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How to Fake a French Manicure

5K views 50 replies 6 participants last post by  toad 
#1 ·
I feel like my life is finally coming together, and I'm finally on top of things. I'm only 21, but it's taken until now for me to feel at peace with who I am, and figure out where I'm going; it's taken me this long to stop being afraid of, well, everything. Of course, having my furred and scaly babies to accompany me through all these epiphanies is a great comfort. In fact, my dog has literally saved my life, more than once.

I'm out on my own, in school and working full time. And, only now do I finally feel safe.

Almost all of the little pieces of my soul have fallen right into place, and I'm finally able to forgive, forget and let go of all the things I wish had never happened.

Goodbye, crippling depression! I'm all done you.

Now, off to find another place to volunteer, because the "warm n fuzzies" I get from the animal shelter isn't getting me through the whole week!

<3 let. love. in.
 
#2 ·
amen sister! I could use some of that right now. The world is trying to beat me down because I was on top of things. But I'm fighting tooth and nail to stay on top.
 
#7 ·
Dolla Dolla Bills, y'all.

I do so love it when my darling pharmacy patrons pay me in crumpled, moist $1 bills :sick:. To be honest, I hate cash altogether and don't carry any, with the exception of random small bills that I keep in my purse in case I meet a random homeless person who needs them; I am convinced that all the $1 bills have found their way into some unsavory places, and when they're wet, it's all I can do not to throw up in my cash drawer. :roll:

On another note, I found this ah-freakin-mazing looking recipe for Vegan (!) Chocolate Chai Tea Cupcakes.

I cannot wait to make these things --> http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/best-healthy-cupcakes-weve-ever-seen

I'm not a vegan, but I try to eat as few animal products as possible. Someday, I tell myself - someday I'll be a chic city dwelling Vegan. For today, however, I'm residing in these backwoods, and doing my part to annoy the customer service departments of companies like Wally World (as of today, I believe I have complained about the same betta cups at least 4 times).


My new little rescue guy is doing awesome! I'm so excited about this :greenyay: He's unclamping himself and letting me see how pretty his little tattered fins are. He's also super friendly and comes over to see me anytime I go to check on him. He still needs a name; I was torn between Calvin and DaVinci, but then my little brother suggested Percy, which I also like :hmm: I believe that if the ammonia didn't burn/choke him to death, he would have developed fin rot, if I had left him in Wally World's forgotten back corner. One of those cute little fins on his belly, the ones that look like streamers (pelvic fins?), is shorter than the other and raggedy looking. Now, if I can just figure out how make this heater work so he doesn't get cold and sick(er)... :blueshake: *shivers*

As for my other scaly babies, they are doing wonderfully. Rosco has the cutest flare, with this little ruffle around his face; he reminds me of those dinosaurs from Jurassic Park... And, I seriously wish I could take Howie out of his tank sometimes and hug him. After swearing that I was not going to spend any more money, I went to Petco and ended up buying a java fern and an anubia, which I put in Howie's 10 gallon (the other boys already have real plants, Howie's were all plastic). I left the java fern floating, which Howie seems to like, and I nestled the anubia into the fake drift wood. I'm really determined not to kill any more plants :thumbsup: (#florachallenged).

<3
 
#9 ·
Congratulations!! What an incredible feeling to have, as certainly a great weight has been lifted off your soul. Your post caught my eye because I have finally reached this stage of my life as well, and I am 24 (almost 25). I have been in counseling now for almost 1 full calendar year, and I can finally say that I am at ease with who I am and with where I am going. I, too, have struggled with depression my entire life, and although it has taken me this long to start to let go of everything that I wish had never happened to me, I am so glad that that process has finally been instigated.

Congrats again!
 
#10 ·
Thanks, DQ!

Tiger, thank you so much; I am so glad you have found peace and comfort in your life and that everything is falling into place for you!
 
#11 · (Edited)
Hooray for Today

Today is my little brother's last day here at my house. Tomorrow, he will be going to spend some time with his cousins, and then back to Florida to start 10th grade :') I'm sad that he is leaving, but I'm very thankful that I got to have him here all summer, and that he shared in my recent fish saving adventures.

We also set up my 20 gallon fish tank today :-D I decided to use pool filter sand instead of the gravel I have in my other 3 tanks. The bag weighed half as much I do, so my awesome brother carried it for me. It's really pretty in the tank; I'm so pleasantly surprised.

While at Petco buying a hood for said tank (which I returned an hour later, anyway) I met a guy that could have been Lurch from the Addam's family :shock: He creeped me out a lot, and wouldn't stop talking to me and showing me pictures of his giant lizards. I complained about the hideous betta containers (the Petco near my house always has clean ones; I won't be revisiting this icky store), and made my escape.

I also made it a point to take Wally World's survey, and write corporate a 2nd letter. It goes a little something like...

"Hello,
On Tuesday, July 24th, I made my 6th complaint to Walmart store #1980. All the complaints were the same - the conditions of the live animals in this store are appalling and inhumane. I visited the store to buy thermometers for my aquariums, and found the store's live fish living in filthy tanks and containers. Some of the aquariums were so covered in algae, it was difficult to see if there were any fish inside; most of the tanks had piles of debris and dead animals littering their floors. The small cups that the betta fish are housed in were squalid, with cloudy water and debris piling up inside. I photographed these conditions, but was unable to send the photographs to corporate because there is no email address listed in the contact information.

I have already used this form to contact corporate about this matter, but have not received a response. After my first in-store complaint about the state of the animals, the aquariums were cleaned, but the betta fish remained in polluted water. I proceeded to complain 4 more times about the condition the fish were in, and found each time that they remained untouched. On July 24th, I complained for the 6th time, and was told that the pet department manager was on a break and unavailable for customer service. I suggested that the associates page someone else for me to speak to. The woman that responded to their call listened to my complaint and cleaned only the dirtiest 2 cups, without uttering a single word to me.

On the evening of July 25th, I went back to the store to check on the fish. I found the bettas trying to eat the feces from the bottoms of their containers, because they hadn't been fed. I dug through the fish department cabinets until I found the store supplied fish food, and fed them myself. No employees noticed, because the department was vacant.

When visiting a department store, such as Walmart, I do not expect to have to perform maintenance on the store's live animals. I also do not expect to have to complain each and every day for the employees to perform their jobs.

I am very disappointed in this store, and the individuals employed there.

Thank you for your time."

I doubt they will care, but I can dream, right?

On a happier note - the little girls are doing great and I've decided to call them Delilah and Cali. They're so tiny, I had to crush up the already microscopic pellets so they could eat them.

Now to sit back and wait for this apparently "severe" storm that's heading my way :-D I <3 storms, but please don't knock my power out! :angel:
 
#12 ·
Nice job on the letter to walmart! another win for the betta's. Also, lucky your getting storms...I'm hoping we get some tomorrow.
 
#13 ·
I think every letter and complaint has a chance at doing some good! Your letter was very well written and convincing.
I'm glad things are going better for you :) I just got through a tough year (well, a tough several years...) too. But I'm glad we're all being optimistic; life will certainly begin looking up for all of us I'm sure! :)
 
#15 ·
One of ~those~ days

*sigh*

I left my wallet in the fridge at work. Yes, the fridge. I put it in my snack bag on my way out the door, and stuffed it in the fridge at work, and... realized I had no license, nor any of my debit/credit cards as I drove down the highway at 10 o clock, after we closed.

I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn't in dire need of anything, as I now have zero access to any money, until 9 in the morning when the pharmacy reopens.

And, I'm having one of those moments where I *hate* being single :-? Some days, I am glad that I am single, and some days I just want to be married :cry: Okay, I'll stop wallowing in self pity now.

Wally World hasn't answered either of my emails :evil: Rude. I told myself I'd never go into another WM again, but then how am I supposed to check on the fish and know whether to keep complaining? I feel like writing them a letter every day, until they finally answer me.

On the upside, I have all weekend off, and may finally go and get the tattoo I've been wanting for over a year :-D

Still love this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-GCl3NUBI
 
#16 ·
oo! new tattoo's are fun! I got one at the begining of this summer, what are ya getting? (if you don't mind telling). I hate wally world too, they make me mad with their inferior products. Unfortunately if we were to shun wally world we'd have issues. It's one of the main stores here in rapid. And that song was pretty good. I'm not religious at all and he wasn't too heavy on the god thing so it was alright. Here's a song in response http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoTGyWT0Cg
 
#17 ·
Haha I love that song :-D I'm not religious either, though I was raised by a family of Jehovah's Witnesses (if you've ever gotten a bunch of people with bibles knocking your door, it's the JW's...). My mother left Christianity at one point to become a witch, and then went back when she was in the nursing home before she passed away.

The tattoo I want is the end of this MLK Jr. quote:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

So I want the phrase "only love can do that" on the inside of my wrist :p

How many tattoos do you have? :)
 
#19 ·
The octopus's garden

So no tattoo yet, but it's coming :D

I ordered a bunch of plants for my new tank this morning; I'm very excited for them to get here on Wednesday so I can play in my "garden". The only garden I can keep alive is one I don't have to water :roll:

I'm supposed to be studying for my CPhT test, but what am I doing instead? Oh yeah - sitting on my couch playing online and making water bottle baffles for a tank that has no fish in it :tease:

Procrastination is my middle name. I'm working on it. ;-)

Toad (my puppy) and I took a ride to the gas station and Wally World today, and I did the happy dance inside when I saw that they had NO bettas. I was a little peeved about the dead pleco laying upside down in one of the aquariums, but that was my only real complaint for them today.

I'm off to study :wave:
 
#24 ·
Me too. I miss my puppies. When I moved away for college they stayed with my parents but every time I come home its like this.
 
#26 ·
Oh, I can't even imagine what it would feel like to leave my dog. That must be heartbreaking :'( I've had my dog since I was 14, and he's seen me through some awful stuff. At my lowest points in life, he was the only thing I'd wake up for in the morning, and the only reason I didn't give up and die. I cry just thinking about the day I might have to put him to sleep.

I tried resending my email to the company responsible for the lava lamp fish tank, but it just comes back to me every time, stating that the company inbox is full.

On Friday, I am finally going to go to sign up for classes at the school I want to transfer to. It's just another community college, but it's much closer to my house than the one I went to before. Currently, I'm thinking of going for marketing/advertising, but I seem to change my mind so often, I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with that. Then, I am going to start redoing my whole house. I never painted or decorated much when I moved in, because I thought I'd be moving out fairly soon. Perhaps during the mini-remodel I will find more places for fish tanks :D

The girls were modeling for me this morning after I changed the water in their qt containers. They are so friendly and cute, I can hardly stand it. I've also been tracking the plants I ordered from Live Aquaria like some kind of cyber stalker. They're in Indiana right now ;)

Here are the girls, being cute:

Cali and her cute little spots.




Delilah, who likes to dance. The purple in her tail is what her whole body looks like but my camera doesn't seem to capture it.



 
#27 ·
awws cutes! For your classes have you taken your "generals" yet? I would start there and then maybe take an into course for something your interested in. See if its really all you want it to be.
 
#28 ·
Thanks :)

I have, but I need a couple more (like public speaking, which I hate, and am very bad at!). I have taken all the regular things, like algebra, chem, bio, comp skills, english.

I'm hoping once I take an intro class for marketing, I will really know if I like it enough to continue. My last big idea was nursing, and once I got to the cat dissection part of A&P, I dropped it. Don't have a very strong stomach - wouldn't make a very good nurse lol.
 
#30 ·
I have come to the conclusion that I really need to re-aquascape my tanks. I have also, sadly, come to the conclusion that I need to start saving more money, and spending less money on plants and fish :cry: After all, I don't want to live in an apartment forever, and I have my dream house all planned out in my head - now I just have to scrimp and save and buy the thing.

One major detail of said dream house is a custom moon jelly tank, to be installed in the wall of my living room. In my head, it's round, 8 feet in diameter and filled with Jelly delights.

Meanwhile, in real life, I spent all weekend crying because my old rat, Bernadette has a tumor behind her left front leg. It appeared rather quickly and is quite big. She doesn't seem to be in any discomfort whatsoever, thankfully. I am dreading having to put her to sleep :cry: I've only had her since the beginning of April, but I feel like I've had her forever.

Poor Cali is still living in a quarantine container. Granted, it's better than the cup she was living in when I got her, but it's small and boring. I ordered her a 5 gallon tank that I am planning to put next to my bed, on my night stand :) I also want to get her some shrimps to live with, so I have been researching those. I'm quite temped to try and make this fiver a natural planted tank, since I haven't done one yet... Delilah has moved into a 3 gallon Tetra Cube, which, I think, is pretty cute for $30. She's got stones and a resin mopani branch to swim through and hide behind, and for now she's got an ugly fake plant, since her's are on their way from Asia. But I think she's just excited to have more room to swim in.

My plants are having babies - I'm so excited about this! My moss ball, Seymour had a baby yesterday, and my java fern is growing babies like crazy! Hooray for free plants!

Went sailing last night for the first time in months - the lazy kind of sailing where you pay other people to do all the sailing and you just tag along for the ride. I prefer to be handling ropes and such, but any excuse to be on the ocean is a good one for me! However, the schooner we were on was having an off day, and the rudder jammed completely when we out in the bay. We had a lovely view of the sunset whilst waiting for a water taxi to come and pick us up.

Overall, it was a good weekend (aside from the crying!).
 
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