and so it begins

Well, I've done it! After months (yes -- literally -- months) of research, I finally have a fish tank set up and ready for my goldfish! I am quite pleased with the tank -- it is bright and spunky and, I am assured, completely idiot-proof. (Fingers crossed.) I have been so excited about the prospect of getting fish that my friend Sara pointed out I really ought to document the whole experience. And, by the way, this documentation really ought to be available for her constant ridicule in the blogosphere.

So here be I.

For the record, I have qualifications to be a stupendous goldfish owner. Caretaker. Life coach. Oh yes. For starters, I have kept a plant alive all year, despite being in grad school and taking a three-week leave of absence from my apartment during winter break. I have also branched out into maintaining a wee pot of fresh basil that clings to my windowsill and makes one very specific corner of my apartment smell delicious.

But I am destined for bigger things, folks. Breathing things. Fishy things.

The plan is this: I am going to adopt two goldfish. One, to be named Juan Carlos I, after the reigning king of Spain, who, let's face it, was totally a goldfish in a former life. The other, to be named Howard, because it is a down-to-earth moniker and Juan Carlos needs to connect with el pueblo. They will reside in a peaceful world with a few plants, a coral alcove, a snail named Lou, and a royal treasury provided by their Auntie Lala. I intend to document our journey through photos, video, and the occassional haiku:

fishy Mama S
is what they shall call me soon
I also write prose.

So here we go - onto the interwebs and out to the pet store. Hurrah! for new things and the blogs that follow them.