Saturday 2nd Aug '08

Today I slept in until the early afternoon and then headed out to Aquotix (Bannister Road, Canningvale) with Benoit. I seriously felt like a little kid in a candy store. There were so many fish to choose from! I bought about five or six different ones. I'll have to google them all and get their real names soon. We also stopped by Pisces Aquariums (off High Road, Willetton) where I got some female guppies.

We went back to my place where Benoit helped me set up the tank with some gravel and the live plants I had just purchased. There was barely enough gravel to cover the bottom of the tank. I'll be getting more gravel off a friend very soon so it will look alot better. I can then put in more plastic plants to make the tank look more green for the fish. It was so empty and bleak before.

Even on tip-toes I can barely reach the bottom to
anchor one of the plastic plants into the gravel.

After a job well done, I reluctantly pried myself away from gazing at the fish to go to Benoit's place for dinner. We'd picked up some groceries on the way home from the aquariums. I made dinner in Benoit and Ivy's kitchen. Ivy wasn't feeling well and Benoit didn't want to eat the mussels we had bought. He defrosted a steak while I cooked pasta for Ivy, Kenny and myself. While we were waiting, we polished off two loaves of garlic bread.

Penne with Mussels in a White Wine Tomato Sauce
I used garlic, onion, fresh basil, chilli flakes, white wine,
a can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste and mussel meat.
Served with fresh chilli and grated pecorino.

Benoit made himself a steak with a white wine gravy he created.
I don't remember what else he put in it.


Back at home, I made myself some popcorn. I have to say...one of the greatest inventions of all time is MICROWAVE POPCORN!! I also made myself a decaffienated coffee - I confess I'm one of those people who like to take the complimentary teas and coffees when I stay in a hotel - and sat down infront of the fish tank as if I were sitting down to watch a movie. Yes...I sat there, eating my popcorn and drinking my coffee, while watching my new fish settling into the tank. It's so therapeutic and helps me relax before I go to bed.



It took me a few minutes to realise that this little thing creeping along the water line was a snail. It must have snuck in with the live plants I bought.

One of my rummynoses thinks he's a neon!