I had my hair cut last night, and now I look like the Mighty Booch!!! I even went to Sainsbury’s this morning and got a pair of straighteners for my longs bits!!! Could not believe my luck actually as they were half price for Mothers Day, so big bonus.

I have now got so many applications of Facebook that I am dizzy with it all.

Now I am worried about the comment of them selling my details. Mind you, I do love a return to sender on post so I may opt for that. Email wise I am with google and their spam filter is amazing!!!

I am going to see Mother on Sunday, so going down really so that I can get back for about 6pm.

I have decided not to do any decorating this weekend, and am going to do the entire lounge next weekend in one massive hit!!!

Whatever you do, have a good one and remember to hug your mum.

I have been sucked into the world of Facebook.

Even the cats have a cat profile there.

I am sure the novelty will pass, but for now I love it.

I am also thinking of sorting out a phone line at the flat and getting online.

It is very confusing though.

It is on my list.......

Well, as promised some photos!!!

It is quite a small room with a built in wardrobe and proved quite hard to get pictures of, but here it is white....

Then here it is with a bit of colour though it was hard to capture as a few of these were taken late last night!!!

I did take photos, but this morning as I was leaving, the postman handed me a parcel that contained my throw.

As a result of this arriving so quickly, I have decided to tease you all and take another photo tonight and then post the before, after, with throw photos tomorrow!!!

I bet that you can barely wait eh?

I would just like to say that I am loving the fact that the mornings are getting lighter, it makes me wake up in such a good mood!

Scooter is obviously excited and has already gone into mid summer routine, that is climbing onto me and pawing all area's of my face to wake me up from 5.30am onwards!

I don't mind though, it is good to get up early when it is light and get motivated for the day.

I am feeling excited as I have asked the lady upstairs if she can cat sit for 3 days in April so that I can go away with a load of my mates in my van.

She will let me know by the end of the week.

It will be my first break away for nearly a year, and the first time my van has been used since July last year!!!

I am feeling optimistic and hopeful!

Here is Duncan Disorderly, my 1973 Volkswagen Bay Window.

Well, I did it!!!

I surprised and delighted myself by managing to get the whole room done and everything back in it by midnight last night!!!

It took me ages to move things out the room and back in when finished, so I must factor more time in when I embark on the lounge the weekend after this one!

I did take some photos, but it was so late last night that they are still on the camera.

I just cannot believe what a diffrenece it has made to the room, and how much more at home I feel!!!

I am so glad that I did it, but it is hard work doing it alone. The cats were most put out to be banned form the bedroom all weekend, but last night they settled down and slept, so I guess that they are not that bothered!!!

I have ordered a throw from Ebay and need to get a cream valance for the bed, and then the room is complete!!!!

Hope that you are had a good weekend?

Painting, painting, painting.

Moving furniture, watching fish, cleaning fish, moving furniture, eating and mainly drinking Baileys with a hint of mint.

I can't wait!!!

I will take some white room before photos and some splash of colour after photos.

Sorry so brief today.... having a right week of it here!!!

Lots of love

I went to Homebase this morning as I am going to paint my lounge, bedroom and hallway in the flat.

I have spoken to the landlady and she is happy for me to proceed, and I just need to make sure that it is all painted white again when I leave.

Looking at the names of paints this morning made me feel so hungry... warm caramel, coffee and pumpkin.

I am only doing the walls in the bedroom and hallway, but in the lounge I will need to do the ceiling.

I was so overcome with excitement at getting the main paint that I totally forgot to get ceiling pant......

I have a pair of step ladders that has been leant to me for 2 weeks, so this weekend, I mainly be introducing some colour into my life!!! All be it very subtle!!!

This decision has come about as I love my flat, and I can see myself there for at least another couple of years as I will never be able to buy a place on my own.

I will, of course, keep my options open for my rich man, but just incase I shall paint and get rid of the clinical white that is currently my flat!!

It will not take long as all the walls are in good shape etc, so it is just going to be roller heaven with a hint of cutting in required!

I love decorating, and I am very excited.

I may even post a before and after photo of my first room which I hope to complete this weekend, the bedroom.

There is nothing colder than a white bedroom, so I am hoping this will warm things up in there and maybe help with my sleep problems.

Mmmmmm, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, raspberry blush and pumpkin........ Oh, they are not the colours I am using, just the ones that are making me hungry........

How easily pleased and distracted I am......

So lets have the latest instalment of my BiOrb adventures.

Well, last Friday I had a rather large tragedy. I woke up and was drinking my tea, waiting for the tank to light up, when I noticed that I could only see two orange flashes in the tank.

I stood up and walked over, and to my horror I saw the female sunset, JennyMother, nose down on the bottom of the tank. Now whilst I am no fish doctor, even I could see that she was dead and had been for some time.

I immediately leapt into action, remembering the advice of the BiOrb forum, don’t leave a dead fish in the tank. I rolled my sleeve up, watch was off and I had the net in my hand and in the tank in seconds.

I quickly stopped myself, what was I doing? If I hoink her out, what will I do with her? If I carry the net through the flat, it will drip dead fish water everywhere and that will drive the cats into a state of uncontrollable excitement.

I walked briskly into the kitchen, got some paper towel and headed back. I was ready, I had a paper towel and the net, nothing could stop me, I took and breathe and put the net in the tank.

The other fish went mental and I had to stand there with the net sort of in for about 20 seconds whilst things calmed down. I pushed the net in further, I could see JennyMother. I kind of thought that she would just waft into the net with out too much trouble, despite the fact that she was dead.

How wrong could I have been?

I landed up jabbing at her with the corner of the net to move her so she was away from the rock. I jabbed and all of a sudden, she floated up and over the rock. Now I do not know what came over me, but I jumped almost out of my skin and dropped the net into the tank. I have no idea what I thought was going to happen, but for some reason it just really made me jump and shake for just a second or two!!

To be honest, it kind of shock me up abit and it took a further 5 or so minutes of frantic net scooping to flip the body up and into the net. It was not a very nice experience but one that I suspect I will improve at with time.

So, I lost JennyMother but the good and exciting news is that I have found Nemo the Second. Now it can’t be the original Nemo as the recent sightings show him to be the same size that original Nemo was about 3 weeks ago!!

I have seen him every night for the last four days, and I reckon that in a few weeks Nemo the Second, unsexed as yet, will be too big to eat. I have made him a shelter under a rock and he is always there when I feed them. The others cannot get in the gap that I have left for him to get in and out, so I am confident.

Just incase though, I am only doing a very light hoover for the next 4 weeks to give Nemo the Second a chance, and because my tank is so clean that my Oto are getting restless!!!

I have also included 2 photos that I took of the tank on Sunday as well as the sightings of Nemo the Second on Monday night.

Just having a rather busy week, work wise!

The tank is still doing well and I have seen 3 Oto in the tank at the same time on numerous occasions now!

I did see a brief sighting of fry last night, but it was so quick that I am not 100% sure!!

Scooter, BabyCakes, is off to the vets tonight for his annual injections.

It is his first visit since this time last year! It will not go down well, but it will be just be a flying visit, quick injection and then home for a treat of coley!

Ohhhhhh, to be a cat that lives in a happy home would be my dream this week!!!

Well on Saturday I bought another 3 Oto for the tank.

Two were quite small and one was really tiny.

To date, I have seen the original one and two of the new ones, all at the same time, but have yet to see all four in action.

The tank is crystal clear and all seems to be going well after the recent upheaval.

I do not want anyone to get too excited, but last night during feeding I caught sight of a large baby, which I suspect may be Nemo.

I cannot be sure as when I first used the tank vac I did have 3 bodies in it when I had finished…. But this fry was way too big to be recent, and it had the look of Nemo!

It also looks like there are 2 other fry which are really nothing more than a dot!

I won’t be able to study the tank too much tonight as I am off out, but I will be keeping a close eye on things and until we all see a photo, then we cannot be sure!!!

I will keep the Nemo, if he survives again, but I can not really keep anyone else as my tank is already fully stocked. I never imagined that the sunset platy would be so rampant!

All in all things are going well and I have a lovely weekly, monthly and three monthly routine plans.

I shall set up a watch on Thursday in an effort to get some hard proof!

Well I am pleased to say that the Oto is hanging on in there and has survived the major tank clean.

I am shocked, and secretly really happy as I really thought that I would loose him as this is the quickest way to kill them... or so I have heard.

Tomorrow morning I will be getting up early and getting another 3 Oto’s as they like to be in a small group. As they are so tiny, I am sure that 4 will be fine in the tank and now I have my special Screwcumber to help maintain a feeding routine.

I can put cucumber in twice a week for 24 hours to provide them with additional food. I also have some “special” sinking wafers, so they should all stay alive!

The rule is that a fat Oto is a happy Oto!!

So, the tank looks brand new and sparkly and all the fish seem to be back to their normal selves. I think that the move round in the tank is much better for them and made their lives a bit more exciting, so I will try and get some photos over the weekend.

I am going to make myself a chart to put on the back of the fish cupboard door to ensure that I get my routine under way. I am sure that within a month or so I will be so used to doing it that I will only have to remember when I did sponge changes and total media removal.

All in all I am happy and now really looking forward to all my future fish keeping and watching the BiOrb mature and thrive. I am going to definitely get another one, but not for another 6 months or so!

When I first got my BiOrb I got a lot of negative feedback form my local fish shop, and was warned that I would have a nightmare getting fish to stay alive and maintaining a healthy tank.

Pah, I laugh in their faces. This tank is lovely on the eye and it is easy to clean and keep running. The trick is, as with all tanks, just not to over stock it.

Have a lovely weekend, and thanks for your comments, it’s nice to know you are out there!!!!

Well, last night I was excited to see that my vac had arrived!

I decided to be brave and tackle my tank head on!

I took all the plants out again, took the 3 rocks out and then set about lifting all the media out as calmly as possible.

I was shocked at how much gunk emerged and how quickly the cloud appeared!

In no time at all, I could not see anything in the tank, including my own hands and fingers!

I removed the air pump and housing, took some water from the tank and gave the sponge a quick squeeze and rinse in the old water.

Then, almost beside myself with anticipation, I put in the vac and held on for dear life!

I was shocked as it was brilliant!! I loved it, I hovered the bottom, round where the air filter goes, up the side and just about everywhere that I could get too.

I loved the fact that when you use the vac, it does not remove water from the tank, so I had no fear about how long I used it for!

The bad news is that I actually had 3 fry, including Nemo in the tank, and they all got sucked up by the vac. I had this harsh fact confirmed when I eventually took the bag off to rinse out ready for next time.

Once I was happy that I could suck no more up, I simply replaced the washed media, placed the plants and rocks back in and then did a 10% water change.

I was pleased to see that the water settled within 2 hours and the total time spent from start to end was just under 2 hours.

This morning I was delighted to see a crystal clear tank with all 4 black widows, 3 sunset platy, 2 zebra danio and 1 dwarf oto.

This Saturday I shall be going and getting another 2 or 3 dwarf Oto as I hear that they like to be in a small group.

After all this I have now got a plan that goes like this….

3 weekly routines of hovering, sponge squishing and cleaning and 10% water change.

On the 4th week I will add in to the equation removal of media and cleaning, then hovering, sponge squishing and cleaning and 10% water change.

Every 3 months I will renew the sponge.

I have finally lost the fear and now really feel that I have this fish keeping under control.

:D

Well, I could barely believe my eyes.

I went home last night to check on my tank after the very stressful tank clean that did not go well at all and was not enjoyable, to count my fish as I lost one of my Oto’s during the traumatic clean.

I counted and all remaining fish were still there, doing their thing, and looking quite calm after the events of the weekend.

I sat on the chair next to the tank, did the usual routine and fed the fish when all of a sudden, by the yellow rock, I caught sight of a small orange flash!

I bent down and got the camera, leant towards the tank, let some crushed flakes down in by the rock, and there he was…… NEMO!!!

I managed to get 3 shots of him and I tried to ring him as they are not very clear and I did not have time to faff about with the flash!!

In one of them, you can see that Nemo is actually laying really close to Stan, the zebra danio under the rock.

This fish has such a huge will to survive and live that he leaves many of us mortals to hang our heads in shame.

Bless you Nemo, and I will do all to lessen your odds and get big enough to survive!

What a fish and what a mad feeling to be so smiley over something that is about 4cms in size!!!!

Well, on the 7th December 2007, Vinnie's test results were...

PH level = 7.8 (normal = 7)
Crystal content in pee = 98%

He swapped to his new pouched food and biscuits after this visit and his results on 1st February 2008 were.....

PH level = 7
Crystal content in pee = 4.5%

As you can tell, this food has worked a miracle with him! He is on the verge of getting normal readings for a cat, and the nurse at the vets said that she could not believe how well he looked and what a huge change in him.

I am so relieved and sooooo happy. After almost 18 months of trail and error with food, it would seem that we have finally found the perfect solution.

Oh, and he weighs just on 6kg, so he has also lost 500g in the last 6 weeks.

Ideally they want him to be about 5.9kg.

He does not have to go back for another 3 months for tests, so that is the best ever news.

Thank goodness for the miracle food..... and thank goodness for Vinnie as he can now enjoy life to the max!

Vinnie refused to pee yesterday.

As a result, he got a bit upset and started to show a few signs of distress at not having a pee for almost 18 hours.

The vets decided to keep him in over night (I shudder at what the vets bill will be like this time) and I am hoping to collect on my home from work tonight.

I was shocked as this is the first time that he has been away for the night since we have been on our own in this flat.

Scooter has been a nightmare.

He was never more than a couple of inches away from me all day yesterday and stayed really close last night.

He has been pacing the flat, crying and looking very distressed trying to work out where Vinnie may be.

It was quite sad to see, but I bet you that when Vinnie comes home tonight, they will fight immediately in some weird welcome back home cat style greeting.

I will have to keep you all in suspense and update you on Monday as to the results and general catch up and the Big Fella and the lonely little one!

Have a great weekend and keep warm.