House Ladderson

I’m starting to wonder if Petsmart will soon be putting us on a “do-not-sell-to-these-people” list.  We would be classified under the “Dora” owners, the “fish-killer” owners, and screeching Psycho music would go off upon our entering the store.  We didn’t mean to kill the fish, but as of this morning we could be charged in the accidental homicides of two goldfish.  Despite our best efforts, House and Ladder died within 12 hours of each other and the cause is still unknown.  We returned last night to find House lying sideways at the bottom of the bowl, motionless while Ladder looked on in a depressed manner, or as depressed as an orange and black goldfish can look.  Chris discovered the scene first and quickly flushed him away where, we hope, his act ended and he regained life and is now the happy resident in a sewer-fish community. 

After House’s death, Isaac decided to give Ladder, House’s name.  Reed suggested we call him House Ladderson.  Where do they come up with this stuff?!  Well, as I’ve said, they died within 12 hours of each other.  Chris flushed House Ladderson down the toilet this morning before he left for work.  Perhaps it was the name change, the fresh water, too much food, a terminal illness, sorrow for the loss of House the First, we don’t know, but we also hope for the best in his case.

All it took us was 6 days before the guys went “belly up.”  I must say that’s better than the first fish we owned from, eh-hem… Petsmart, who lasted only 3 days.  He was a Betta whose cause of death was most likely related to the Honey Nut Cheerio and olive I found floating along side him in his bowl.  Fortunately, I discovered him early enough that only the Cheerio had had time to expand.  This particular incident happened while we lived in Michigan and it’s been almost 3 years since the death of Patfish the Betta.  I suppose I’ll have to wait for a couple of years before we attempt it again just in case Petsmart keeps a record of such things.  I don’t know the exact length of time for the statute of limitations on fish killings, but I figure we should wait a bit, or go to another state for our next purchase.

Now, for a moment of bubble silence as we mourn the passing of these two ectothermic beings………bubble.