No, the title of today's entry doesn't refer to the Dodgers' postseason chances. It's been a glorious week--my team last was defeated on September 23--but this is mostly a site about raising a devil-child. If you want to read additional baseball musings, please tune to Deep In The Count, The New Republic's postseason group baseball blog, where I'll be serving as token Dodger fan until I get bored. There are many interesting contributors to the blog, most of whom are smarter than I. Enjoy.

Instead, today's post is about a fish.

Regina and I took Elijah to the L.A. County Fair yesterday in Pomona. We met his sometime girlfriend Ariel and her parents. Now my son can add, to his vast catalog of life experience, the following: Riding on a ferris wheel, visiting a cavernous fake barn sponsored by the producers of the new Charlotte's Web movie, plunging (accompanied, on a mat) down a 100-foot-high slide, and eating deep-fried Oreos, among other carnival oddities.

At some point, Regina decided that Elijah needed to win a fish. So she gave five bucks to a booth attendant, and Elijah hucked ping-pong balls at bowls. He didn't sink any, but got a fish regardless. So now we had a goldfish in a plastic container.

"What do you want to name him, Elijah?" Regina asked.

"Hingy Dingy Bangy," Elijah said.

"How about Dead By Tuesday?" I said.

While Elijah and Ariel flew around in a circle while riding plastic pink elephants, I complained.

"Why did you have to get Elijah a fish?" I asked.

"Because he wanted one," Regina said.

"No. You wanted one. Admit it."

"OK. I wanted a fish."

"You realize that the cats are going to kill this fish. I'll be surprised if it lasts through tomorrow."

And then I got grumpy, maybe because the Oreos were wearing off.

"Fucking goddamn five dollars for a ratty goldfish that isn't going to make it through the week. Who the fuck....."

"Don't fuck with me right now," Regina said.

"Fine. But you're in charge of the fish."

"No problem."

When we got home from the fair, I sat on the sofa and watched the Dodgers-Giants game on fast forward. Regina and Elijah went to Target for some fish food. Later, they put a ceramic shot glass on its side in Hingy Dingy's container so he could have a place to hide. Apparently, some video or other of Elijah's told him that aquarium fish like to hide.

Elijah woke up this morning very concerned that his fish had been eating its food, which I'll admit was pretty cute. Now they're shopping for a proper aquarium, and there's talk of getting more fish. Hingy Dingy is still alive, as of this writing. But it's not Tuesday yet, and the cats seem to be licking their lips.

Posted by at 4:01 PM | Permalink