#soulofair

[basmathgirl]

I was tagged by the eternally huggable @lostlastsforever756. Thank you! :D

Rules: If you’ve been tagged, reblog and edit (or if you’re on mobile erase the old text when reblogging)  to answer the questions, write who you’ve been tagged by, either come up with new questions or leave the old ones and tag 5-10 people who you want to answer them.

1. Favourite Girl Scout cookies?

Well, I only know of Girl Scout cookies because of things like “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Frasier”, since all that sort of thing doesn’t exist here in the UK. Now I DID get treated to a cup of tea when my nephew was working towards his tea making scout badge, but I’m not sure you’d be interested in that snippet of information.

2. Go to movie when you’re stressed out?

I’m not even sure I have a go-to movie for when I’m stressed. I’d probably switch on the satellite TV box and see whatever is currently playing at the moment; probably aiming for the Disney Movie Channel, if I’m honest.

3. Summer plans?

My summer plans will probably involve staying well away from the sun, knowing me. I am meeting up with a couple of LJ friends in London quite soon, and I will soon have to fork out for some new double-glazed windows (life is SO exciting as an adult); but beyond that I haven’t thought further than warning work about the days I shall need to be late in or totally absent

4. How many times do you wash your hair per week?

Ah, this the point at which I shall probably show myself up (in your eyes, at least) because I have never formed the habit of washing my hair more than once a week. The shampoo I have to use, to counteract the effects of psoriasis, is rather expensive – as it is I have to hide the bottle from other people in the household so that I actually have some to use – and often in the past I just couldn’t afford to merely go out and buy myself a new bottle every fortnight if I didn’t ration its usage. Plus, there is the whole self-loathing thing I have battled with since my teens where self-care hasn’t exactly been high up on my list of priorities, shall we say. Add in the often inability to even get out of bed during the last decade or so (let alone feel able to get dressed), along with the lack of energy, and I’m not onto a winner... I do, however, have things in place now to improve this situation very soon.

5. Most memorable vacation?

A two week trip to stay in a log cabin up in the Highlands, that sat by the Caledonian Canal. I’d invested in wet proof clothing for my sons, and they had a whale of a time going in and on the loch, whilst I enjoyed the beautiful and peaceful scenery.

6. When I say junk food, what is the first thing that immediately comes to your mind?

Any menu that is mainly pictures, I suppose, and American in origin. Basically, something fried and something grilled.

7. What movies are you looking forward to watching?

Well, I have the copy of “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” my son bought me still sitting in its cellophane wrapper because I haven’t had the chance to watch it alone (or with someone willing to see it) yet. I’m going to hint that I want “Star Wars: Rogue One” for my birthday because I’d like to see that again; and of course I can hardly wait to see “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” when I eventually get the chance. But getting excited about new films coming out was rather marred for me when a young friend I used to enthuse about it all died; and I’ve never reached those giddy heights since.

8. Favourite book your English teachers made you read in high school?

Ooooh, so many to choose from. The ones that stand out in my memory are:  “I Am David” by Anne Holm , “All Quiet On The Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque, “The Bell” by Iris Murdoch, and “The Inheritors” and “Pincher Martin”, both by William Golding.

9. Favourite breakfast?

As much as I love a full English breakfast, or even a full Scottish breakfast, the one I like to treat myself to is warm/hot chocolate croissants (aka pain au chocolat) although I am also rather partial to warm croissants served with jam and butter/margarine.

10. What is the title of the book you’ve read the most times? 

Aside from any course textbook (of course), the book I’ve probably read the most is “Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen. I was quite obsessed with it at one time, and I refuse to apologise for that.

Using the same questions, I am going to tag to answer these: @ackabulaka, @soulofair, @mlfishy, @kat-the-cleaver, @svlover, @drwhogeek, @wouldyoulike-fries-withthat, @wantingtheworld, @thedoctors-lover, and @serenbex

[goodbetterbetta-blog]

Hi there! I saw that you got your first betta while you were at college, presumably living in a dorm and figured you'd have some advice for me. I'm in a similar situation, but I'm concerned that because I anticipate moving around (dorm to dorm) between terms, that getting a betta right now may not be a smart idea. How have you handled, if at all, moving around with your betta and am I correct to think that maybe I should wait to get one until I'm not moving around as much? Thanks!

Ah yes, Tallahassee *goes off in a nostalgic trance*

First off, kudos to you for researching and planning ahead of time before getting a betta. Like a ton of other college kids, I'd spontaneously bought a betta and had him eating goldfish food in an unheated and unfiltered vase (oh the shame). BUT, I did my research afterwards and eventually corrected my mistakes.

I most certainly have some advice for you regarding having a betta in college: get one. Trust me, it is so rewarding. Bettas are relatively low-maintenance fish (mind you, not NO maintenance fish!) and are very forgiving of beginner mistakes. I traveled with Tallahassee all the time. He came home with me for every break and moved from dorm to dorm with me. He even traveled 12 hours to Maine with me once. Now I don't necessarily condone traveling with your betta as much as I did, but the point I'm trying to make here is that they can handle moving once in awhile.

Another good thing about bettas is the fact that they don't need massive amounts of room like other fish (goldfish) do. A 5 or 10 gallon tank would be absolutely perfect and they're still small enough so they don't take up much precious space on a desk or dresser. Walmart has 10 gallon tanks for $13. The only other thing you absolutely need to purchase is a heater, which aren't at all expensive either. Less than $30 for sure, depending on the brand. Some can be as cheap as $10. I would also recommend getting a filter, although it isn't entirely necessary if you keep up with water changes. (But if you decide not to get a filter, I would recommend getting a cheap air pump. It'll disturb the surface just a little bit to prevent protein buildup on the surface of the water and keep the water fresher.) Oh, and don't forget water dechlorinator/conditioner. THAT IS A MUST. The chemicals and heavy metals in tap water will poison practically any fish. Don't but into that "betta water" crap pet stores sometimes sell with bottles of water. Just get some dechlorinator and use tap.

If you keep your tank simple, meaning the bare necessities (tank and heater, maybe a filter and/or air pump) and maybe some gravel and a decoration or two, moving your betta is very easy when it's time to pack up and go home for the summer or switch dorms.

So, TLDR, I would say go for it. Bettas are incredible fish and are easy to care for as long as they're cared for properly. When it comes time to move, get yourself a cheap unused water bottle or tupperware container, fill it with the betta's tank water, plop the fish in, and then wrap the container in some towels so it stays warm and dark to prevent too much stressing on the betta's part.

Sorry for the long post, I just know how exciting it is to get a betta in college and I want to make sure you start off on the right foot, unlike I did! Please keep me updated, and I wish you the best! Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I published your ask-- I just thought other people might find it helpful, too!

xo

[thatmattattack]

soulofair replied to your post: Someone asked my opinion on religion so here ya go...

That… wow. That’s a beautiful way of looking at religion. Wow.

Guys, someone who goes to Stanford University just said that I have a beautiful way of looking at religion. This is kinda cool.

[lizzledpink]

soulofair replied to your post: oswinstark replied to your post:...

It’s true. Here at Stanford, we’re all glittery spies. Palo Alto knows how to breed some pretty freaky people. This is what excessive sunshine and tech startups everywhere you turn does to people.

Knew it. :)

[thekinggetsaphone]

Yea! I've been seeing a few posts like this pop up on my dash and was wondering when someone would start a blog designated to this. This is brilliant!

Thank you! I was practically throttling people looking for confusedmodern!Arthur fics and couldn't find any. Thought about writing one for about 10 seconds and couldn't think of a conceivable story arc. Then this happened. Most fun I've had in ages!!