RANT HERE thread

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The Oatmeal is just a badass comic all around. Y'all should check out the others too.

:thumbup: The Oatmeal is freaking awesome. If you have an hour or two, definitely check it out - you will laugh your pants off.

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Rant: Vet school tuition. And fees.
 
Rant: Vet school tuition. And fees.

:thumbup: my loans came through and i have to pay off my bill by the end of July. I maxed out my federal loans and i STILL had to pay more out of my pocket to get a zero balance on my bill. lol i dunno why im laughin, it is very sad
 
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Yeah. I was going through my financial aid stuff trying to develop a budget COMPLETELY failing at it. I was trying to figure out WHY everything was coming out so bass ackwards.

And then I realized the amount they alloted for "tuition" for the YEAR was $11,000. Um. Last I checked its about $9000 per semester. No wonder its working out against me. Better tighten the belt a bit and plan on not eating a few days a week.

And don't get me started on having to pay for my health insurance before school starts and financial aide is released.

AND on top of all that my computer crapped out this morning (I'm borrowing one from a friend). Ack! I mean, I had vaguely budgeted about $300 for a cheapo netbook that I could bring to school for classroom purposes. Now it looks like I'm going to have to replace the dang thing. I'm now trying to convince myself that if I can pay off a new one off in a year its worth it. Riiiiiight. I needed that expense as well.
 
Yeah. I was going through my financial aid stuff trying to develop a budget COMPLETELY failing at it. I was trying to figure out WHY everything was coming out so bass ackwards.

And then I realized the amount they alloted for "tuition" for the YEAR was $11,000. Um. Last I checked its about $9000 per semester. No wonder its working out against me. Better tighten the belt a bit and plan on not eating a few days a week.

And don't get me started on having to pay for my health insurance before school starts and financial aide is released.

AND on top of all that my computer crapped out this morning (I'm borrowing one from a friend). Ack! I mean, I had vaguely budgeted about $300 for a cheapo netbook that I could bring to school for classroom purposes. Now it looks like I'm going to have to replace the dang thing. I'm now trying to convince myself that if I can pay off a new one off in a year its worth it. Riiiiiight. I needed that expense as well.

Yeah I had to pay my first tuition bill a few days ago...over $20,000 ouch!
 
Why do old, bald, ugly fat guys (no jokes making fun of me please) think it is ok to do work in your house with their shirts off playing music so loud you can't hear the voice screaming in your head to kill yourself?

It's bad enough to see them in a beach or a park, but when they are hired to do work for you can't they keep their bodies covered? :mad:
 
Ditto! You must have finally received your finacial aid info. :eek:

Yep, late last week. There was a glitch with the dual degree, so I'm glad I inquired. I finally decided how much to accept today. Blergh.

And our tuition is bad enough, but those poor OOSers!
 
I'm beginning to hate my cell phone number. Every time it has rung this week has been for someone other than me. And the someone is always, without fail, a man. In the past most of these callers have Super Important Business to relay (like a burst water main).

So yeah. This isn't a new problem but it is becoming increasingly more frequent. I've stopped ignoring unknown calls. I changed my voicemail message to end with "if you're NOT trying to reach cuitlamiztli, you have the wrong number." Thus far it has only been mildly annoying.

Until now. Tonight I get a call for some guy in Nebraska (to be fair, the area code is the same) from a fundraising guy for Uniformed Public Official's Association. As soon as I say, "You have the wrong number", Pushy Man says "Oh. In any case, while I have you on the phone, I'm calling on behalf of the Nebraska UPOA Association." And after I tell you "I'm in the middle of Iowa," you say "Wow. But hey, we're a neighboring state right? Support your neighbors? You can still help take care of UPOA Association, right?"

Long silence. He didn't take the hint. So I hung up.

What I should have said was "sure, but only if they 'help take care of me' by helping pay my tuition."
 
I cried at the dentist today. I'm 19, not 4. What is wrong with me!? It was pretty painful to get the cavity filled, even with 4 injections of Novocaine, which didn't wear off until 9 hours later. But still, come on..:(
 
For my the fall 2010 semester, $13,000 is due in 10 days.

I've been to the Financial Aide office every day last week, and today, and keep getting promised that I would be awarded my loan "by the end of the day."

Do I have a financial aide package? NO!
Even though I've told them 5 times it won't even let me log on to see if I was awarded a package, can I access my page? NO.

UGGH! I'm so frustrated.

On a side note, my mom, despite my lecturing and explanations, is now resisting not only the CCL repair for my lab, but won't administer the tramadol because she "doesn't seem in pain" even though she says the dog is favoring the leg. Um, hello... is that not exhibiting pain? Just because she isn't yelping everytime she takes a step. I about popped out an eyeball trying to explain things to her.
 
Rant: loans.:annoyed: More specifically, direct unsubsidized loans and master promissory notes...and financial aid offices. So frustrated
:boom:
 
I cried at the dentist today. I'm 19, not 4. What is wrong with me!? It was pretty painful to get the cavity filled, even with 4 injections of Novocaine, which didn't wear off until 9 hours later. But still, come on..:(

this happened to me too :( the dentist didn't believe that i felt pain and i told him i needed a second shot. he thought i was making it up!!! ARGG :mad: I was 23 though so i wasnt even a teenager! lol and he still didn't give me more novocaine but i had already paid for the filling in advance so i got it filled anyway...worst pain of my life, felt like it was hitting a nerve the whole time. waterfall of tears while he was filling it...you're not alone psilovethomas!
 
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this happened to me too :( the dentist didn't believe that i felt pain and i told him i needed a second shot. he thought i was making it up!!! ARGG :mad: I was 23 though so i wasnt even a teenager! lol and he still didn't give me more novocaine but i had already paid for the filling in advance so i got it filled anyway...worst pain of my life, felt like it was hitting a nerve the whole time. waterfall of tears while he was filling it...you're not alone psilovethomas!

I had this happen. My first cavity took SIX injections of local. Fast forward a few years to a new dentist and a new cavity, and I told him that last time it took a ton of local to get me numb enough to work on. He went "uh huh," gave me one, and started. I started yelping. He said "Are you sure you can feel that?" NO YOU A**HOLE I'M NOT SURE I CAN FEEL THAT. I made him give me more.
Fast forward another 2 years, new dentist. I told her flat out that I'd had problems in the past and that I wouldn't hesitate to bite her fingers off. Thankfully she was very understanding and absolutely wonderful. She used 3 different kinds of local and gave me several injections over the course of 20min. I had the most painless dental experience I've ever had and I absolutely love her.

Moral: Threatening to bite off fingers generally does the trick.
 
And our tuition is bad enough, but those poor OOSers!

points at self +pity+



ever since acceptance letters started being sent out, i've been aware of lot of people talking about how excited they were and therefore about to go buy _____,______, and _______, etc... every time i heard that, i'd think to my self "hot damn, how do these people afford these things??? has the reality of the loans situation really not hit them yet, or have they just gone mad???" or, they are independently wealthy in which case i'm jealous.
 
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So the boyfriend and I went to the wildlife park yesterday. There was a woman there with two girls who looked about 7 and 10. At the beginning of the park there is a huge sign saying that you can only feed the deer, reindeer and moose pellets. Feeding them vegetables can be harmful to your health.

Well, she took her 10 year old daughter's carrots, crossed the barrier at the black bear cage that said something like "Nobody is Permitted Beyond This Point", stuck her arm through the fence and was throwing the bear carrots to get him to come out of his house.

She did the same to the fox cage, totally ignoring the sign that said "Keep Fingers Out"

My boyfriend and I came across a fledgling who was having difficulty flying. He was perched on some high weeds. My boyfriend and I just watched him a while and guessed that he would be okay. Then the damn lady and her kids come her. One of her kids screamed "Look mom!" She says, "If it's a bat, get away from it!" She comes closer. "Oh wait a second, it's a little baby bird!" And she starts stroking the wild freaking bird.

*headdesk*

I know it's uncommon for an animal to attack, but there was already an incidence in the province where a bear bit a girl's hand because she stuck it in the cage and the woman wanted to sue.

I have another rant for later... about how much I hate my job and how much I want to quit, but I need the money... just don't have time to post it. I have to head over to the university to have myself a slice of snail cake.
 
ever since acceptance letters started being sent out, i've been aware of lot of people talking about how excited they were and therefore about to go buy _____,______, and _______, etc... every time i heard that, i'd think to my self "hot damn, how do these people afford these things??? has the reality of the loans situation really not hit them yet, or have they just gone mad???" or, they are independently wealthy in which case i'm jealous.
Depends on what the blanks are. Most purchases, if they're singular, will be negligible in the long run. A laptop/tablet of $400 costs you $1,200 in 25 years. That's three times the cost, sure, but over a 25 year period's not that bad. And you can pay more monthly to have that cost reduced further.

As long as you're not buying like thousands of dollars of clothes, a top of the line model of a computer, a tablet, a smartpen, a horse, and a new kitchen sink, it's not too bad. Plus I think most loan packages account for things like laptops any how. If you don't use it, just pay it back at the end of the year. It'll accrue about $10 of interest in the mean time.



I have to head over to the university to have myself a slice of snail cake.

Snail cake?
 
I had this happen. My first cavity took SIX injections of local. Fast forward a few years to a new dentist and a new cavity, and I told him that last time it took a ton of local to get me numb enough to work on. He went "uh huh," gave me one, and started. I started yelping. He said "Are you sure you can feel that?" NO YOU A**HOLE I'M NOT SURE I CAN FEEL THAT. I made him give me more.
Fast forward another 2 years, new dentist. I told her flat out that I'd had problems in the past and that I wouldn't hesitate to bite her fingers off. Thankfully she was very understanding and absolutely wonderful. She used 3 different kinds of local and gave me several injections over the course of 20min. I had the most painless dental experience I've ever had and I absolutely love her.

Moral: Threatening to bite off fingers generally does the trick.

that is exactly like my story!! i still havent been to the dentist again since then lol when i pick a new one in PA i may take your biting advice!
 
ever since acceptance letters started being sent out, i've been aware of lot of people talking about how excited they were and therefore about to go buy _____,______, and _______, etc... every time i heard that, i'd think to my self "hot damn, how do these people afford these things??? has the reality of the loans situation really not hit them yet, or have they just gone mad???" or, they are independently wealthy in which case i'm jealous.

I've been wondering the same thing...
 
points at self +pity+



ever since acceptance letters started being sent out, i've been aware of lot of people talking about how excited they were and therefore about to go buy _____,______, and _______, etc... every time i heard that, i'd think to my self "hot damn, how do these people afford these things??? has the reality of the loans situation really not hit them yet, or have they just gone mad???" or, they are independently wealthy in which case i'm jealous.

well i guess im one of these people. but i have been saving money for the last 2 yrs i have been working. i saved enough to last me til around 2011 and planned to spend $1000 on new furniture and $1000 on books/stethoscope/coveralls/boots. I haven't gone mad!! lol and im not wealthy, i was living off 25k and 28k for those yrs. i was just insanely frugal
 
It's really happening. My horse is sold and his owner is coming to ride him, and then eventually trailer him away, on August 11th. I'm out of town right now and I come back on the 1st and then I have what, one week with him (including his break day) and then he's gone. I've had him for around 5 years now and this is so painful to even think about that I just can't believe it's actually happening.

I'm going to college in the U.S. and it'll be my first time living there abroad and that's why we have to sell him. But God, it hurts so much. There's a small part of me that's like, ahhh, go to college at home and keep him. I have to go for my dreams though and take the huge opportunities that have opened up for me. It just hurts so much to leave him behind.
 
Just got back from the vet. My Belgian Malinois (who will be 15 in September) has osteosarcoma in her left humerus:( Good news is that it hasn't metastasized, and she is in REALLY good health, so we're going to amputate on Monday. I really hate cancer:mad:
 
Snail cake?

snail.jpg
 
totally agree with you HopefulAg, that when it comes to necessities, you do need to spend some... and i think everyone's entitled to one or two toys here and there. and maybe i'm just imagining it, but it seemed like some things were well beyond the scope of responsible financing of limited loan money. (or is it just me? that even maxing out on loans leaves me with enough money to barely scrape by?)

well i guess im one of these people. but i have been saving money for the last 2 yrs i have been working. i saved enough to last me til around 2011 and planned to spend $1000 on new furniture and $1000 on books/stethoscope/coveralls/boots. I haven't gone mad!! lol and im not wealthy, i was living off 25k and 28k for those yrs. i was just insanely frugal

oh ditto. i will definitely be dipping into my savings account from my last two years working to move myself to CO, and to buy furniture and supplies and such. (and even if your spending is high, BK, your savings make you *independently wealthy* :). i know that sounds funny based on your income, but $10k in the bank = 1 year of living expenses in vet school right?)
 
Just got back from the vet. My Belgian Malinois (who will be 15 in September) has osteosarcoma in her left humerus:( Good news is that it hasn't metastasized, and she is in REALLY good health, so we're going to amputate on Monday. I really hate cancer:mad:

On the plus side your Belgian Malinois is 15 years old! That's phenomenal for a larger breed dog :) And according to your vet she's healthy and strong enough to amputate a *forelimb* and still do well post surgery :) Those are all wonderful things to be thankful for!
 
oh ditto. i will definitely be dipping into my savings account from my last two years working to move myself to CO, and to buy furniture and supplies and such. (and even if your spending is high, BK, your savings make you *independently wealthy* :). i know that sounds funny based on your income, but $10k in the bank = 1 year of living expenses in vet school right?)

Not in Philadelphia or Davis. :laugh:

edit: And I think we're all in different financial situations so it isn't really prudent to judge what someone else is spending as extravagant, is the main point that people are trying to get across. I definitely understand your point Minnerbelle. However we also have to remember that a person who is lucky enough to have gotten into one of the less expensive IS schools and/or is in an area of the country with a lower cost of living and/or who maybe has a big savings acct or a spouse or parents who help with support and/or is a non-trad who's been in a higher paying career for a little while might not be needing to take out the same ridiculous amount of loans as you or I will. (bastards :mad:)
 
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Not in Philadelphia or Davis. :laugh:

edit: And I think we're all in different financial situations so it isn't really prudent to judge what someone else is spending as extravagant, is the main point that people are trying to get across. I definitely understand your point Minnerbelle. However we also have to remember that a person who is lucky enough to have gotten into one of the less expensive IS schools and/or is in an area of the country with a lower cost of living and/or who maybe has a big savings acct or a spouse or parents who help with support and/or is a non-trad who's been in a higher paying career for a little while might not be needing to take out the same ridiculous amount of loans as you or I will. (bastards :mad:)

This. hahahah my rent is insane...i did get something that is "up to my standards" and in the city you can imagine how much that may be. but besides that i had to compromise with my bf because he moved down here with me.

Not to mention, i posted earlier my tuition exceeds my maxed out federal loans lol so 2k savings went to tuition (for one semester). lets just say, i have more than 10k savings...still, and like i said before, this will last me til about Jan. HOPEFULLY lol did i mention penns health insurance? 2,800$.

It's ok though, i know what you mean. I'm sure i have more money than others but it is because i have been saving for this my whole life lol literally since high school. Sounds crazy. and all this just so i dont have to take out a loan until 6 months after vet school starts LOL only 3.5 yrs left of pure loans! woohoo! lol
 
On the plus side your Belgian Malinois is 15 years old! That's phenomenal for a larger breed dog :) And according to your vet she's healthy and strong enough to amputate a *forelimb* and still do well post surgery :) Those are all wonderful things to be thankful for!


15 is wonderful:D I am still amazed at how well she has aged, arthritis hasn't even been an issue for her until about 6 months ago. I know she has had a great life, and as long as she's happy and pain free, that's all I can ask for!
 
did i mention penns health insurance? 2,800$.

Ours is $2046 or something per year. But you know what, I'm on meds that the insurance pays like $300 a month for and have contacts that are like $400 each with expensive fittings and tend to be a klutz so I certainly get my money's worth out of the dang thing. :smuggrin:
 
Ours is $2046 or something per year. But you know what, I'm on meds that the insurance pays like $300 a month for and have contacts that are like $400 each with expensive fittings and tend to be a klutz so I certainly get my money's worth out of the dang thing. :smuggrin:

it's awesome they cover so much for you! i dont really have anything to cover except usual appts and birth control lol but if i get into a bad accident it better cover me well!!

speaking of klutz, eventualeventer--where are you?!?!?! I MISS YOU!!
 
It's really happening. My horse is sold and his owner is coming to ride him, and then eventually trailer him away, on August 11th. I'm out of town right now and I come back on the 1st and then I have what, one week with him (including his break day) and then he's gone. I've had him for around 5 years now and this is so painful to even think about that I just can't believe it's actually happening.

I'm going to college in the U.S. and it'll be my first time living there abroad and that's why we have to sell him. But God, it hurts so much. There's a small part of me that's like, ahhh, go to college at home and keep him. I have to go for my dreams though and take the huge opportunities that have opened up for me. It just hurts so much to leave him behind.

I'm so sorry! I know the feeling, I sold my first horse because we were moving and it was heart wrenching. I learned to ride on her and she was my best friend. It's horrible that horses are a pet you so often have to sell, but they are very expensive.
Is the new owner going to stay in touch, send photos, etc? teh girl I sold Foxy to claimed she would but never did. I wonder a lot if she is still alive.. she'd be 22 now :)
 
Not in Philadelphia or Davis. :laugh:

very true :p. thank goodness i'm going from Boston to Ft Collins!

i totally understand that it's not fair for me to judge anyone's financial situation, and i'm sorry for that... esp since i'm a spoiled brat myself. but almost every time i think about my financial future and current needs, it's really hard for me to think that i can afford ANYTHING at this point... which i guess was where the rant came from. sorry if i offended anyone.

it's just really scary to think that every dollar i spend = dollar plus interest in debt i'm getting myself into... on top of the tens of thousands i'm taking out by default on tuition alone :eek:. and it's really really scary to think that what i have in the bank is the most i'll ever have in a really really long time. hyperventilating now. reaaally banking on the idea that a career in vet med will be fulfilling!
 
Hoooooly Crap!!! I didn't know until yesterday when I saw with my own two eyes that puppies at Debby's Petland go for $1100!!! And I don't remember which particular breed this one was, but it wasn't anything all that special. Who the hell is stupid enough to go for that? oh right... a nice chunk of the pet owning population :smack:
 
Hoooooly Crap!!! I didn't know until yesterday when I saw with my own two eyes that puppies at Debby's Petland go for $1100!!! And I don't remember which particular breed this one was, but it wasn't anything all that special. Who the hell is stupid enough to go for that? oh right... a nice chunk of the pet owning population :smack:

And then they complain about spending $100 at the vet. :smack:
 
Who the hell is stupid enough to go for that? oh right... a nice chunk of the pet owning population :smack:

Don't forget the "oh, I know he came from a puppy mill but I just couldn't leave him there in that tiny cage!" people.
 
Don't forget the "oh, I know he came from a puppy mill but I just couldn't leave him there in that tiny cage!" people.

and add on to that, "well, I know we paid a million dollars for him but we just can't afford heartowrm preventative EVERY month"....*grumble grumble*
 
Don't forget the "oh, I know he came from a puppy mill but I just couldn't leave him there in that tiny cage!" people.

I just googled Debby's Petland and the majority of the reviewers said exactly that. Geez. Don't they realize that just perpetuates the whole puppy-mill system?
 
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You know, instead of frittering away your time on Facebook, like you always do all day at work, maybe you should you know, put some time in and get stuff done. That way, you won't have to post nasty statuses like "Oh those students who don't come in. Now I have to do all of this **** UGH" and I won't have to feel unnecessarily guilty for actually trying to work hard for once in my academic career and continuing the positive grade trend I've been slowly amassing over these past few semesters instead of working like a dog like I've made the mistake of doing the rest of my undergrad.

Also, my PS is looking like a giant tub full of molasses on a freezing winter morning and it's irritating me because usually, writing just flows off of my fingertips. I'm getting so many different directions of advice and I know I need to pick and choose which to follow but damn is it frustrating. Add the hours of chem in every day and the fact that I need to get started on that quant. prep and retake the GRE and I'm just not a happy camper right now :(
 
You know, instead of frittering away your time on Facebook, like you always do all day at work, maybe you should you know, put some time in and get stuff done. That way, you won't have to post nasty statuses like "Oh those students who don't come in. Now I have to do all of this **** UGH"

:laugh: Since I posted right above you, I started reading this and thought it was directed to me at first! I was all: what did I ever do to that redhead? Then: Gosh, though, I did probably spend too much time on Facebook today. SDN, too. Wait! I didn't work today. Also, I don't have students. And I certainly didn't post anything like that today. Then it hit: Maybe she's talking about someone else?

Made me LOL after I figured it out, but for a second there....
 
I'm over halfway through my summer research, which included 60 mice and 300 PCR samples to be run in triplicate (900 samples!!). I have been working my ass off, at least 9 hours a day, some weekends. Today I ran my first plate, and got back the first set of results. They are the exact opposite of what was expected. After some sleuthing, I find out that there was a vendor mix-up and it's entirely too possible that my mice were NOT C3H mice, but were instead SCID mice. Um. That makes an enormous difference.

Basically, it's all a wash. It was pretty much pointless, my time was wasted, and 60 little mice gave their lives for research that won't really tell us much beyond what we already knew.

:boom:
 
my PS is looking like a giant tub full of molasses on a freezing winter morning and it's irritating me because usually, writing just flows off of my fingertips. I'm getting so many different directions of advice and I know I need to pick and choose which to follow but damn is it frustrating. Add the hours of chem in every day and the fact that I need to get started on that quant. prep and retake the GRE and I'm just not a happy camper right now :(

You can come up with a great phrase like that and you're having trouble with your PS? :) Maybe take a break from it for a while, even just a week. You still have plenty of time before it is due. Sounds like you have a lot of other things going on. Stressing out about it too much is not going to help you focus on anything else you need to do. Best of luck :luck:, everything will be ok :)
 
that redhead's writing in the versions I've seen even sustains my attention, and that isn't an easy task as I generally have the attentional capabilities of an avocado!

I agree, take a break maybe and go back to it. It can do a world of wonders...
 
I accidentally stepped in an ant bed today. My right ankle/foot is nice and swollen. I've got a cankle on that side. And I'm supposed to go out with the girls...

I'm adding a picture for effect. And, yes, the tattoo is real (people always ask...)

38664_538747374358_57700227_31854945_6395981_n.jpg
 
Don't forget the "oh, I know he came from a puppy mill but I just couldn't leave him there in that tiny cage!" people.

I was giving a talk on animal welfare to a bunch of middle schoolers and that whole thing was my main talking point. I told the kids that if they left understanding exactly *why* it was bad to get a dog from a pet store, they'd be smarter than most adults.
 
Well my furniture is finally showing up today. This should be in the RAVE thread, unfortunately I have just found out that the moving company wants to charge me $750 because they can't find a parking spot for a 42-foot truck in the middle of city. What rocket scientists thinks they can park a tractor-trailer in the middle of a city.

The charge is to transfer my stuff into smaller trucks and then come here. When they told me about the charge I was like "no freakin way!" Meanwhile they are driving around the block waiting for 5 people to suddenly decide to move their cars at that same time on a Sunday morning. If this weren't happening to me I would think it was hilarious.
 
The charge is to transfer my stuff into smaller trucks and then come here. When they told me about the charge I was like "no freakin way!" Meanwhile they are driving around the block waiting for 5 people to suddenly decide to move their cars at that same time on a Sunday morning. If this weren't happening to me I would think it was hilarious.

There was no way to get a moving in parking permit, where the city blocks off large parking space in front of your apt for a couple of hours?
 
Don't they know that parking in the middle of the street is normal and occasionally even legal in Philadelphia?
 
Well my furniture is finally showing up today. This should be in the RAVE thread, unfortunately I have just found out that the moving company wants to charge me $750 because they can't find a parking spot for a 42-foot truck in the middle of city. What rocket scientists thinks they can park a tractor-trailer in the middle of a city.

The charge is to transfer my stuff into smaller trucks and then come here. When they told me about the charge I was like "no freakin way!" Meanwhile they are driving around the block waiting for 5 people to suddenly decide to move their cars at that same time on a Sunday morning. If this weren't happening to me I would think it was hilarious.

Haha well it looks like it worked out okay! I sent you a pm but I'm on my phone and I couldn't tell if it went through but I drove by today and saw abhuge truck and was like " I bet SOV got his furniture! Finally" glad it worked out. $750 to shuttle furniture in would have been ridiculous :)

we are setting up our new, larger fishtank today... Hope it doesn't go through the floor (please be ok please be ok).

Unfortunately we lost our cowfish in the move and my puffer looks like he's on his way out :( poor guys I feel so bad.
 
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