--313 days.

--Well, I decided to stop at the pet shop today after work, to see if our guy was there (Mondays and Saturdays are his normal days). He was...so I asked him about our problem, told him that we talked to the one guy Saturday. He said that guy was trustworthy and whatnot. But then he suggested that we go all in. He said, first of all, his opinion was that we had to go full-on with the medication, even with the tetra and the cories in the tank. The meds and the other dude said to go half because of those fish. Our guy said, "That's very conservative, and what they will tell you if they don't know your situation. I know your situation pretty well, as of now, and I think you should put the full amount in." I asked about the plants, and he said, with the full amount in, they'll mostly die. So I decided that I was going to take the plants out...so I asked him where to put them, etc., etc. He said, actually, if I can find a shady spot outside, put them in a big Rubbermaid container outside, out of direct sunlight. So I put them on the balcony with two big boards leaning against the container to shade the sun away from it. I asked about the temperatures, and he said it wouldn't be a problem. Just circulate the water...well, I don't have the capability to keep it constantly moving, so I'll swish it around and refresh it a few times a day...that oughta do it.

Meanwhile, he said we were given the more toxic brand of Quick Cure, which actually depletes oxygen from the water...he said that aerating the water was a good idea, and that methylene blue would help the fish absorb and hold the oxygen better, but that it would turn the tank water dark blue. It did. It also, he said, would stain the silicone seals on the tank, but we'll see.

So our tank is plant-less, aside from the two fake ones we have, and is bare other than the gravel and decorations. The plants are outside...I just hope they don't get too deformed from floating, mostly, at the surface of the water. We shall see, I guess. At the very least, I now have an aquatic garden to go along with my actual garden, which is progressing very nicely. I should have bunches of tomatoes (lots of flowers) and the red and green pepper plants I have are doing well. I just sheared a bunch of thyme for Gina's mom (the plant needed a trim) and the rosemary is even doing well. As for the flowers, the purple coneflowers and coreopsis I transported from The Brook are blooming, as are the annuals I have in the windowboxes. So, really, I can't complain about my ability to grow and sustain life. :)

--In other news, I won a $20 Starbux gift card from my corp. offices after successfully answering 10 questions about our new corp. Web site. I was one of four randomly drawn winners. Yippee. That will last me a little while, anyway...

--Finally, I'm going to the Cubs game tomorrow evening...look for me behind one of the dugouts (forgot which one), if you happen to see the game. The funny thing? Here's my count for attendance this year: Sox 1 game, Cubs (soon to be) 1 game, Brewers (soon to be) 2 games. Wha?!