November started off with fish fest, the freshwater fish club's sale. Got me some rainbow darters, yes indeedy. A native fish that won't require me to heat my freshwater tank over the winter. (However they will require me to keep my AC at 80 or lower next summer -- which I do anyway.)
But my most important purchase was an armload of plants, which were being sold for 1/4 or less than what you pay at a pet store. One of the purposes of my freshwater tank is to block the view into the Accusing Parlour from one of the north windows -- which works better if the tank is chock full o' plants.
While paying bills on Sunday the 8th, what should I discover in the bill pile but a summons to jury duty for the 9th and 10th. Which is fine, except why did Beryl the rock pebblar have to develop an inner ear infection on the night before jury duty?
So I get to the courthouse on Monday and I discover that the courthouse has a deal with the bloodbank. On Mondays the bloodbank is allowed to swoop in and bleed all the prospective jurors dry.
I did not make the final jury cut for the case I was called for, so fortunately I got to leave jury duty slightly early Monday. But (probably due to my bloodless condition) I got on the wrong bus to go home. Then after I finally got home, I rushed Beryl the parrot to the vet in such a hurry that I forgot to take a credit card or checkbook with me.
Tuesday I finished up jury duty and trained Beryl to eat antibiotics mixed with strained peas out of a syringe.
Actually I got released from jury duty midday Tuesday (too bad, I was having fun tormenting the guy who tells you what number to stand on and who thought that my name was Pam), so then I went in to work. In order for the week to keep getting yuckier, I discovered that on my "day off" on Wednesday, I had to go in to work for a 3-hour meeting. With potatoes.
Then while cleaning the bird room Tuesday night, I tripped and fell badly. On the way down, I busted one of the decorative doors off the finch aviary, then smashed both my knees and one elbow while leaving a big smear of skin inside the sleeve of my favorite cardigan. For a while I thought I had dislocated my shoulder or perhaps broken a collarbone. Fortunately not, I just overstretched my lard.
Wednesday morning I awoke with a toothache. Some guy at the potato meeting mistook me for Amy's mom. And to top everything off, at said meeting I LOST my long-standing title of Person With The Most Pets. I still think that guy is cheating, he has a wife to help him take care of those 2 dogs, 2 cats, 16 finches, parrot, and 5 fishtanks. I got no spouse helping me, gotta do it all myself. And that poser doesn't have a saltwater aquarium, either--just a bunch of sissy freshwater tanks.
Really, what a week.
Thursday morning, boss was late for the team meeting. While we waiting for him, I asked my teammates to help me out by making a list of all the reasons why I can't catch a husband. Much hilarity ensued.
Then we decided to broaden it out into a teambuilding exercise. So we figured each individual should list all of the other team members' faults. Then we would all SHARE our opinions of each other, and then head off to the woods. Heh.
Alas, the boss showed up (with tear gas canisters) before we could put our excellent plan into play. I didn't even get to complain to Robert about his flatulence. And Jeff! Don't even get me STARTED on the way he parts his hair!
On the 14th, a pal and I took an bus trip to Chicago. We poked around Chinatown for a while, then had lunch at Tavern at the Park (I highly recommend it), then scoured 2 shopping districts on "the great sock hunt". My trophies for the day were a "year of the hare" Chinese zodiac mug and a pair of Hannukah socks. My favorite parts of the day were lunch (butternut squash ravioli with gorgonzola, basil pesto, and KILLER ambience) and riding the subway. Okay, I know in Chicago they call it the Elevated, but the parts we rode were subteranian so there.
Spent Thanksgiving with Raven & Ruth et al. A long drive, but worth it. Raven and I made the trip back in a leisurely fashion, stopping to hike one of my favorite hills.
Alas, the rainbow darters which I bought at the beginning of the month did not last out the month. And I don't even know what I did wrong that they could not survive in my tank.
Ended the month by ordering a netbook computer.