I can't quite account for it -- I've been so busy lately that I seem to have gotten nothing done at all. How does that happen?

My puffers didn't make it. I'm told this is pretty normal for that variety. After a respectable period of mourning I went back to the only logical and comfortable alternative -- the trusty and cheerful goldfish. I have two, quite pudgy and marvelous, named Pepper and Pickle. They really seem to love each other; they're always nosing each other and sticking close.

It's been raining here for days. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I wish it would stop.



Happy comic day, folks! Enjoy this one -- writing it made me chuckle, which is unusual.

After my tragedy with my last set of fish -- Reginald and Jing-Tei both kicking the bucket on the same night, Fernando the snail following soon after, and my indescribably cute puffers Beebop and Rocksteady buying the farm within 24 hours of my buying them -- I was reluctant to try again lest I kill another innocent member of the marine family. However, sitting here typing or drawing or painting and looking over, as I often do, at my empty aquarium, is dead depressing. I finally geared myself up for another go today.

He is another goldfish, but one much larger than I've had before, and with the arresting characteristic of having only one eye. The Boyfriend and I invented stories about his being a daring sea captain who lost his eye in an epic battle with the East India Trading company, or an honest fellow who discovered his brother had fallen prey to the narcotics trade, and lost his eye in the knife fight that ensued after his sojourn to the ghetto to rescue his brother from a life of crime. Either way, it's cool. Andrew named him Leviathan, and for short we call him Levi or Lucky.



He has a little algae-eater buddy who is very small and cute, who I have named Wolfman Jack. He's so small I'm afraid Lucky might eat him, but they seem to be all right so far.



Wish me luck with these guys... if something happens to them, I'm sworn off fish forever.


I shall post my newest painting later tonight when I've made the finishing touches, but for now, please enjoy your hard-won cartoon.