Following HIS Lead

Henry died today. its bittersweet in a way.

I was cleaning his bowl this afternoon and after returning him to his home i noticed his labored breathing and how he was laying on his side, all dead like. and for some of you that know Henry, this isnt too abnormal..(his famous trick being "playing dead"). but knowing my fish's behavior..i knew this wasnt normal. so, thus began the attempt to save Henry.
first i changed his water again, then i made sure his gills were functioning right..they looked a little abnormal. then i went to the one pet store in town and bought aquarium salt and put him in a salt bath for a little while. but all my attempts failed. Henry was just plain old.

In my search for healing remedies this afternoon i ran across the life expectancy of a male betta fish, and the average fish only lives 2 yrs. Henry was about 5-i think he set some sort of record. He was old and tired, he was losing his color and i think he might've developed a fungus that catalyzed his death. So my faithful fish companion is no more, but i feel like I did a pretty good job taking care of him, seeing as he lived more than twice his expectancy...which those of you that know me, know me & Henry's history...he definitely made it into the garbage disposal a total of 4 times, survived a summer without me (I was so worried Caley would kill him while i was in Costa Rica), [Meghan claims I raised him from the dead my junior year..but i refer back to Henry's tricks ), made it through 3 moves (2 were across town, the other to another city...) and not to mention the countless times i probably forgot to feed him. he was a survivor-one tough cookie.

While some think it strange...Henry and I had something special-i mean he went through college with me..cause 75% of college i lived alone; he was with me through thick and thin..and yes i talked with him-not to get answers, but to kinda vent...you know...anyways, im gonna miss my little swimming pal. i flushed him..he was dead so i didnt think it too inhumane..supposedly the pressure from the flush blows the fishy into smithereens...

so tomorra, i'm headed off to the pet store to get another fish.
i love fish...you should get one; theyre great to have-they are like youre most low-maintience pet ever
& i've already picked out a name Alexander..and no, i will not call him alex.

thats all..Lombardi Homecoming commences in t minus 20 hours!
grace & peace,
lish