Sunday, June 12, 2011

Where Lavish Begins

It begins at home, and home can be anywhere. I admit it, my lavish life started early. I’m a fifteen year old Red-Eared Slider named Henry and even though I'm not terribly handsome, I do polish up nicely, and I command a certain 'winsome-ness' that is alluring to both my kind (the slippery and wet) and to humans (the sweaty and pasty). My luxurious life continues today but I do still have fond memories as a youth summering at the Jersey Shore in Ocean City (à la Grace Kelly) in my favorite man-made koi pond (that man being Mr. Ulrick, my keeper and turtle-daddy). For many years, I enjoyed summers in the luxury of backyard shade on Asbury Avenue with the Ulrick family, friends and fishy fellas of the Koi variety. Good friends and pond-mates. Ah, good times. So I have returned to this oceanside terrapin community for my retirement and to amuse my turtle-mama and the local residents. More good times ahead.

4 comments:

  1. Mr. Henry's looking retired alright. I had no clue he was 15 yrs. old. What's his life expectancy I wonder?

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  2. they say I'll be around for several decades if I lived lavishly. I'm on it!

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  3. Actually Henry is an alias for me... As a youth growing up in Northeast Philly, I went by the name of Tommy the Turtle and I had lots of friends… That was when followers and friends where old school---- they would knock on the door to see me; prior to the digital revolution that I am now so fond of...
    I was purchased at a pet store by Magee & Frankford Avenue in northeast Philadelphia
    I was only the size of a quarter when Newlywed Julia Ulrick had to have me in her Husband’s giant aquarium,
    They had been married earlier that year in 1999... {Yes!!! I was around for Y2K nothing happened}
    I lived in a large aquarium that had lots of cool friends over the years from Oscar’s, Arowana’s & stingrays to Alligator & Needle nose Gars.
    They always had neat friends in the tank. I was always pretty popular and had a following even back then,but back then we did it old school with a knock on the door from neighborhood kids that wanted to see me.
    That is how we had friends and followers back in the day
    I was around for the birth of Scotty Jr. & Ryan Charles -- when we lived on Erdrick Street.
    That is when I started going to the beach for the summers with Grand pop-- AKA Mr. Charles Ulrick.
    I would chill @ the 16th street pond in the summer while cruising the back lawn & in the winter I would live in the tank.
    Julia & Scott moved to Bucks County 2004 and my beautiful Tank was no more, so I started hanging at the real estate office for winter with Mary Hatfield and Grand pop- Mr. U.
    A few winters there and summers at the 16th street pond meant lots of friends and family always around – I miss those kids 
    The algae years where my wild ride...not sure if I was going south for freedom during a surf or fishing trip or just looking for a sugar mommy up north here by the sea..

    Well look at my decision  I am doing pretty good…..

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  4. Ah yeah, the 'algae years' were wild times. Thanks Scott for bringing my history and sordid past to light. I don't even remember being as small as a quarter - that's like a carnival prize of a goldfish in a plastic bag. But boy, I bet I've lived longer than any carnival goldfish, and look HOW I'm living! Large, very large.

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