Lets talk about more “Newbie Tools.”
I had an experience today that I wanted to share with you. It came about at around noon when I was sitting with my husband on our couch, each of us exploring our own virtual domains via separate laptops. I was lost in Pogo Games playing Poppit!, and he was browsing Craigslist for things we cannot afford.
He named off some pianos, a guitar, and some other musical equipment, when I finally told him to get out of there (that site) and quit torturing himself.
I then rattled off (while almost completely absorbed in Poppit!) that I hate Craigslist when I am broke, because I always find stuff like fish tanks on there when I have no money. I then somehow made the sentence: I always use Craigslist to get fish tanks for the zoo; Hell, I got half the tanks for free that way!
That was the sound of the turn of my Sunday.
My husband (what seemed like seconds later…I don’t know…I was lost in that stupid game!) suddenly turned his laptop towards me, and told me to look. I was startled awake from the game coma, and saw the words “20 gal fish tank and 5 gal fish tank” meet my eyes, followed by a local phone number,
I told him to quit torturing me with stuff I can’t afford, when he gladly pointed out that this was listed in the FREE section. I WAS ON IT!
Visions of only needing a new tank for one of the L parahybanas came about, and Isis! Oh how Isis would love the Kritter Keeper while Zero would get all the leg room of a 5 gallon!!
I called the number, and left a message. The number called me back a minute or so later, and I heard the voice on the other end say that they only had 2 small tanks left.
I was still happy to come and get them, because that would mean that Zero, Isis AND the crickets would get a cool tank!! (I am picturing 2 5 gallons now…GLORIOUS SUNDAY!!)
Picture now my face when I got to the house of the tank giver-away-er and was greeted by a 10 gallon that was very dirty, sitting on this strangers porch. He then insisted that my husband and I go into his house, (as we were followed by another guy ALL creepy) to be met with
(my 5 gallon??)
No.
Sitting on this gentleman’s kitchen counter was an even filthier 10 gallon tank complete with RIVER MINNOWS!
(Oh God, I don’t want fish!)
When he saw my face, and that of my husbands, he offered to dump some of the water down his sink, and the fish too if we didn’t want them.
His wife then came out and added that there was a clam in there somewhere too!!
(Gulp!)
So, just a few minutes later we were back in our car with one very filthy tank in the trunk, and one 1/4 filled tank riding in my lap with Minnows.
(Did I mention the tank was green? The water too? How bout the sides?)
When we got home, the green tank went to the porch.
and the trunk tank….
was filled with kitty litter, some type of lid piece that looked melted, a broken glass, (not broken glass, but A broken glass,) a cordless phone….and yes, the charger too.
I tossed the contents of the kitty litter tank and got out the bleach!
Why people would not include the words “kitty litter” in their Craigslist ad was beyond me.
They seem to have forgotten to include a fish net too, so I sat down a few minutes later with a tea strainer and fished out the 6 little minnows, and the one surviving clam. (It seems there were 2 in the ichy murk….
(Did I mention it was crayola green?)
and I placed the living things in a tupperware container intended for Zero.
I am just praying that I can get the fish to eat crickets!
(And what the hell do fresh water clams eat??)
So, in conclusion, Craigslist is one of the many cool newbie tools to have, and if you should ever find something free on there-like fish tanks- you might want to make sure that the fish and the owners kitty litter (and house phone) is NOT included in the deal.
From the Desktop of Sid and Nata 