A while back, I was asked to read Lady in Waiting, a book written for single Christian women. I've read my fair share of dating and courtship books, and I've never been very impressed by them. I don't want to wait to kiss a boy until my wedding day, and I don't want some book making me feel like a slut because of it.

This book, however, talked about embracing this time in my life and using it to the fullest potential. I have more free time now than I probably will ever again, and I shouldn't be wasting it away daydreaming of Prince Charming. Hey, that actually sounds reasonable.

I gleaned most of that from the cover of the book and maybe the first chapter, and things just got better as I went.

Now, it's true that I'm excited about this book. It's also true that I like talking about this book with other people who are in my situation. Being single isn't easy. Being single for the 22nd year in a row isn't easy. Being a single Christian woman who is willing to stick by her beliefs and morals isn't easy. I totally get that, and I'm more than happy to chow down a bag of popcorn and empathize with anyone who remotely understands how not easy this is.

However, dear boss lady, I do not want to talk about this book as a Bible study leader at my church. I do not want to be known as the resident expert on being single, and I do not want to hear anyone else tell me why I'd be such a great fit. 1) It's depressing. 2) I already spend five or six days a week at the church. 3) Did I mention it's depressing? 4) Holy cow, this is not what I thought life would be like as a twenty-something.

Anyway, to put an end to this insanity, I'm officially declaring my nameless fish as my temporary boyfriend until a real one comes along. That means it is now doubly important that he has a name (and an awesome one, at that), so scurry back over to the previous entry to pitch your ideas. Also, keep your fingers crossed that he starts eating sometime soon, or else I'll be reduced to dating a dead fish, which is a level of pathetic I'm not willing to explore just yet.

I bought a fish. His name is Fishpants. Or Captain Jack. Or Mr. Betta. Or as of today, The Fish Who Won't Eat His Food And Will Therefore Probably Be Dead By The Time I Pick A Name For Him.

(Thankfully, you don't have to beckon a fish like you do with a dog or a cat, so I can get away with a 22-word name.)

Really, though, I'd like your help in picking out a more suitable title for my beautiful Betta fish. Many moons ago, you came through for me when I asked you to name my sock monkey, and I have all the faith in the world that you can do that again.

Fishpants is ashamed of my photography skills, so he usually refuses to pose. However, he held still long enough for me to take this shot today:

Now then. If you were the caretaker of this wonderful Betta fish, what would you call him? Leave your suggestions in the comments, and I'll compile them into a poll on Friday. Bonus points if you have a cool story to go with the name!

P.S. Bonus points can be redeemed for hugs, link lovin', or a free dead fish.

Have I ever introduced you to Scrangie before? If not, I should be flogged. She is amazing. You need to follow that link and read her beauty blog and be in awe of the fact that someone so gorgeous can also be so funny and knowledgable and freaking awesome. She could also probably kill you if she wanted to with some bad-ass sword, either in real life or in a video game. These are just a few of the reasons that I am totally thrilled to have been tagged by her for a survey / meme / whatever the kids are calling them these days. Go ahead and read this if you want, but promise me you'll go say hi to Scrangie when you're done.

What were you doing ten years ago?

My mom worked for our church and my school, which shared a building. She often took my brother and I to work with her during the summer, where we would hang out with the children of her coworkers. James and Katie and Caitlin and I would spend our time singing or acting or talking or watching movies, while my brother and Phillip would run around the hallways shouting Pokemon names and yelling "pew pew!" Good times were had by all.

What are five things on your to-do list today?

1. Clean my room
2. Launder my clothes
3. Research Betta fish to make sure I don't kill mine
4. Polish up my writing, since my junior high English teacher may or may not be stopping by my blog in the near future
5. Stay in my pajamas for as long as humanly possible

Places you've lived?

• Lake Villa, IL
• [Current Residence], IL
• Longview, TX (for college, so it was more like a long vacation than a permanent residence)

What are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?

1. Buy a car
2. Bribe Elijah Wood to be my husband
3. Give a really good chunk of the money to my church (as I smile and turn in my two-weeks notice)
4. Purchase a mansion in which I could house all my favorite people (celebrities, bloggers, friends, family . . . you'd come live in a mansion with me, right?)
5. Buy a white tiger as a pet

People you want to know more about?

Most anyone who has stories to tell. People are fascinating. (At the same time, they can be really boring, too, which is probably why I love blogging so much. Don't like a story? Skip it! Not interested in what the person has to say? Don't read the blog! It's perfect.)

I'm supposed to tag people for this, but I'm lazy. If you'd like to tell people I tagged you, go ahead. I'll even edit the entry to make it look that way. But first, go read scrangie.blogspot.com.