a closer look - they tried to attack. These things have teeth. Big ones in fact. Who in their right mind would ever want to have that in their fish tank? Geeeeez - I'm sure if you didn't keep a lid on the tank they'd jump out and get you in fact.

We got to see the new Star Trek movie last night. (pirated copy of course) And, I think they did a pretty darn good job of it too. No, I don't have a uniform hanging in my closet and I can't speak Klingon either, but, I am one of those fans who grew up watching the inescapable after-school reruns over and over and over again. Didn't you? If you haven't yet - do yourself a favor and go see it.

TODAY: Lots of stuff!!! First off I need to get the hand phone bill and pay it before it gets cut off. And that entails getting in the queue with everyone else. (God I miss internet banking) Oh well that's just the way it is here I guess.

Live long and prosper all you fish. TGIF!

Good to Go!

RED CALENDAR DAY

Red Calendar Day! That means Holiday (day off)!

Will tell you all the fish story tomorrow.

TODAY: Have a good one.

Good to Go!