Koi Pond minus the Koi

Koi pond looks great! I have plants and clean water and a filter, but the Koi ... jumped out sometime today. None of the other fish did, so this is sorta a bummer. He was really pretty- mostly white with a few black and red spots.

Did I mention how I estimated the proper measurements for the tub? I measured the diameter
of the tub and divided by to to get the radius (r= 11.38 in). Area of a circle is πr^2, so then I calculated the area (A= 406 in^2).

Next I measured the height of the tub (h= 15 in), and the calculated the volume as Ah (V= 6094 in^3).


One gallon of water takes up (given) 231 in^3 and weighs 8.33 lbs. Therefore the tub can hold a maximum of 26.38 gallons of water which weighs a hair less than 210 lbs.

To complicate matters, proper pump flow should filter or exchange the entire volume of water 4X per hour to keep the tank clean, but not faster or it will wear the fish out. That means I needed a pump that would move ~100 gallons of water per hour, which I had shipped to me.

In other news, I baked at the Marriott the other day and look absolutely fabulous. I am so tan, so to illustrate, I put on a whit shirt so you can see the contrast. Picts of my apt will come later after I clean!

I'm 25 today!

That is so depressing. Half my life, poof. At least I have my health... no wait, sigh. I'm getting old. Josh's birthday was yeserday. He's 21 now. I never expected we'd be this old, time is going fast!

So for my birthday I got a mattress foam pad so my back doesn't break. I also got a laser pointer to point at things in class (hehehehe). Then in another package I got my fish filter stuff and my koi pond is fully set up with 1 koi and 7 talapia. The talapia I got from school; they've been cleaning out the ponds eek. The koi is tri-colored and looks like a calico cat.

I also got my NEW dog from school. She's a vicious monster that salivates when she sees black men wanting to taste the fear in them. Ok, but really, if she bites one more person she's a dead dog. No one's been nipped in my presence, but her last foster had a wound that took a month to heal. She's a really good guard dog, and I feel really safe at night with her around. Yessirre, a purebred Kittitian mutt... and scared of the ocean, go fig.

What else? Oh the internet is good. Got a modem and plugged it in about 5 min ago. I'm heading out to Ziggy's now though and will be sleeping in tomorrow.

Oh wow, did someone tell Jorge it was my birthday!?

No Internet

Uhuh... anyway, I'm still alive. No internet. Maybe soon? The hotel we stayed at is completely trashed. THE beaches ARE SO different.

I learned how to drive a standard. Very interesting. Will tell you more later.

I am moved... but good thing I was prepared for Dean. I'm living off my hurricane rations since I lack the ability to cook or have hot water. (Very cold showers.) Got good guard dog though who sorta has proved herself already.

Test drove $1500 car. Does not make it to beach. Does not make it half way to the beach. Returned this morning. NOW trying to buy a maroon one for $1000US (asking $1250US). Looks like sh*t but drives great, not leaking, and not overheating. We shall see.

Now, must find food-- starving. Too many Chef Boyardee (sp?) ravioli over the weekend. Also need to get Koi.

During the Storm

It's pretty windy and overcast here. I'm shocked that nothing is closed. (Click on pict to make it big.)

A friend too me to the fire station and I got a drivers license. Then she went to the bank so she could get funds for her Puerto Rico trip next week, while I perused the grocery store. To my surprise they were 1) open, and 2) still had water. They did not have pineapple juice, wheat thins, or lemon juice, which happened to be the 3 things I had forgotten to get Monday.

Then we went to the Marriott to exchange her EC for US. The Marriott is the only place on the island on lock down. Guests are wearing wrist bands and are confined to their rooms! The casino was closed and the shops were closed and I really had to pee so I sweet talked the people into letting me into one of their closed bathrooms for some much needed relief.

Next we went to SNIC which is island insurance. I'm now officially on my friend's insurance so that I can drive her to the airport. The cost- $3.26EC ($1.20US) since I'll be 25 in 6 days. If I were already 25, it would be free. When I get car insurance it'll be $662.00EC ( $245US) for a YEAR. Wow. I think that's the amount that my mom paid every month per little brother. My insurance (as a good driver) was ~$60US/mo, which was cheaper than all my friends. This will be good since my living expenses are going up with my new apt.

After that we went to Domino's Pizza. I'm currently eating a deep dish medium half canadian bacon-pineapple and half black olive- mushroom. Numie numies. Then I think I will nap and start moving.

Hurricane Dean is apparently a category 3 now. Power went out earlier, but now back. Still raining, it's 5pm. I have picts though! Off to another Hurricane Party downstairs.

Still raining, 7:30pm. Wow, compare the water from another pict. I live on a clif 50 ft above the ocean. Those are big waves. It's gotten worse since that pict taken at 3pm.

Before the Storm

Ross evacuated the med school campus on Dominica. St Kitts is further north, so we will stay. The TS#4 that turned into TS Dean is now Hurricane Dean. The wind here has picked up significantly. Imagine picts of coconut trees in hurricanes without the rain and clouds.

I will tell you more in a min, but right now gots to run down the street and secure an apt.

More fun. Ross closed our school and canceled exams for tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don't have an exam tomorrow, so this does not affect me. It's so neat though! Ross is all hunkered down. I feel like I'm in one of those nature documentary movies. I've also become an expert at the bus system... but I'm the only white girl on the buses, so I get some strange looks... from locals and classmates alike.

I forgot to mention yesterday, when taking my Physio exam, and we all know I'm crazy, I started hearing things. Sounded like someone was trying to get in or trying to bounce a ball on the wall. It's bugging me, but I try to concentrate. As the minutes ticked noise was all around me and above me. So delusions set in and I ask the proctor if she could hear the noise, which she couldn't and I got the 'you a crazy girl' look and was moved to a different room. When I turned in my exam, she said with a big smile on her face, "You're not crazy, and they aren't rats." I look confused and she continues excitedly, "They're crabs!" Only on St. Kitts would giant land crabs invade the rafters of a building. Now that i know this, the SGA president said that from time to time they fall thru the roof when you're studying too. What fun!

Something else happened yesterday... no today, this morning! I saw another ghost. So I stayed at a friends house so that we could study together. I woke up quite early with an everly increasing pineal gland. I had my hot tea, etc etc, was studying. Her roommate came out to the living room and I scared him, then he left for school. She woke up and came out to the living room. We were talking and I turned to go to the bathroom to pee, and I swear I saw a person in black pants walk into her room. She sighed and said she sees him too sometimes. I thought great, just what I need to start an exam with in the morning.

The first official ghost I saw was back in Jan/Feb at my dad's house. Her name is Edna, the late wife of Jean who my dad bought the house from. She was whitish light or cloud and came in the front door of his apartment, checked on me (which scared the you-know-what out of me) and then went into the shower. The shower turned on for a while and then turned off. I was creeped.

Oh went to the movies tonight too and saw Harry Potter. I don't know if I've mentioned the theatre here, but the bottom is infested with rats and the floor and walls peal and it looks haunted. It is an experience and next time I'll smuggle my camera in to show ya'll.

Then went to Hurricane Party at Ziggy's on the beach. Had 2 pina coladas (so good) and then ate a ton of hot wings (craving). And now it's ~3am, very windy, with a very choppy sea. Seems like storm has hit then it doesn't. Is coming in waves or the arms of the storm maybe.

They laughed at Chicken Little too.

So what do ya know, there really might be a storm in the Atlantic. Oh did my friends and professors tease me after I sent out the text message that said the sky was falling, on possibly Friday, the last day of our exams. Looks like a hurricane to me. I might be Chicken Little, but I have tons of clean water!

Ok, to be less melodramatic, Ross finally sent an email out stating: "Tropical Depression # 4 is nearing the Lesser Antilles. See news blurbs below. Storm Tracking models have TD4 heading west toward the Lesser Antilles but have its course passing north of St Kitts and Nevis around this weekend. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Please take this opportunity to go through your hurricane preparedness checklist to make sure you are fully stocked with supplies."

My sources say, "TD #4 is now Tropical Storm Dean and is making its way towards the Caribbean islands. It is expected to become a hurricane and potentially affect portions of the Caribbean islands towards the end of the week..." Like I said earlier, swell.

So now my friends believe me. Only problem is that they're psyched! They're looking forward to the possibility of being in 140 mph winds, not having clean water nor electricity, and 2 weeks of looting. They're also waiting until after finals to go to the grocery store (which was running low on supplies yesterday) to get prepared. I am going to continue to be pessimistic since my life tends to be somewhat more exciting than most. I'm sure it will hit, but I will continue to hope it does not.

As you can see with the image below taken from the NOAA Satellite, the scary set of clouds on the bottom right have moved a full square closer to the Caribbean than they were yesterday. If it goes the same square per day speed it will be in the St. Kitts’ square on Saturday evening. So I assume the weather people just count the squares and that's how they came up with the Saturday estimate too.

And because we needed more fun, there's something fierce going on in the Gulf now too. I know these aren't such precise ways to describe the weather, but I tend to feel that divining for weather is an esoteric art best done by someone who is 1) not me, and 2) owns a satellite.

On the positive side, while not studying for Physio, I took a personality test from Rebecca's Blog. Here are my results (although it seems skewed):

Dynamic Leader

Distracted

I decided the other week that after finals, I was going to create a koi pond in my apartment. (I can see Nora saying ‘Karla!’) So koi grow like huge, and in 2 years I move off the rock, so what to do with 3 fingerling koi when I move and they are big? They are now officially approved to join the other campus koi in the Toxic Plant Garden! So I feel better about getting them now.

Went to IGA and Ram’s (grocery stores) today to stock up on canned goods and water for the impending doom that might hit us over the weekend. IGA has IGA green beans on sale—half off! Too bad they’re laced with botulism! But no big deal, let’s sell them anyway, right? Swell. Yea, glad campus sent us an email on that one otherwise I’d be sick with yet another jungle/tropical/exotic/Caribbean/misc fever (cuz I like green beans).

Today was the Histo final. Don't feel so good about it, but oh well I can live with a B if I have to. Tomorrow is the Nutrition final. Should be fine… but my prof caught me not studying with the Toxic Plant Garden prof. There are a lot of really great profs here with so many interests and such a desire to teach. Combined with the weather, I'm perfectly content... well...

Weather related, a tropical storm off the African coast looks like it's turning into a hurricane. Time to batten down the hatches! This is so just my luck. No one here really thinks it will hit us, BUT they haven't known me long enough- if it's at all possible to go wrong, it will. So I bought more matches, candles, canned food, and 9 more jugs of 5L drinking water. Yea, who will be the over prepared little girl scout? That's right- Me. Let them laugh, I don't care.

Here are picts. It's on the bottom right. Just swell. It does look very hurricane-ish in the loops, so you should go check them out if you're interested. (And in case you weren't sure, because I got this question earlier today, St. Kitts is on the Atlantic side, and not near Hawaii which is in the Pacific and on the other side of the world. Thanks for playing, try again.)