The Puffer Forum

Don't you love the look on someone's face when you ask them for one of this or one of that? Yes, sir, one prawn, please... Yes, one... No, it's not a gag gift, it's for my fish...

Today, I asked for one scallop, please. The elderly gentleman behind the counter said "All right, just a moment," turned around, then did a double take and turned back. He leaned over the counter, putting his good ear closer to me. "Eh? ONE scallop?" Yes, sir, one, please. It's for my fish. They're very small. I'll cut it up and freeze it and feed them little bits. "Oh, you're going to freeze them? Could that kill your fish?" No, I'll thaw it out... "These have already been frozen and thawed. Do you want one that's still all the way frozen? I just put them out a few minutes ago." Oh, thanks, yes, that would be great, please.

And thus began the epic battle. The elderly man put on his greaves (latex gloves) and, garbed in his white apron, nametag, and blue Kroger ball cap, he dug into the pile. It was at the very front, farthest away from him, and he could barely reach it. He dug and dug and dug and finally he grabbed one that was still a solid white hockey puck and he dragged the beast forth and found that it was frozen onto three other partially-unfrozen scallops. He was not to be discouraged, however, and he raised the sea-monster high and brought it down - smash! - against the shining steel of the countertop. But the beast was undefeated! Smash! Smash! Smash! Finally he brought forth his first weapon: the Great Butcher Knife of Doom. Crack! Crack! (Or was it more of a clack, clack?) But the Great Butcher Knife of Doom, which had never failed to bring destruction unto seafood before, had been vanquished! Undaunted, the knight drew from his apron the Great Cleaver of Gloom and brought it down upon the fell beast. Whump! Whump!

I can't think of a really spiffy way to end this, so I'll just sum up: The chivalrous knight gave up, threw out the battered wad of scallops, and went into the back, where he got a new pack of scallops from the freezer, opened them, and retrieved a single, frozen-solid scallop for the fair damsel. Then he gave her her total ("A whopping dollar-eighty") and bid her farewell.

I love small towns, don't you? People will go so far out of their way just to be nice.

Thats sweet and a funny story to. I love the expressions on the cashier's face as they say? One clam? Yes 'mam *hands her the quarter for it* haha

That's cool!

I got my latest bunch of seafood for the puffs from a local market in the uk. Once I told the guy what it was for he said just to let him know and they'd see what they had. It's all fresh stuff.

I'm not the only one with odd requests, someone from the local uni asked for herrings eyeballs recently - yeuch

Yup, I can identify with all that. Back in the T. mbu and T. fahaka eras, the suprmarket fish counter knew me and my fish well. After the first hesitations, they really got into the spirit of the hunt. They saved me broken-off lobster legs (not the big claws ), freezing them for my next pick-up, labeling the packages :"Mbu's entre", or just "Puffer food". That was the days before digital cameras and home color printers of any quality, so my wife had a photo of the mbu printed and I took it in to them. They taped it up behind the fresh fish on ice cooler and would show it off to their other customers who would stare while I asked what was good today for fish - not as a first course but for dinner. When I did not stop to shop they would call out to me that they had some cast-off lobster legs holding in the freezer whenever I needed them.. They asked for replacement prints when the one thy had got to dog-eared from handling. It became a "thing" for them that some of their favorite customers WERE fish, not just getting fish and seafoods....

So, share your digital prints with the fish market - your wet pets will likely get special traetment.

Maybe I need to give them a nice pic of Filbert. They never seem to have cast-off claws when I ask.

I wish I could get my puffs to eat scallops. mondays have turned in to no feeding days cause she refuses to eat them, tried garlic too shes just stubborn.
Is nice that your local market takes care of your needs , very inspiring.

RTR wrote:Yup, I can identify with all that. Back in the T. mbu and T. fahaka eras, the suprmarket fish counter knew me and my fish well. After the first hesitations, they really got into the spirit of the hunt. They saved me broken-off lobster legs (not the big claws ), freezing them for my next pick-up, labeling the packages :"Mbu's entre", or just "Puffer food". That was the days before digital cameras and home color printers of any quality, so my wife had a photo of the mbu printed and I took it in to them. They taped it up behind the fresh fish on ice cooler and would show it off to their other customers who would stare while I asked what was good today for fish - not as a first course but for dinner. When I did not stop to shop they would call out to me that they had some cast-off lobster legs holding in the freezer whenever I needed them.. They asked for replacement prints when the one thy had got to dog-eared from handling. It became a "thing" for them that some of their favorite customers WERE fish, not just getting fish and seafoods....

So, share your digital prints with the fish market - your wet pets will likely get special traetment.

DarkStorm wrote:I wish I could get my puffs to eat scallops. mondays have turned in to no feeding days cause she refuses to eat them, tried garlic too shes just stubborn.

I don't know if mine will or not yet. This is the first time I've tried it. So far, they've turned their noses up at shrimp and prawn. But whatever the puffers won't eat, the bettas will always scarf down.

Good idea about the photo, I'll try that and see what happens!

Aww thats a great little tale, wish i had a fish mongers near me. I have to do the super market shop thing which is not even remotely personal. But at least i can joke with my mates about the M and S adverts. (Don't know if they do the same advert in America)
This isnt just any Puffer food. This is M and S puffer food.

It's not a seafood store, actually. We had one that was pricey and low-quality, but it didn't do good business and shut down. This was at the grocery store. My state representative works at the butcher counter there. It's a nice small town.

And mine was in the local large chain supermarket. Individuals still do respond to special cases, and not uncommonly get the whole staff of that section involved.

I must be fortunate This is a family run stall in an indoor local market and everything is fresh, no frozen products.