I have a goldfish. The golfish's name is Skippy. (This is starting out like a pre-K "I Can Read!" book, I know.) The fish sits in a tank on my desk and is both the unofficial mascot of the TMC Editorial Team, and a favorite amusement of the young children of fellow TMCers when they visit.

Yesterday was the third anniversary of my acquisition of Skippy, for whom I paid 12 cents. (I still have the receipt.) He's about 20 times larger than he was when I first acquired him (I use the male gender out of default; apologies if she's a girl, but I have no idea how to discern sex in a goldfish) and has had to be upgraded to larger tanks at least four times, but he's a good-natured fish and a steady desktop companion. I'm just afraid that if he gets any bigger, I'll have to install a koi pond at home.

So, Happy Birthday, Skippy.

TES