Bryan_Tipple63
New member
Looks amazing! I'm always finding random Nerite snails in my tank 
Hello, Geezer coming back to this forum. Paul B
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
Premium Member
View attachment 104535
So yesterday I had my left shoulder replaced (I may make a lot of typos) I have to wear that sling that keeps my arm a few inches away from my body 24/7 even sleeping with it. I love that hospital and wish I could rent a weekend there.
I have no pain at all and am thinking of hitting it with a hammer to make sure he actually replaced it. He said I have so much arthritis in there that he couldn't fix it if he wanted to and my rotator cuff is shredded and must be in my neck somewhere, so he doesn't have to use it
The surgery was a piece of cake. As a matter of fact, 15 minutes into the operation I had a dream. At least I hope it was a dream. There was a big cake on my stomach and all the people in the operating room were singing Happy Birthday to the Rastafarian anesthesiologist as he was blowing out the candles with my oxygen tube.
The hospital is great but like most hospitals, you can't get any sleep. First of all because of something with the anesthesia, I had to pee all night every 15 minutes like clockwork. So to take me to the bathroom they had to disconnect the two IV bags they have going into my hand, (one of the bags was filled with natural seawater (I could tell because It had live amphipods in it) and the other was an antibiotic with Prizapro) Then unhook the tubes on my legs that inflate around my legs every 8 seconds one at a time. The motor that does that goes WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. So I asked for the pee container.
If a bubble goes through the tube to your hand it also has an alarm that just goes BEEP..BEEP...BEEP constantly.
When I decided to try to go to sleep at 2:00am I turned on the TV and was watching "The Greatest Storm" where George Clooney was the Capt. of a Sword fishing boat and was in a huge storm.
My bed had an alarm on it so when I got out of bed to either fall on the floor or jump out the window that goes BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep etc until I got back into bed.
If anyone on the floor pushes the emergency button for anything like they want a toothpick, pain killer or cat food the thing would ring outside my door. It would continuously go. Ding, ding, ding.........Ding, ding, ding.......Etc.
The nurses constantly take your temperature and blood pressure. The blood pressure machine goes brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr etc.
So last night went something like this. In the movie George Clooney is being thrown all around the boat as my legs are being inflated one at a time so I keep hearing: WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. As that is going on I hear blaring:
Doctor Kildare please come to the nurses station Stat.
Then my hips raise, WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH. My left leg inflates, WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. and I hear Ding,ding,ding. George Clooney is being thrown against the port side of the boat.
"DOCTOR KILDARE PLEASE COME TO THE NURSES STATION ". Ding, ding, ding.
Beep, Beep, Beep, My right leg raises WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
The bed also has inflators that randomly raise your head, hips and shoulders and the blower that makes that work sounds something like the inflator for the legs but it has a few less double you's and Hs.
Then my hips raise, WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH. My left leg inflates, WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. and I hear Ding,ding,ding. George Clooney is being thrown against the port side of the boat. "DOCTOR KILDARE PLEASE COME TO THE NURSES STATION ". Ding, ding, ding.
Beep, Beep, Beep, My right leg raises WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
The nurse comes in as a huge wave washes Clooney onto the starboard side of the boat
Nurse says: "My Christmas Birthday Baby Baldassano, I need to take your vitals". My left leg raises.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. ding,,ding,,ding
Open your mouth and stick out your arm for your pressure. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. I can tell she used the wrong thermometer by the taste
I got to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep
"KILLDARE WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" The nurse gets called away, probably to look for Killdare and the pressure machine is still going up
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. The pressure is going up over 120 psi and it isn't stopping. My arm looks like a strand of linguini and wax is starting to shoot out of my ears right into my Jello.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. Ding, Ding, ding....Ding Ding, Ding. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. My head raises WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Clooney gets impaled on the steering wheel...... "Kildare you Quack....Your Fired" I have to pee so I stand up because gravity helps.
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep so I have to be fast. My right leg inflates as my hips raise
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH .... WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Beep ,,Beep Beep.
Clooney gets washed off the boat into the sea only to be torn apart by school of designer clownfish. Blood pressure machine is still going
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr And the nurse is no where to be found. I have to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep
My left leg raises.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
I got to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep Ding,,Ding "HELP,,HELP, I have fallen and I can't get up".
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. Ding, Ding, ding....Ding Ding, Ding. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. My head raises WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
I have to pee.
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep so I have to be fast. My right leg inflates as my hips raise
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH .... WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Beep ,,Beep Beep.
Then about 8:00am breakfast comes. You can't make this stuff up.
So yesterday I had my left shoulder replaced (I may make a lot of typos) I have to wear that sling that keeps my arm a few inches away from my body 24/7 even sleeping with it. I love that hospital and wish I could rent a weekend there.
I have no pain at all and am thinking of hitting it with a hammer to make sure he actually replaced it. He said I have so much arthritis in there that he couldn't fix it if he wanted to and my rotator cuff is shredded and must be in my neck somewhere, so he doesn't have to use it
The surgery was a piece of cake. As a matter of fact, 15 minutes into the operation I had a dream. At least I hope it was a dream. There was a big cake on my stomach and all the people in the operating room were singing Happy Birthday to the Rastafarian anesthesiologist as he was blowing out the candles with my oxygen tube.
The hospital is great but like most hospitals, you can't get any sleep. First of all because of something with the anesthesia, I had to pee all night every 15 minutes like clockwork. So to take me to the bathroom they had to disconnect the two IV bags they have going into my hand, (one of the bags was filled with natural seawater (I could tell because It had live amphipods in it) and the other was an antibiotic with Prizapro) Then unhook the tubes on my legs that inflate around my legs every 8 seconds one at a time. The motor that does that goes WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. So I asked for the pee container.
If a bubble goes through the tube to your hand it also has an alarm that just goes BEEP..BEEP...BEEP constantly.
When I decided to try to go to sleep at 2:00am I turned on the TV and was watching "The Greatest Storm" where George Clooney was the Capt. of a Sword fishing boat and was in a huge storm.
My bed had an alarm on it so when I got out of bed to either fall on the floor or jump out the window that goes BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep etc until I got back into bed.
If anyone on the floor pushes the emergency button for anything like they want a toothpick, pain killer or cat food the thing would ring outside my door. It would continuously go. Ding, ding, ding.........Ding, ding, ding.......Etc.
The nurses constantly take your temperature and blood pressure. The blood pressure machine goes brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr etc.
So last night went something like this. In the movie George Clooney is being thrown all around the boat as my legs are being inflated one at a time so I keep hearing: WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. As that is going on I hear blaring:
Doctor Kildare please come to the nurses station Stat.
Then my hips raise, WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH. My left leg inflates, WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. and I hear Ding,ding,ding. George Clooney is being thrown against the port side of the boat.
"DOCTOR KILDARE PLEASE COME TO THE NURSES STATION ". Ding, ding, ding.
Beep, Beep, Beep, My right leg raises WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
The bed also has inflators that randomly raise your head, hips and shoulders and the blower that makes that work sounds something like the inflator for the legs but it has a few less double you's and Hs.
Then my hips raise, WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH. My left leg inflates, WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. and I hear Ding,ding,ding. George Clooney is being thrown against the port side of the boat. "DOCTOR KILDARE PLEASE COME TO THE NURSES STATION ". Ding, ding, ding.
Beep, Beep, Beep, My right leg raises WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
The nurse comes in as a huge wave washes Clooney onto the starboard side of the boat
Nurse says: "My Christmas Birthday Baby Baldassano, I need to take your vitals". My left leg raises.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. ding,,ding,,ding
Open your mouth and stick out your arm for your pressure. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. I can tell she used the wrong thermometer by the taste
I got to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep
"KILLDARE WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" The nurse gets called away, probably to look for Killdare and the pressure machine is still going up
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. The pressure is going up over 120 psi and it isn't stopping. My arm looks like a strand of linguini and wax is starting to shoot out of my ears right into my Jello.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. Ding, Ding, ding....Ding Ding, Ding. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. My head raises WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Clooney gets impaled on the steering wheel...... "Kildare you Quack....Your Fired" I have to pee so I stand up because gravity helps.
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep so I have to be fast. My right leg inflates as my hips raise
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH .... WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Beep ,,Beep Beep.
Clooney gets washed off the boat into the sea only to be torn apart by school of designer clownfish. Blood pressure machine is still going
brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr And the nurse is no where to be found. I have to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep
My left leg raises.
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH.
I got to pee. BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep Ding,,Ding "HELP,,HELP, I have fallen and I can't get up".
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH. Ding, Ding, ding....Ding Ding, Ding. brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr,brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr. My head raises WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
I have to pee.
BBBBBBBBBbbbbbeep-BBBBBBBBBbbbbbbbeep so I have to be fast. My right leg inflates as my hips raise
WWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH...WWWWOOOOSSSHHHHH .... WWOOOOOSSSSHHH...WWOOOOSSSHH.
Beep ,,Beep Beep.
Then about 8:00am breakfast comes. You can't make this stuff up.
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
Guess What????
Not a single typo in all that Gibberish.
get well Paul---
Not a single typo in all that Gibberish.
get well Paul---
Paul B
Premium Member
i am not taking the oxy any more as the tequila alone seems to do the trick. no more capitals because the left arm doesn't move yet unless i add vodka to the tequila. i was up at 1;28 this morning because sleeping with this steel sling on is like sleeping with a cement mixer strapped around my neck....and it's running. but after all these surgeries i am used to it.
they don't even close the incisions any more. they use velcro so it's easier the next time.
they don't even close the incisions any more. they use velcro so it's easier the next time.
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
One Day @ a Time Boss.
With your attitude it will not be long.
With your attitude it will not be long.
Paul B
Premium Member
I thin my long spine urchin may be nearing the end of his life. He is in the front of the tank now and he never goes there in the day time. He lost a couple of spines and I just gave him a piece of clam, his favorite food and he pushed it away. Normally he would make short work of it.
He is about 12 years old and I don't think I ever kept one longer than that so that may be their lifespan. I doubt I can find that information on Google . Maybe he just has a headache....Even though he doesn't have a head.
I thin my long spine urchin may be nearing the end of his life. He is in the front of the tank now and he never goes there in the day time. He lost a couple of spines and I just gave him a piece of clam, his favorite food and he pushed it away. Normally he would make short work of it.
He is about 12 years old and I don't think I ever kept one longer than that so that may be their lifespan. I doubt I can find that information on Google . Maybe he just has a headache....Even though he doesn't have a head.
I have a diadem urchin in one of my systems since 2008. As it was already close to 2" diameter without spines it had to be old then. 5 to 10 years seems to be a generic average though.
Paul B
Premium Member
I posted this in 2018 but I wasn't on this form then so I am posting it again
Our Vacation
It's actually hard to call anything a Vacation when you are retired so I should have said, "Our Trip". Anyway this was to the Caribbean but it wasn't a normal Caribbean Island. This was a private Island off Saint Vincent. The Island is about 2 miles long and a mile wide. You really need to be invited there and there is a background check but a very few "normal" people can go also.
Our Daughter and Grand kids arrived there a week before us and were going to meet us at the airport. We flew to Saint Lucia on a real plane then had to take a small puddle jumper to this Island called Mustique. At the Saint Lucia airport we were guided to this "terminal" which was a tiny room with room for about 12 people. The plane holds 16. I heard a lawn mower engine but it was our plane and at first I thought it was a replica of Amelia Earhartās plane, but I really think it was "actually" her plane that she crashed in the pacific 70 years ago.
The cabin was about 4' high so you had to crouch down to get in it and had tiny seats that were modified to fit pygmies. But you could steady yourself by putting a hand on each side of the cabin as you crawled inside as this gentleman is doing.
A flight crew man came out and pulled the rope, the engine started right up. The pilot let off on the clutch and we started to move.
There were two "pilots" but I think one of them was a veterinarian on the side. We taxied down the runway, faster and faster until we reached about 40 mph and actually took off. The propellor was about 2" outside my window, which was open. It didn't matter because I figured this plane wasn't presurized anyway. We got up to cruising altitude very quickly because cruizing altitude was about 36'. As we flew, we cleared almost all of the waves and sail boat masts. It was a little un-nerving when the pilot on the left was trying to move the lever above him and was having trouble, then the other pilot had to grab his hand and both of them had to keep hitting the lever quite hard to move it. I am not a pilot so I donāt know if that was for the wing flaps, landing gear or coffee machine.
After 20 minutes or so we started our decent. 40', 30' 20' etc until we hit the ground a little harder than I would have liked.
We taxied up about 50 yards and could see this big sign that read "GATE 1". That seemed a little overkill being there was only one gate. It wasn't actually a gate but a 3' wooden picket fence next to a small wooden building. There was a sign on the building that read "JAGGER and BALDASSANO". My name is Baldassano and you know who Jagger is.
We cleared "Customs" and went outside. There wasn't exactly an outside because it is always warm there so everything is outside. I see our Daughter waiting outside the "fence" and she is acting a little funny. She kept saying "How was your trip" while motioning her head to the side so we should look. Of course it was Mick Jagger. His family was on the plane with us and he came to pick them up. He loaded his ATV and I loaded ours. I am not a big male rocker fan, preferring females but it was interesting. He was wearing Island clothes and a hat like everyone else on the Island.
Anyway we drove to the house where our family was staying on the beach. It was almost the nicest looking place I have ever seen and I think I have been in more places than most people, partly because I am old. (But Mick Jagger is older than me).
(that is my Son N Law in the water as the beaches are totally empty and that is the beach for their house there)
We stayed there for the day then went to the home we were going to spend the next 8 days, up on the mountain. On the way up we saw dozens of red footed tortuses . They are about a foot long and virtually all over the place
It was a long trip so I will continue this later.
In the meantime you can find out about this Island here.
Here's a Private Caribbean Island Where You Can Stay in David Bowie's Former Villa
Our Vacation
It's actually hard to call anything a Vacation when you are retired so I should have said, "Our Trip". Anyway this was to the Caribbean but it wasn't a normal Caribbean Island. This was a private Island off Saint Vincent. The Island is about 2 miles long and a mile wide. You really need to be invited there and there is a background check but a very few "normal" people can go also.
Our Daughter and Grand kids arrived there a week before us and were going to meet us at the airport. We flew to Saint Lucia on a real plane then had to take a small puddle jumper to this Island called Mustique. At the Saint Lucia airport we were guided to this "terminal" which was a tiny room with room for about 12 people. The plane holds 16. I heard a lawn mower engine but it was our plane and at first I thought it was a replica of Amelia Earhartās plane, but I really think it was "actually" her plane that she crashed in the pacific 70 years ago.
The cabin was about 4' high so you had to crouch down to get in it and had tiny seats that were modified to fit pygmies. But you could steady yourself by putting a hand on each side of the cabin as you crawled inside as this gentleman is doing.
A flight crew man came out and pulled the rope, the engine started right up. The pilot let off on the clutch and we started to move.
There were two "pilots" but I think one of them was a veterinarian on the side. We taxied down the runway, faster and faster until we reached about 40 mph and actually took off. The propellor was about 2" outside my window, which was open. It didn't matter because I figured this plane wasn't presurized anyway. We got up to cruising altitude very quickly because cruizing altitude was about 36'. As we flew, we cleared almost all of the waves and sail boat masts. It was a little un-nerving when the pilot on the left was trying to move the lever above him and was having trouble, then the other pilot had to grab his hand and both of them had to keep hitting the lever quite hard to move it. I am not a pilot so I donāt know if that was for the wing flaps, landing gear or coffee machine.
After 20 minutes or so we started our decent. 40', 30' 20' etc until we hit the ground a little harder than I would have liked.
We taxied up about 50 yards and could see this big sign that read "GATE 1". That seemed a little overkill being there was only one gate. It wasn't actually a gate but a 3' wooden picket fence next to a small wooden building. There was a sign on the building that read "JAGGER and BALDASSANO". My name is Baldassano and you know who Jagger is.
We cleared "Customs" and went outside. There wasn't exactly an outside because it is always warm there so everything is outside. I see our Daughter waiting outside the "fence" and she is acting a little funny. She kept saying "How was your trip" while motioning her head to the side so we should look. Of course it was Mick Jagger. His family was on the plane with us and he came to pick them up. He loaded his ATV and I loaded ours. I am not a big male rocker fan, preferring females but it was interesting. He was wearing Island clothes and a hat like everyone else on the Island.
Anyway we drove to the house where our family was staying on the beach. It was almost the nicest looking place I have ever seen and I think I have been in more places than most people, partly because I am old. (But Mick Jagger is older than me).
(that is my Son N Law in the water as the beaches are totally empty and that is the beach for their house there)
We stayed there for the day then went to the home we were going to spend the next 8 days, up on the mountain. On the way up we saw dozens of red footed tortuses . They are about a foot long and virtually all over the place
It was a long trip so I will continue this later.
In the meantime you can find out about this Island here.
Here's a Private Caribbean Island Where You Can Stay in David Bowie's Former Villa
Paul B
Premium Member
I forgot to say (but I will put it in the thread) While we were waiting for the plane to take off I read the safety manual. It said, "If you see flames or smoke coming from the wings inform the Captain" Also the safety equipment on the plane was a tent and a sleeping bag. You can't make this stuff up. 
Paul B
Premium Member
On the drive up the mountain, more of a hill, I spotted a tortoise. I wanted to stop and put him back off the road but then I spotted another, and another. They are very common there and it would be a waste of time to move them all. The roads are very bad and not āreallyā paved although there is some cement looking stuff that they are made out of. There are also speed bumps and dips all over the place so even if the road allowed you to drive faster, you couldnāt because of the bumps. There are also no straight roads and you can barely squeeze two of these āvehiclesā past one another and most times one of you has to stop.
We pass a Villa called āShogunā which of course was a Japanese theme and all built out of huge Bamboo imported from Japan. The place is so big that it takes a while to drive past it.
Our Villa is next. It's called Paradiso. We turn up the driveway and drive on quite a distance to the main house. I wouldnāt call it a house exactly because it was as big as a Home Depot on a lot, Not really a lot, maybe a tropical square mile or two. I never found out how large the property is but being on a large hill or small mountain you get vistas of the calm Caribbean on one side and the Rough Atlantic on the other side. We had two ATVs so we could go anywhere and by anywhere I mean the entire two miles of the Island.
The Staff came out to greet us and carry in the bags. We had an awesome Island Lady Chef, a butler and a cleaning girl who cleans the place and washes and irons your clothes every day and gives them back to you the same day.
Gen, the Chef would cook you anything you could pronounce including making the pasta from scratch and all the deserts from fresh fruits grown on St, Vincent. You paid for the food and told her what you wanted, or as we did and just said āSurprise usā which she did every day for three meals. She was a fantastic Chef and I thought she was trained in New York or Paris but she learned right there..
We had some meals on one of the deserted private beaches where no one else was there except us and one of the 4 or 5 Gazeboās on the property that all face the sea.
You also ordered any type of liquor you drank and they made any drink for you that you can imagine. If you had time, there was also a pool room and a gym.
Anyway, I love tortoises and I get up very early before sunrise and search for them. They are not hard to find and walk right up on the patio. One morning I figured I would feed one a banana. When I was a kid I always had 5 or 6 tortoises as well as my fish and turtles and I would feed them bananas.
I found a large tortoise just outside our bedroom munching on grass so I bent down and put a piece of banana in front of him. Of course he immediately went back in his shell pulling his feet in also. So I stepped back a little and waited. And waited, and waited, etc. Eventually, he started inching his head out. When I say inching I really mean milimetering.
S l o w l y he started to come out. My family started to gather around the breakfast table waiting for the meal. But I waited. I am very patient and was determined to feed this guy a banana which he has never seen before but I thought it would be a nice change from grass, I mean, like really if you ate grass all your life and someone put a sirloin steak in front of you, if you werenāt a vegan, wouldnāt you at least take a bite!
He finally had his head almost all the way out and I hear my wife āYOUR EGGS ARE HEREā.
But I was not wavering in my quest.
He stared at the banana and I thought I saw his mouth water. He picked his head up and bent his neck down, opened his mouth very wide, stared intently at the banana, started to lower his headā¦ā¦..And closed his mouth. It was only a yawn. Then I started to yawn because that is catchy.
OK, that was close. Now he looked really hungry and he again lowered his head. His nose was just touching the banana. He s l o w l y moved his head along the banana slightly bobbing his head up and down. He reached the left side of the banana and paused. My wife yells āYOUR EGGS ARE GETTING COLDā. While bobbing his head like his neck needed oil he s l o w l y moved his head to the right side of the banana all the while filling his nostrils with banana. He then lifted his head and I knew this was it. He s l o w l y brought his head down on the banana, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
āI AM EATING YOUR EGGSā. After what felt like an eternity, I tapped him on the shell. He immediately didnāt do anything. But after a few minutes, he stirred. His head started to go up, his eyes opened, he even lifted a foot to wipe some banana off his nose and he again stared at the banana which was now starting to get brown and attract flies.
āWE WILL MEET YOU AT THE POOLā.
He lifted his head and I didnāt know if he was going to yawn or go back to sleep, but he surprised me and quickly moved his head down (when I say quickly I mean in my lifetime) opened his mouth wide, I fully expected him to burp, pass gas or puke but he buried his head in the banana. He came away with a mouthful of mush and I could swear he smiled. I didnāt wait until he totally finished the banana because I figured the banana would germinate and grow into a tree by then so I met my family at the pool and decided to let the tortoises eat grass from now on
We pass a Villa called āShogunā which of course was a Japanese theme and all built out of huge Bamboo imported from Japan. The place is so big that it takes a while to drive past it.
Our Villa is next. It's called Paradiso. We turn up the driveway and drive on quite a distance to the main house. I wouldnāt call it a house exactly because it was as big as a Home Depot on a lot, Not really a lot, maybe a tropical square mile or two. I never found out how large the property is but being on a large hill or small mountain you get vistas of the calm Caribbean on one side and the Rough Atlantic on the other side. We had two ATVs so we could go anywhere and by anywhere I mean the entire two miles of the Island.
The Staff came out to greet us and carry in the bags. We had an awesome Island Lady Chef, a butler and a cleaning girl who cleans the place and washes and irons your clothes every day and gives them back to you the same day.
Gen, the Chef would cook you anything you could pronounce including making the pasta from scratch and all the deserts from fresh fruits grown on St, Vincent. You paid for the food and told her what you wanted, or as we did and just said āSurprise usā which she did every day for three meals. She was a fantastic Chef and I thought she was trained in New York or Paris but she learned right there..
We had some meals on one of the deserted private beaches where no one else was there except us and one of the 4 or 5 Gazeboās on the property that all face the sea.
You also ordered any type of liquor you drank and they made any drink for you that you can imagine. If you had time, there was also a pool room and a gym.
Anyway, I love tortoises and I get up very early before sunrise and search for them. They are not hard to find and walk right up on the patio. One morning I figured I would feed one a banana. When I was a kid I always had 5 or 6 tortoises as well as my fish and turtles and I would feed them bananas.
I found a large tortoise just outside our bedroom munching on grass so I bent down and put a piece of banana in front of him. Of course he immediately went back in his shell pulling his feet in also. So I stepped back a little and waited. And waited, and waited, etc. Eventually, he started inching his head out. When I say inching I really mean milimetering.
S l o w l y he started to come out. My family started to gather around the breakfast table waiting for the meal. But I waited. I am very patient and was determined to feed this guy a banana which he has never seen before but I thought it would be a nice change from grass, I mean, like really if you ate grass all your life and someone put a sirloin steak in front of you, if you werenāt a vegan, wouldnāt you at least take a bite!
He finally had his head almost all the way out and I hear my wife āYOUR EGGS ARE HEREā.
But I was not wavering in my quest.
He stared at the banana and I thought I saw his mouth water. He picked his head up and bent his neck down, opened his mouth very wide, stared intently at the banana, started to lower his headā¦ā¦..And closed his mouth. It was only a yawn. Then I started to yawn because that is catchy.
OK, that was close. Now he looked really hungry and he again lowered his head. His nose was just touching the banana. He s l o w l y moved his head along the banana slightly bobbing his head up and down. He reached the left side of the banana and paused. My wife yells āYOUR EGGS ARE GETTING COLDā. While bobbing his head like his neck needed oil he s l o w l y moved his head to the right side of the banana all the while filling his nostrils with banana. He then lifted his head and I knew this was it. He s l o w l y brought his head down on the banana, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.
āI AM EATING YOUR EGGSā. After what felt like an eternity, I tapped him on the shell. He immediately didnāt do anything. But after a few minutes, he stirred. His head started to go up, his eyes opened, he even lifted a foot to wipe some banana off his nose and he again stared at the banana which was now starting to get brown and attract flies.
āWE WILL MEET YOU AT THE POOLā.
He lifted his head and I didnāt know if he was going to yawn or go back to sleep, but he surprised me and quickly moved his head down (when I say quickly I mean in my lifetime) opened his mouth wide, I fully expected him to burp, pass gas or puke but he buried his head in the banana. He came away with a mouthful of mush and I could swear he smiled. I didnāt wait until he totally finished the banana because I figured the banana would germinate and grow into a tree by then so I met my family at the pool and decided to let the tortoises eat grass from now on
Paul B
Premium Member
A couple of years I built this nitrate reactor just to give me something to do. I never figured the silly thing would work. I rarely even pay attention to it and it is all the way back where I can barely see it.
Being I have this broken shoulder and can't do much I decided to test it.
It works.. Who knew? Yes, I know, I broke one of the vials.
The water enters the thing with nitrate about 20 and comes out about 5
Being I have this broken shoulder and can't do much I decided to test it.
It works.. Who knew?
Yes, I know, I broke one of the vials.The water enters the thing with nitrate about 20 and comes out about 5
Your denitrator doesn't show for me but I found it. Very cool.
