In Memory

This week was a little tough for us in our little beach town. A member of the family who has been with us for 13 years had to go see the big man in the sky. Mation Gasaway died due to being a very old kitty. She went very peacefully and painlessly.

Mation was with us for over 13 years. Heather and I would say that we didn't pick her; she picked us. We were at a humane society in Minneapolis looking for a little kitty. One of the first that we saw hissed and clawed at us. We instantly moved on. We then saw this little orange tabby that calmly crawled in our arms. We knew she was ours.

When we took her home, she took turns cuddling between me, Heather and our friend Jim. She was coolness with a capital K.

Mation went through a lot with us. We lost her for almost 3 days when Mike lived with Jim. Flyers went up and a few scary nights ensued. She meowed back like it was no big deal. Moving to California was a big deal. Getting another kitty was surely a test - Anna...get it...anna plus mation = ....

Then came the kids...Summer was a welcome addtion that Mation didn't know how to handle. She eventually came around just in time to move to Texas - a trip that Heather will never forget...she was burdened with a child seat, a child, luggage and 2 kitties. Well, poor Mation got sent through the x-ray at the airport...she was fine save for some glowing at night...

6 years in Texas couldn't keep the old cat down. We lived in 3 different places in 6 years and she never ventured too far from the house(s).

She was even digging the new place in San Diego. She met the neighbor cat and made noises that even the best sound designers have never heard. Mation was a master fighter behind 2 inches of glass. One time, she even chased the neighbor, June through the yard. June had a mouthful of orange fur but Mation still got the better of the battle.

She was a good cat that even up to the end, loved to cuddle and be petted. Her purrs can still be heard in the house. We miss her very much.

Little girls say the darndest things

I really need to bring a notebook with me wherever I go. No not to jot down those brilliant screenplay ideas or those sure fire next big thing television projects. It's to keep record of what the youngest rugrat comes up with.

Little baby Reece, as we still call her, comes up with some gems. She is definitely the comic genius of the family. The rest of us pale in comparison. That is unless you heard my JC had to be a dope smoker standup...

We knew Reece was a comedian almost at birth. She was but a toddler when I asked her what she thought about something. She couldn't even speak at the time but she could respond - a quick raspberry. Amazing...her timing was perfect.

Since then she's come up with a bunch of sayings that really don't make sense even if I could explain them in context. The best of the bunch is the reason I write today.

The midgets were making me head hurt on a recent trip about town. I couldn't take it anymore and told Reece that she was driving me to crazytown. No harm, yes? Little Reecie's response was stone faced as ever - "But Daddy, I didn't pack!"

Heather almost pulled off the road for fear of crashing. We couldn't stop laughing. Her line was perfect; timing was impecable.

So I now carry a notepad with me at all time to record these little gems and store them away to hopefully be seen on a big or little screen sometime soon.

oh..did I tell you the show idea about an alien and a nun who inherit a casino from the mob?