What are you doing today?

[GaryE]

I had to crawl under a rack and fix a leaking hose. It's from a long drained pool filter a friend had, and it's carried water out of my tank for over ten years. The water flows into a garbage can where there's a filter basket to stop any debris or sand from getting into my plumbing.
I thought it would take time, but it was fixed in 5 minutes. I did water changes on the big tanks, and all is well there.

So this afternoon, I work on the vegetable garden soil. We have a frost warning tonight, so no planting yet. I'm hoping the flowers out front will be safe. Maybe I can train the deer to lie down on them to protect then, so they can eat them when they're ready to bloom.

 

[Back in the fold]

The new Journal of the American Killifish Association ( JAKA ) came in the mail the other day and there’s an article on Argolebias nigripinnis in it . Used to be Cynolebias then it was Austrolebias but I’ve always known them as the Argentine Pearlfish . They’re the dark fish with bright iridescent spots , a South American annual . It’s raining today so I’ll devour this reading and I noticed an AKA member had these fish on the fish and egg listing in the most recent BNL and I’ve dealt with her before so I might be tempted here .

 

[GaryE]

I've always been tempted by nigripinnis, and have never kept them. I tried once but got no hatch from the eggs I bought.

 

[jaylach]

Found a memo on my door this morning from my apartment's management. Seems that they want to start a tenant committee and are looking for volunteers to be part of the committee. Later in the day I was coming in from outside and heard the building manager on a video call with her boss saying that she agreed that I would be a great choice for such a committee.

I'm tempted but am a bit of a hermit and just want to avoid the 'building politics'. In half a day I've had a few people tell me that I need to be involved in this but I just don't know. I guess I need to get with the actual apartment manager and discuss some issues that I'm worried about. There are two main issues that I see.

1. There are two women that I'm sure will want in but they both will be pushing for things that they personally want rather than what is best for ALL residents. Ya, I MIGHT be a voice of reason in such things but it could also cause conflicts that I don't want.
2. Is this a real thing where we would be heard or is it just a scam so management can say that the committee made the choice even if we were against.

I am an ethical person and would be insistent in that we really had a voice and would be heard. I guess that I need to sit down and talk about things with management. I'm intrigued with the concept but wary at the same time...

 

[Back in the fold]

Found a memo on my door this morning from my apartment's management. Seems that they want to start a tenant committee and are looking for volunteers to be part of the committee. Later in the day I was coming in from outside and heard the building manager on a video call with her boss saying that she agreed that I would be a great choice for such a committee.

I'm tempted but am a bit of a hermit and just want to avoid the 'building politics'. In half a day I've had a few people tell me that I need to be involved in this but I just don't know. I guess I need to get with the actual apartment manager and discuss some issues that I'm worried about. There are two main issues that I see.

1. There are two women that I'm sure will want in but they both will be pushing for things that they personally want rather than what is best for ALL residents. Ya, I MIGHT be a voice of reason in such things but it could also cause conflicts that I don't want.
2. Is this a real thing where we would be heard or is it just a scam so management can say that the committee made the choice even if we were against.

I am an ethical person and would be insistent in that we really had a voice and would be heard. I guess that I need to sit down and talk about things with management. I'm intrigued with the concept but wary at the same time...

That’s a funny one Jay . I think I would be a little gun shy too . The two women you’re talking about probably will have an agenda , as you suspect , and if they join forces you’ll be outgunned .
Your second concern sounds like a thing for management to cover their asses .
There should be a chairman of the committee with added powers to offset the potential problems you’ve identified and if not I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole .
Rotsa ruck as our friends in Japan say .

 

[jaylach]

That’s a funny one Jay . I think I would be a little gun shy too . The two women you’re talking about probably will have an agenda , as you suspect , and if they join forces you’ll be outgunned .
Your second concern sounds like a thing for management to cover their asses .
There should be a chairman of the committee with added powers to offset the potential problems you’ve identified and if not I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole .
Rotsa ruck as our friends in Japan say .

I left a letter in the office drop box requesting a discussion as to my concerns and requesting a conference to assure me that it is a real thing where we would have a voice. We shall see what we shall see.

 

[GaryE]

I've always been leery of 'owned democracies'. Ultimately, management gets what it wants and usually those committees are counted on to be controllable. So you put a lot of energy in, and become the first line of impact/buffer when people are mad. You end up managing the red tailed sharks, but have no real control over the ones who change the water and own the flakes...

I was on the board of a housing coop once, and the politics were difficult. But there, it was really self managed, and we could do what was voted. I'm still not sure I'd do it again with the backbiting though...

What am I doing today? Who knows. Yesterday turned into a day of medical emergency in the family, which turned out well eventually. So I'm probably doing 2 days of things today. I was hoping to go kayaking, but it's very windy out there. So, water changes, fish egg collecting, carrot planting, digging a lot to turn over soil, dog walking, coffee drinking, house cleaning, and trying to take over the world.

 

[Back in the fold]

Pretty easy day for me today . A little bit of aquarium maintenance and feeding the fish . It’s nice out today and I will probably go for a run later this afternoon but generally just loafing today . This retired and not working gig is great . I recommend it .

 

[gwand]

Third week of the month means rinsing sponges and cleaning motors in addition to the weekly water changes. I also cleaned the tops on several tanks. I counted over 27 juvenile cockatoo in a grow out tank that were hatched on February 23. I need a plan to sell and or rehome these guys. One of my “go to” fish stores I frequently sell fish to is not interested. They still haven’t sold all the cockatoo I sold them a few months ago. I have 20 juvenile red coral dwarf platy that they do want. I’ll try the other fish store near me to see if they want the cockatoo. I better act fast because I had another hatch on May 18. This is the first spawn for this pair.

 

[jaylach]

I left a letter in the office drop box requesting a discussion as to my concerns and requesting a conference to assure me that it is a real thing where we would have a voice. We shall see what we shall see.

Meeting with the building and regional managers Tuesday. Sometime this weekend I'll make a list of all my concerns to present. I have serious doubts as to if I'll get involved but, in fairness, I'll discuss.

 

[Lanpenn]

Not the most flattering of angles my guy

Indeed. Yoga has these things.

My computer tells me that today is International Tea Day. I celebrated appropriately with some Barry's Gold.

In the last few months, I have decided to start drinking tea. My great-great-grandmother used to make teas as treatment for several things, and people around the town came for it, probably related to her indigenous ancestry. I have two photos of her here (not the original ones, unfortunately); she looked so similar to a Lakota, despite being probably born in Minas Gerais. Her father was probably Portuguese, and her mother was probably indigenous (okay, in Portuguese we have the indígena word for American native people and the indiano for people born in the country India).

 

[jaylach]

Indeed. Yoga has these things.


In the last few months, I have decided to start drinking tea. My great-great-grandmother used to make teas as treatment for several things, and people around the town came for it, probably related to her indigenous ancestry. I have two photos of her here (not the original ones, unfortunately); she looked so similar to a Lakota, despite being probably born in Minas Gerais. Her father was probably Portuguese, and her mother was probably indigenous (okay, in Portuguese we have the indígena word for American native people and the indiano for people born in the country India).

Some teas have unusual benefits. Ever had an eye stye? Some teas contain acids that will dissolve the thing. From what I've experienced black tea is probably best. Just steep the tea bag and use as a light compress. Old sayings say that it is boric acid in the tea but natural tea does not contain this but does often have other acids. While over the counter boric acid is probably more effective tea tends to work and will get rid of the stye in a day or two. I've had a stye a couple of times in my early teens and a tea bag worked well. It also tends to sooth the irritation a stye causes. If you have never had a stye it is like having a grain of sand stuck under your eye lid.

 

[GaryE]

Tea is fantastic in aquariums. I use green tea, decaffeinated orange pekoe and rooibos. On rare occasions, I even drink black tea.

I won an Aquabid killie egg auction for Procatopus nototaenia. I have kept the fish before, for several generations, and thought I'd never get another shot at them. They are wonderful things. Here's hoping the postal system cooperates - they'll come from France. I also have Czech Epiplatys ansorgii eggs on the way, probably by the middle of next week. If I get both in time and they hatch, I'll have some wishlist fish. It's a big if. This is the only form of gambling I get into.

 

[GaryE]

Well, today has been odd. I live across the road from a large, old graveyard, one that is in danger from coastal erosion. It's quiet, but sad at once, as there are still occasional burials in old family plots.

This morning, I was digging in the garden when I heard a highland pipe and drum band. Someone got as good a send off as these things can be. It's not my tribe, but it was very impressive.

 

[gwand]

I took a bag of red coral dwarf platy to a lfs for exchange in store Credit.