Monday, November 06, 2006

Week one with the turtle

so lets go back. way back... i havent always wanted a turtle. i actually was gonna get fish. but my brother in law, keem, said in his deep but nasaly voice, why dont you get a turtle? and i said why not? and he said you could call it donatello! and kesi said no michaelangelo! and i said hell yeah! and thus the idea was born.

but the ones they had at the store were expensive. and i got sad. then people wanted to find turtles for me. what great friends i have! but just when it seemed they forgot to look out for my first pet, B calls to tell me C pulled one out of the creek for me. aw! and thus the turtle in my room was found.

first it wouldnt eat. i went to petsmart and spent $70 on food and books and environment, and it wouldnt eat. turns out, according to turtles for dummies, anorexia is common in turtles when they are stressed. eh? my turtle has to go visit mary kate, or ashley or whichever. so i put a variety of food in the tank. bananas, blueberries, letture... back to petsmart.

"Babies only eat live food. you need crickets." seriously? ok. i buy crickets. it eats at least one. awesome! we have contact. now we go to the vet because the petsmart guy says it may not survive. pessimist.

the vet was a whole new issue. by the time we got up the day after kesi's birthday, called many an animal hospital only to find they dont have a reptologist, find one and drive there, the vet had left for the day. we have to come back monday. ok. monday comes and dr thurbert is a nice guy. he asks questions and gives good advice. the least of which is that the turtle needs worms to survive. i did notice it burrowing, but i thought it was cold. also it needs to have more water than i'm giving and that its a 6 month old male. it will need a bigger cage eventually. after the vet we head to the bait shop.

upon arrival to the bait shop, i notice one big thing. there are no cars here. just pickups. i feel the presence of old white men and tell kesi we'll surely be the youngest, most negro things going. we walk in and what's on? all my children! this calms me a bit. old white men watchin stories. cant be so bad. i get my worms and head out, after the guy behind the counter shows us photos of the young buck he caught. wow.

so little mikey is great. i get to nurture something, which is fun. its been an adventure already. and i got a pet! yay!

4 comments:

Madam DLBG said...

Awww...I want a turtle! You make it sound like the best thing since sliced bread :-). And what great friends! Soooo jealous right now but soooo happy for you!!!

Jameil said...

$70 on food and books and environment, and it wouldnt eat?!?!?!?! oh hell no. i would've taken that fool back to the store <--- the reason i don't currently have a bet. i love that you took him to the vet. hilarious.

one of my college friends has the turtle house. when people find turtles, they bring them to her. soooo hilarious. she had one named carlito (after cee-lo). she's from brunswick, ga (i know you were wondering abt the person who names her turtle after a member of goodie mob!!! lmao!!!)

Adei von K said...

lol at his name!!! OMG,see all the trouble you went to for this little critter? what is it about pets that makes us spend soooo much money! i'd sooner take my puppy to the vet than take myself to a hospital =)

that's huh-larious that the WM were watching stories =)

the joy said...

madam- this girl at work said she wanted a turtle after i told her they look like muppets when they eat. i'm a trendsetter!

jamiel- i couldnt take it back. we caught it. though i considered putting it back in the wild. but that's cuz i didnt want it to suffer. i would have cried if it died. carlito? that's funny. ceelo does have some turtley qualities...

stace- need i mention i dont even have insurance? lol yes i call him mikey. kesi said its perfect because he's orange. in the book we bought it said when tmnt came out french people imported turtles which now are native to france. crazy.