S'been awhile since I posted a new journal so for those who bother to read these, buckle in because there is going to be a LOT of whining, ranting and just plain weirdness.

Ok, first on the agenda: Fish.

I bought the prettiest blue male veiltail betta fish from Petco about four days ago and I was so happy to have a fish, something that was my own to take care of. Nemo seemed fine until the start of day three. I woke up that morning and looked at the temporary home Nemo was in, to see him nose down in the rocks. Slightly confused I gently tapped him with the net, and he started to swim like a crazy well...fish. Nemo took a few gulps of air before following my finger for food. Dropping in a few betta pellets he chewed on one then spat it out. He looked at it then went to the next piece. Same thing. He eventually ignored the food and swam a little amongst his leafy water plants, then immediately nose-dived into the rocks. I left the room for almost five minutes before he was on his side, his eyes glassy but somewhat dark, with not a fin or gill movement from him. Attempting to recesitate him with the net, he took one huge gulp of air before going still.

Thus was the end of Nemo.

So that day I go up to Petco, with Nemo in a bag with a water sample, and demand a new fish. Lucky for me the demanding didnt need to be so forceful, as I got a new betta for free and two cute little guppies for a buck each. With a new cycled aquarium that Nemo didnt have the chance to live in, I slowly introduced the guppies to the tank. I couldnt tell if they just got stuck in the filter current or if it was one of their favorite exercizes but they stuck to one corner of the tank, where the filter spat out the water, thus making their little fins go a mile a minute practically. The betta impatiently remained in his little cup until the guppies were done with their aerobics. With the help of a friend I came up with names for all three of my new fish: One guppy was silvery-blue with a darker violet-blue on his/her tail, naming him/her Blueberry. The next guppy was a soft peachy-pink color that followed Blueberry wherever they went in the tank. Color Me Pink was the name that stuck. Now for the betta, I could not think of anything creative for him other than something stupid and boring like Streak or NightShade. With the same friend's help after naming Blueberry and Color Me Pink, Scrambles was originally brought up. After sitting on the name for awhile I fed the betta and guppies, randomly thinking of Star Wars while looking at the betta. A dark purple almost black coloring for his body, with silver specks on his sides with crimson fins, I couldnt help but think of Darth Maul. I started to call him Darth Scramble, and it stuck. He goes by Darth for short, just because its easier to say xD
Anyway, the guppies were in the tank and flitting around near the filter and the current, when Color Me Pink slowly began to sink lower and lower in the tank. Noticing something was wrong, Blueberry followed him/her to the bottom and nudged Pink lightly. Pink flitted up just an inch before his/her fins clamped against his/her body, and they slowly spiraled down to the gravel. I netted him/her and checked for gill movement. I put Pink in a hospital tank before he/she just sank to the bottom. I scooped him/her up with a plastic bag and set it aside as Blueberry flitted around; no doubt looking for Pink.
Two hours after Pink passed, Blueberry twirled onto his/her side before clamping together and sinking like a rock. Getting ready to bag Blue, I noticed his/her right fin was gone. It wasnt anywhere in the tank, and it didnt seem like Darth had even touched him/her without just a light bump occasionally to get him/her away. So both guppies are in bags next to each other, waiting for their final travels back to petco to rest together in peace forever.
Darth seems to be enjoying the guppy-free tank, and has taken a liking to the little tool I use to feed him and to my finger against the glass, so I hope he will survive much longer than his ex-tank mates and his predecessor before him.

Moving on from the fish talk, my Bamboo tablet is officially retired. Bam-Bam lasted me almost a year so Wacom has been notified my tablet is no longer working, and luckily, under warranty, a new one will be sent out, hopefully soon. That leaves me with the unfortunate news that Commissions, Kiriban Prizes, and any other digital work will be put on hold until Bam-Bam 2 arrives and is confirmed on my puter. I apologize to all my watchers until the new tablet is in the mail, that nothing new will be posted until this is resolved.

Thought I was done didnt ya? Nope. Just one more thing that irks me.

I pre-registered for Otakon in baltimore this year yaay! Got this done about a month or so ago and was all happy to be able to go and work there this year to make money instead of waste it on silly shit I dont really need xD. Well, turns out, I wont even BE here on Otakon weekend, nor the week before. I fly out to Colorado for about two weeks, for my sister's wedding that happens Ota weekend. I cant change the date nor can I get a refund for pre-registering for Ota. Plane tickets have been bought and the fly out date is set in stone. I am sorry to all who might have wanted to meet me or see me or whatever or for those who are even going to Ota, I will not be present in the artist alley, or at the con at all. Im not even sure if I'll have a table with the company I work with for cons will have a table in time. If we do, look for K-Collective whoever is going, my work will be up for sale there, as well as charms and my perler sprites. If we dont get a table for Ota, then Im sorry.

Phew...I feel...somewhat better.

Thank you all for your continued support while Bam-Bam 2 is readied for departure and Bam-Bam the original is laid to rest.

AK out

UPDATE: My new tablet is here! Commissions and kiribans and random pronz stuffs can continue yay