Turtle, you were the perfect roommate. You didn’t shed hair, and you were quiet. You were excited to see me when I came home (mostly because you wanted to be fed), you did tricks for my visitors (begging for food), and you gave me love bites through the glass of the aquarium (when I pointed you to your food). You enjoyed sunning on the rock, stretching your neck and legs as far as you could. You made me laugh when you blew bubbles and tried to climb the plastic tree that you refused to leave planted under the rocks. You’ve been a wonderful companion these past five years, and you will be missed. Rest in peace, buddy.

Turtle, 2006-2011

As you know, I have made the big move from Brooklyn to Manhattan. While I’m still settling into my new home, unpacking boxes and finding places to cleverly hide all my stuff, Turtle is happily settling into his old home, in a new corner. In case you’re wondering how one moves a turtle from one borough to the next, let me show you.

First, Turtle spent a few hours in the bathroom sink while I cleaned out his tank. This was no easy feat, and I do not look forward to this unpleasant task any time soon.

Turtle wasn’t very happy about the sink. He kept looking for ways to escape his blue prison.

Clean tank filled with all our turtle accoutrements.

Turtle rode the subway in his own stylish cabin, a.k.a. a plastic ziploc storage container with lots of holes punched in the lid and a few layers of paper towels soaked in his (nasty, dirty) tank water lining the bottom. He kept trying to escape this little contraption too. This was Turtle’s second ever subway ride, the first being when I brought him from Chinatown to Brooklyn a few years ago!

Finally, in his third temporary holding cell of the day, until the movers had delivered all my stuff and I had a chance to set up his tank.

After this experience, Turtle and I will be in this apartment for a long time.