Stanley, this is everyone

I have wanted a cat for as long as I can remember - we had one (well, several) when we were kids, but the last one 'ran away' when I was about 6, several months after we moved to the city (before that we lived in the country, on 3 acres of land - hence the several cats). After Tigger disappeared, I was always either too young and irresponsible to have another cat, or I was too old, and I'd be moving away to university in only a few years, and there was no guarantee that I'd be living in a cat-friendly place. As it turned out that was probably a good deterrent, since I've always managed to find room-mates with cat allergies!

Anyway, with all furry friends being currently verboten (Monday is German Class day), my only option was a fish. And so, everyone, meet Stanley! (excuse the blurriness - I didn't want to blind him with the flash)

Stanley's left side

Stanley's right side - definitely his better side, I think

Stanley now lives in a vase on my desk, so that I have someone to talk to while I sit here studying all day. He's a Beta fish, aka a Siamese fighting fish (a very non-PC name, I'm sure), so he's able to breathe air from the top of the water - which is why he's able to live in $3 Ikea vase! (I couldn't resist adding the little plant, which came with a lily pad to float on top!). Alas, I won't be able to bring him back to the UK with me, but if he's still around by then (c'mon, he is a fish after all) maybe I'll move him to Mike's office so that they can keep each other company. I'll just have to find him some slow-release food so that he won't starve on the weekends!