11:19 p.m. [2003-03-03]

"Poor little fishie."

I've heard this twice today, or more maybe.

See, my fish half swallowed a rock. He likes to suck the algae off them. This time it went horribly, horribly wrong. This fish is different, he can't die because of choking.

But a revelation occurs: he completely choked down the stone. Little fish...how...? Right now he looks like a wilted flower, tired and weak as the day pressed him on to live.

The entire time I kept thinking, "Don't give up. I know I would, but...you have to persist."

How ironic, the fish in honor of Tender Branson's fish chokes on a rock.

This is fish number six hundred forty one. Forever.