One Moment in Time...

Humans...not plants and animals.  I tell that to my husband when he talks about getting a dog or when our plants die.  I tend to not really excel when it comes to plants and animals.  The weird thing about this is animals are attracted to me.  I am told that they smell fear or they know that I am trying to keep my distance.  It is odd. 

My friend Alyce once had a blind cat and promised me that the cat didn't like people, so I shouldn't be scared of it when I went to her house.  I told her that her blind cat would find me and try and make friends.  Sure enough...as soon as I settled in to her extra comfy living room that blind cat was purring around my legs.

It isn't as if I don't like animals.  It is more like I am scared of them.  Sort of.  I truly like them from afar.  I love to take my kids to the zoo, which my friend Alyce finds very interesting...since I am so scared of animals.  I also like to take them to the pet store.  I am nervous at the pet store, but I love how excited they are to look at all of the animals, reptiles and fish.

We have fish.  I love fish.  We once had a fish that I called "Dog-fish" because whenever I would walk by its tank it would swim by me and wag its little tail.  I loved that fish.  My Mom pointed out that it just thought it was going to be fed and knew to swim toward me, but I just think I love that fish even more because it was so smart.  Well, when it died I cried.  So, I do like pets.  It is true that I tend to lean toward the pets that are in bowls a little more than the ones that jump on you, claw you or bite you.

So, Calvin (my 9 year old) struck it rich at his last birthday party and had a bunch of money to spend (like $12 dollars) and he wanted to buy a fish to go in his new room. It was super exciting news!  Our entire family went to the pet store to support Calvin and his fish purchase.

Buying a fish with Calvin is serious business and takes quite a bit of time.  Calvin has to belly up next to the tanks.  Consult with his 10 year old brother.  Weigh the pros and cons.  Take a break.  Go look at the turtles.  Go back to the tanks.  Talk to the store manager.  Stuff like that.

We all know the drill, so we tend to busy ourselves in other areas of the store.  I like to either hang out by the fish tanks, because I know I won't be attacked or by the front door in case something gets lose.  That way I know that I am that much closer to safety.

So, I am hanging out by the fish tanks when my husband yells for me to come look at something.  I know that my fear of the pet store animals amuses him, so I know whatever he wants me to look at can't be good.  He has a huge smile on his face and says "I would have never put those two words together". 

So true Jake, so true.  I didn't know anything named Fancy Rat even existed.  It absolutely sent shivers down my whole body and I was about to high tail it for the front door (knowing Jake could supervise our beautiful children...i.e. every man for themselves) when the Fancy Rat in the glassed-in cage caught my attention for a moment in time.  It was as if Dog-fish had come back to life in the form of a Fancy Rat. Like all animals before this one Fancy Rat, it was just trying to make friends with me. Just following me with its beady little gaze.

I repeat...Fancy Rat caught my attention for ONE MOMENT in time..just one moment and then I was running for those beautiful automatic front doors.