And this time, it was perfectly intact.
That’s it all set up, with the daytime and nighttime LEDs. I’ve now dropped the substrate in so it’s time to go down to the shop tomorrow and pick up some gravel and plants, then get the cycle going.
In the meantime, I’ll see if I can find a way to seal the leak in the cracked one – it dropped about 2cm in 5 days, and was always moist around the crack (fnarr).
I’ve been pondering getting into fishkeeping for a while and, last month, I finally plumped for a Fluval Edge 6 gallon (23 litre) tank.
A little on the pricy side but that enclosure at the top contains lights and filter so it’s pretty much ready to go. I do have to get a heater though as I’m looking at freshwater tropical.
Unfortunately, the courier was a bit cack-handed and this is what greeted me when I opened the box
The lid was completely smashed 🙁 (it’s part of the tank and bonded to the top with silicone). Thankfully the supplier has been great and is shipping me a replacement. They also said to bin this one and keep the accessories. Result.
However, that gave me an idea. Seeing as I’m keeping the stand, filter, lights and so forth, why not see if I could remove the broken pieces of the lid and end up with a rimless tank. For free.
One pair of gloves (after a predictable minor mishap), fishing line (to saw at the silicone and which I’ll need later to tie down some moss and plants) and my trusty Leatherman and job’s a good’un.
Sort of. Turns out there’s a tiny crack in one bottom corner.
It looks OK in that its not come away from the silicone but it’s now undergoing a week long leak test.
Fingers crossed. Also crossed for my replacement arriving intact
I just posted this on Reddit, in some obscure little backwater, but I would like to share it with you lot. Bear in mind that I’m 39 (this is relevant) and we’re talking about finding Win95 discs :
[–]greyjackal 1 point ago (1|0)
Boston is excellent for public transport. An unlimited T pass is $70 for the month – a bit like a London travelcard, you can jump on and off with no costs. However, one thing that tripped me up is that the passes run on calendar months. So, no matter when you buy it, it won’t be valid until the first of the next month, then run to the end of the same month.
So, as an alternative, you can either add stored value to the card (CharlieCard) which will deduct for every journey at $2, or buy stored value tickets (CharlieTicket) which behave the same way. Those will cost $2.50 per trip.
The Card can be waved at / touched on the card readers in stations and trains, much like an Oyster card or Lothian Bus pass. The tickets have to be fed into a slot, like a regular train ticket, and those mechanisms can be dodgy. So get a CharlieCard (free from station staff) and load it up online or at the vending machines in the stations.
The T, by the way, is a tram system – yes Edinburgh, you read that right – that pretends to be a subway from time to time and is run by the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority (MBTA). Other forms of public transport are available, obviously – plenty of buses and cabs if need be too.
Although Boston is relatively small by US standards, you do still need a car occasionally. If you’re not planning on buying one, I can heartily recommend ZipCar (that link’s got a promo code in it, btw, that gives me and the signup person $25 credit each). Edinburgh folk might be familiar with City Car Club. It’s a similar idea, albeit bigger and cheaper. It’s also quite useful for holidays if you’re going to a city and don’t actually need a car every day of the week.
There are hundreds of locations around the city, in parking garages, on gas station forecourts, even just designated bays in the street and each one is a ZipCar’s home. For the princely sum of $55 a year, you can then rent anything from a Mazda 3 through a Honda Civic and Audi A4 up to big saloons and vans. The cost? $10 an hour for the Mazda, $14 for the Audi and $12 for a Ford E150 van (brother of the F150 pickup). Insurance included.
And gas. Believe it or not, there’s a gas card in them.
The only thing that isn’t included is tolls, although there is an EZpass in the windscreen that allows you to zip through the automatic lanes. Toll charges are applied to your account at the end of the hire.
I’ve used them 3 times now: to meet a friend from Connecticut for lunch; go off to a mall for an aircon unit; and to move house (hence knowing about the E150). One of the smartest bits is you’ll get a text an hour before it’s due to be returned which will tell you if anyone has booked it after you. If not, you have the option to extend it via SMS. Dashed clever.
So, between the MBTA transport system and cars-on-demand, I’m pretty much covered.
Which is nice.
I’ve no idea where the time has gone. Half a year already (and I left Edinburgh 4 months before that, too, thinking the visa was “almost done”…)
Long enough for me to get up off my backside and write a little about the experience thus far and what, if anything, I have learnt, frankly. And if it can provide any insight or assistance for future British expats, then so much the better. Although, to be honest, the excellent British Expats site has pretty much got it all covered.
So what follows is really a summary of the nuances I’ve encountered up until now and I’ll add to it as time goes on. It’s the little things, as Mr Vega said, the little differences.
Given that I’m British, it seems appropriate to start with the weather here in Massachusetts. Those of us from Edinburgh are familiar with the idea of four seasons in one day and it holds true for New England, as well. In fact, they have a colloquialism too : if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes.
That’s where the similarity ends, however. There are proper seasons here; something I think us Brits have long consigned to the history books. Winter can be nasty – it’s not unusual for Boston to find itself under a foot or three of snow (I was lucky enough to arrive in one of the mildest Winters for some time, though).
Summer can be similarly appropriately named, too – this past month has seen temperatures consistently in the 85 – 95 / 30 – 35 range. The humidity can be high too though – it’s 88% today. Although that’s not the norm, it is often over 50%. A/C in your apartment is an absolute must, even if it’s just a battered window unit. You’ll get used to sleeping through the noise of that quicker than through being uncomfortable.
Despite the relative predictability of the seasons…always check the forecast before you leave in the morning. You’re very likely to need an umbrella at some point, even if for only 5 minutes.
Richt Hoat Chilli Peppers, Radge Against The Machine and Pearls Jam
Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh
June 25 2011
