Fish tanks are great! Peaceful, relaxing, attractive décor items.
We always had fish tanks; it was one of the first things we bought when we moved in together.
Over the years we nurtured our aquatic companions, feeding, cleaning, ph testing, rounds of chemicals and plants…it is quite a lot of work. We didn’t mind, it was worth it…
We had quite a large tank set up in the lounge room of our home. Lovely.
One night, I was watching TV, maybe 9pm when I heard a noise. Just a small dripping sound, nothing much. It was raining and I thought it was just water dripping outside. It got a bit louder, I investigated, couldn’t see anything, went back to my TV show.
Then all hell broke loose.
The end piece of the tank caved in, and in such a way that the contents of the fish tank shot out at right angles for about a meter before striking the wall and floor…I didn’t quite know what to do. Well, you don’t do you?
It quickly became apparent that help was not going to be forthcoming, and my hands alone were not going to do much against 300L of warm, fishy water determined to empty itself onto my lounge room floor.
Son, being a young teenager, therefore useless as tits on a bull didn’t even hear my screams…the neighbours two streets over must have, but not my boy! And husband had retired to the “bathroom” and was indisposed! Typical…
So I raced to the kitchen, grabbed some cooking pots and stuck them under the hole, nothing was stopping this baby but hopefully I could ferry some of the water outside and off my carpets! Of course there is never a bucket when you need one…
The first emptying went well, a few splashes on the tiles near the back door but OK…the second, not so good.
You see, I didn’t factor the effect of bare wet feet on wet tiles whilst running with an overflowing pot of fish water…hmm, you can see where this ended up right?
Yes, in a scene that would have benefitted from the Benny hill soundtrack, as if in slow motion my feet slipped from underneath me, the pot went into the air, I landed on the back of my head, on the tiles, HARD. Then the contents of the pot of water came to earth, or more precisely, my face, shortly followed by the pot. So not only did I nearly kill myself, but I flooded another room too.
My son had just emerged and witnessed my humiliation and whipped out to tell his father he thought I was dead, no checking on me though…OH NO!
When they emerged it was to find me, ice pack held to the back of my head trying to suck the water out of the carpet with the carpet cleaning machine, trying to stay upright…
Husband was despatched to find something to put the fish in, son called his elder brother to take me to hospital, by this stage I could barely speak and was shaking like a leaf, and I cleaned away feverishly…
It wasn’t until I got to hospital that we realised I had wet pants, from the fall of course, not sure anyone believed me though…
Skip to several hours later, a concussion and a soggy house.
I had never been concussed before, and hope never to be again…it hurts, and the dizziness and nausea are frightening.
Have you ever had to run carpet dryers throughout your whole house with a concussion? Then you haven’t lived! Those bastards are LOUD.
The final tally, 7 rooms water damaged, one fish tank destroyed, one head injury…memories best forgotten!
We don’t have a fish tank any more…turns out they aren’t that relaxing after all!
FlogYoBlog Friday 26/08
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Good to be able to laugh about it now. That's a little funny, but I can imagine it wasn't at the time. Got kicked in the head with a soccer ball at close range at my song game quite a few years back. Mortifying, embarrassing & horrible experience.
ReplyDeleteI remember once falling on a class enclosed case that held some native plants in it & getting a deep cut in my bum which I still have a scar of.
ReplyDeleteThe class enclosed case use to sit on the book shelf but put it on the floor to clean the book case.
I'm very glad your still here with us love your blog & love you, your so funny
(((( Hugs )))) XXXX Kisses XXXX
Thanks ladies. it was traumatic at the time but I can look back and laugh now...just! xx
ReplyDeleteMy dad has fish and as much as I like looking at them I would not want to do all the stuff he does to look after them!
ReplyDeleteGuess what, your hard work has paid off and you won my blog give away! Congratulations.
I will let Anna know right now and she will contact you as soon as possible.
Congrats again!
Best wishes and happy week,
Natasha.
Thanks Natasha...woohoo! :) xx
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness!! You poor thing but I hate to say it, it does sound funny!! The thought of you concussed and all trying to clean your carpets...what a woman!
ReplyDeleteI hope you feel better soon..concussion can be nasty...best get all the sympathy you can get from your darling husband and children..they owe you one.
Kiss Noises Linda
Thanks Linda. It actually was a while ago, I am ok now. I have a long and varied history of disasters and near disasters, just working through them on my blog ;) ... xx
ReplyDeleteI feel bad that I am laughing at your expense! The kids just asked me what was so funny.
ReplyDeleteIt was so funny because my husband is usually indisposed in the bathroom when I need him too.
Whilst I don't have teenagers, I can just imagine it from living at home at my parents as a teenager. My brother was always oblivious as to what was going on at an given time.
Ouch on the concussion! I received my own first concussion after slipping on tiles trying to help my son who was vomitting. Yep, I slipped in his spew! Yuck! At that moment hubby was useless too. He just laughed at me until he realised I was actually hurt.
At least you got a really good blog out of the esxperience. What will you do for next week?
ReplyDeleteThe Cranky Old Man
My family are still laughing at my expense, so why not you guys too!
ReplyDeleteAnd Cranky...the week is still young, I am bound to have a disaster, if not, I have plenty of old ones to wheel out ;) xx