In the beginning...
I won a goldfish at the Contra Costa county fair when I was 8 years old by throwing a ring, with an amazing amount of skill, around the neck of a coke bottle. With an equal amount of expertise, I went home (after mom had stopped at the five and dime to buy a bowl and some goldfish food) and unceremoniously plopped Mr. Goldfinger into his bowl. I filled the bowl to the top from the kitchen tap and set it on the desk in my bedroom. I was absolutely enthralled. As I sat mesmerized by my new best friend, I noticed the way his mouth moved rhythmically along the bottom and it soon dawned on me (I, at the time, being a very bright boy...or so I was told) that Mr. Goldfinger was hungry. I promptly tore the entire top off of the small cardboard box of goldfish food and, still very bright, dumped about half the box on top of my new best friend. As the cloud arose around him the first of the misgivings insinuated itself into a primitive recess of my brain. It quickly dispelled as my new best friend dove face-first into the 1/2" layer of supper settling to the bottom of his new home.
An hour later, after being called in by mom from playing in the back yard (time to bathe and get ready for bed) I ran straight to my room to look in on my new best friend. He was doing the same thing my puppy did after a large meal; sleeping peacefully on his back.
More to follow...
Mark
