This thread has spurred 140 replies which is great. I love it when a thread can go on for this long without even the hint of an argument. If I wanted to argue, I would go out into the street and yell who I voted for.
Our hobby is indeed habit forming and even the people who have the most problems seem to keep interested for the most part anyway.
Of course sickness and finances drive many of us away.
It has been a lifetime passion for me but it is not my only hobby, it is one of many.
Yesterday I just had to buy this purple gorgonian. I already have to many of them and really have no place to put it so I had to move things around to fit it, and when I do that, I break things. The fish bite me and I jerk back (because some of my fish have fangs). I glued this very tall gorgonian on a rock and being my arm is in a sling from a shoulder operation, I dropped it in the tank and figured I would position it when I had more mobility. Of course I dropped it on another coral and broke it in half. Of course it fell up side down so I had to go in and get it and glue it back. While I was in there the clownfish bit me causing me to break a montipora. Now I had to glue that. I am running out of glue.
But I don't think of these things as a problem or work. It's like if I came upon a Supermodel with sore ankle and she asked me to carry her home, would that be considered work? I don't think so.
I am also getting old and have completed almost all of my bucket list. As a matter of fact, I can't think of hardly anything that I wanted to do that I have not done except skydiving. I don't know why I never did that but I didn't. I guess I still can but with my arm in a sling, they may have a problem letting me do that now.
I have also gone to just about everywhere I wanted to go which is a shame.
So reefing keeps my mind going. That and reading, I love to read.
There are always more thoughts. Now it is boating season so I have little time for my tank. Sometimes I get home after the tank lights go out so the fish go to sleep without dinner. They get over it. Sometimes I can't change water for 3, 4 or 5 months, I never got a bad text from my fish as they understand. My algae screen is so full it put up a sign that reads "Produce Stand". My fish know me and forgive me.
I think we think too much into this, especially with those stupid test kits where many people believe the numbers have to be exactly in the blue area of that little paper that comes with that $5.00 chart.
If the fish are smiling and the corals are living and opening up, forget those kits and go out for a nice Merlot, watch the sunset, have a chocolate covered strawberry. The fish are fine.
But too many times we go nuts and get all stressed. If you want to get stressed, tell your wife she looks fat in those shorts or after she spends $175.00 on a hair cut, tell her she looks like she combed her hair with an egg beater.
If you get stressed about anything in this hobby, sell everything and get out, maybe sell canoe's.
It's a hobby and everything about it is supposed to be either fun, interesting or at least make girls like you. (If you are a man of course)
My wife is a little mad at me right now because a few days ago our Daughter invited us to a dinner at a very expensive restaurant in Manhattan for a party.
I hate Manhattan and tell people all the time that if not for my Grand Kids you would have to give me at least $5,000.00 to go there for anything. If you offer me $4,999.00, I won't go. I worked there for 40 years and that's how I feel. If course if you offer me $5,000.05. Then I may go.
Anyway. My wife has always been GaGa over Tom Sellic.
We didn't go.
Guess who was sitting in the next seat that my wife was supposed to sit in? Yep. Tom Sellic.
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