How Much is That Fishy in the Window?

How much would you pay for a 12 cent fish? If your name is Morgan, the answer is $5.00! (I know we're suffering from inflation right now, but this is ridiculous!)

So tonight was the annual "Hoe Down" (carnival) at Ashley's school. The night was getting late and the principal was singing "So long, farewell" on the microphone. It was pretty much time to leave. I sent Morgan to go find Ashley, who was trying to play "one last game." The game, of course, being the one in which you leave with a 12 cent goldfish in a ziploc baggie. (My child figuring this is the only way she will ever get a pet!) To make a long story short, when Morgan reached the game, she was unable to convince Ashley it was time to go. Ashley desperately wanted a fish...but the line was LONG...and the game was HARD...and the principal was SINGING...and the patience was WANING...and that's when Morgan hatched a plan...

Maybe, if I bribe the teenage boy working the booth with a five-dollar-bill, he'll give me a fish so we can go home. (Keep in mind we already purchased two $15.00 wristbands for unlimited game play.) Anyways, back to the plan...BRILLIANCE! Go figure, the boy said yes, and both girls came running over,as happy as can be, with a new fish. They named him BYOOBERT--or BYOO--for short.

As you can well imagine, our next stop was Wal-Mart to purchase a new home for BYOO.

Morgan tells me how we "scored" our new pet on the way to Wal-Mart and I am, well, concerned, perplexed, and a bit indignant. Nevertheless, Morgan stands by her plan and continues to feel like she soooo beat the system!

Well, we were certainly not the only people with green hair and face paint carrying fishies in baggies around Wal-Mart looking for fish bowls. Apparantly everyone left the Hoe Down and hit the old Wal-Mart. On the fish bowl aisle we met the cutest little boy. He was, you guessed it, looking for a bowl. We recommended the Premium Fish Bowl complete set shown above. A bargain at just $7.97 if you ask me. (The joke was on the next group of people with baggies...there were only two of these bad boys, the rest of them would be stuck with $13.00 bowls!) I asked this fine young man of probably 7 or 8-years-old if he won his fish, or paid for it. He explains, "I give the boy $11.00 and he give me 2 fish." WOW! I thought we were the only suckers. I told him that Morgan had purchased her 12 cent fish for $5.00. His response? "Good job on the five dollars. You got a good deal." I pointed out to all the children that a wise 6-year-old once told me that 12 cent fish always die the next day.

Regardless of his certain fate, this is BYOO in his new (ghetto) home with the dynamic-duo checking up on him. (Look at his poor tree!?! Who loves you, baby?)

So here's the breakdown of the night:

2 Wristbands: $30.00

1 twelve-cent fish: $5.00

1 Premium Fish Bowl: $7.97

Gaining a new ridiculous memory to add to the family arsenal: Priceless!