No Joking Matter

First of all, can I just say that the death of Heath Ledger made me very sad indeed? Because it did. He was a great actor, beautifully grungy in '10 Things I Hate About You,' and played a damn good gay cowboy. :::sigh::: RIP Heath Ledger.

And second, can I just say that I have had to write WAYYY too many RIP posts in the past 7 months? Enough with the whole dying thing already!!! :(

And thirdly, this whole Heath ordeal just confirms my childhood fear of The Joker. Besides the Blanket Monster and Martians (from Sesame Street,) one of the first things I can remember being afraid of was The Joker. I remember I had to have my mom check my closet every night before bed to make sure he wasn't there. Apparently, playing The Joker was so disturbing to Heath that he had trouble sleeping and was on prescription sleeping pills! According to the associate press, "The role as arch villain The Joker disturbed Ledger. He called the character a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy." Yep. I think I might have to check the closet tonight ...

Great Things

I was planning on writing a nice long blog tonight, (seeing as how this is basically only the second time I've had internet access on my visit and may not have it again,) but unfortunetly I completely lost track of time and am realizing that it's already 2:08am right now. And ... I swore to myself that I'd go to bed before 3am tonight! Oh well. :P

Although, since I haven't been writing many blogs over the past several weeks I've accumulated many things to actually write about now, so woo hoo! Expect great things from me when I return home to my regular schedule in California. (And also to Chris and Toasty.) :P

And now, I'm tired and the hotel-esque looking bed is calling me. Here's to spending my first night in the "half way house!"

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It's currently 19 degrees outside ... BRRRR. The very first thing that Mizzy and I did when we arrived in Columbia was to stop at the mall so that I could get a nice warm hoodie sweatshirt (which is fuzzy and I'm wearing it right now. :P)

We just got back from eating sushi with my dad after spending the afternoon helping him move some boxes from the old house to the new house. It was really weird and rather sad to see my good old house empty. :::sniff::: We also visited the "pet cemetary" one last time. :::sniffle:::

Tonight we're crashing at Michelle's again, (which is also fun.) I'm currently sitting in the temporary apartement which I like to call the half way house and Toulouse is running around my feet. :P

Anyway I'm having a lovely visit so far, despite the fact that my tosies are cold. :P

Random Ramblings

I can't wait to go home and visit next month, woooo hooooo!!!! :D Although it's going to be a little weird. Let me rephrase that ... it's going to be "really" weird. First off, two of my precious kitty cats will be gone. :( And second, a new family will be moving into the house that I had lived in since I was 4 years old!!! I'll be staying in a furnished apartment temporarily with my dad and Carolyn. I can't even imagine not returning to 4308 Royal Aberdeen! I might just have to bum over and sleep at Michelle's more than usual just for some sort of familiarity. :P

Today the door handle on the outside of my car (driver's side,) broke. BAHHHHH. Now I'll have to do the ultra pain in the arse climb-over-the-passenger seat thing until I get it fixed. Which I'm thinking will be next month because I have to get an oil change then ... sooo ... I'll just take it into Mitsubishi so they can change the oil and fix the handle at the same time.

Saturday I made Strawberry margaritas and for the first time in a blue moon Chris got a wee bit drunk and it was really entertaining. :P (I have the most hi-larious pictures of him trying to eat pizza while he's swaying around on the couch clutching his chest,) hahahaha.

I've almost conquered the PS2 game Chris got me, (Kingdom Hearts,) and then I'm all ready to start the second one! :P

Hmmmmmm I'm hungry. QUITE hungry. I'm going to go eat something now.

Singing, Throat Slitting and Tight Pants!

Yesterday was cloudy, wet, rainy, and down right dreery. What better movie could there be to go see than to see 'Sweeney Todd?' With the weather outside I almost felt like a part of the film! Plus, who doesn't like to see a slightly psychotic singing Johnny Depp as a barber who cuts countless peoples' throats and an Alan Rickman wearing gold pants that are a bit too tight for comfort? It was a twisted yet enjoyable film.

I finally got a new phone. After keeping my first cell phone for 4.5 years, it finally started to kick the bucket. SO this means that people can actually call me now and they'll actually be able to HEAR me again! (Hint hint.) Oh and I have a fabulous 'Nightmare Before Christmas' ringtone. (Are you beginning to notice a Tim Burton theme running through this blog? If so ... you score some points. :P)

And now, I'm going to go play 'Kingdom Hearts' and make strawberry margaritas. Wooopeeee!

In Loving Memory

This has been a very sad last week and a half for me. As you know from my previous blogs, Smacky was killed in a garage door accident. Then, this past Monday on New Years Eve, my precious Snickefritz passed away from kidney failure. :( I know she was old, but I really wish I had been able to see her one last time, especially since I'm coming home in two weeks. I'm going to post a blog with "my" memories of Fritz, but since it's late, (and I have to be up at 4:20am,) here's something written by my dad.

Snickelfritz Marshall

(1991-2007)

"Snickelfritz Morrison Berry Marshall passed away of kidney failure at her home in Columbia, MO just after sunset on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2007. She was 16-and-a-half years old. This unique feline was born during the summer of 1991 at the Columbia home of Dale, Paulette, Christy and Michelle Berry. Fritz's parents were Gadget and Morrison Berry. That her mom was half Siamese probably explained much of her loquacious nature.

Fritz's royal demeanor was believed to be the result of her breeding from many centuries past. She claimed to be a direct descendent of the royal household cat, Cleopatra Felinus, of Egypt's King Ptolemy XII. After the death of Cleopatra Felinus in 71 BC, the distraught king named his next daughter "Cleopatra" after the beloved cat. Cleopatra was to become queen of Egypt (69 BC-30 BC).

Fritz was still a kitten when she came to the Marshall household at 4308 Royal Aberdeen Street in early October of 1991, a few days after House Mistress, Debbie Marshall, was diagnosed with leukemia. The beloved (though infamous) feline then ruled the Marshall household at "4308" for the rest of her life. She always declared her supremacy over all other pets, residents and visitors. If need be, she would demonstrate it with her razor sharp claws. Though prone to occasional violent outbursts, she was also one of the very cutest and most vocal domestic cats to have ever lived on the planet.

Over the years, the personable Snickelfritz gained a multitude of nicknames, including: S-Fritz, Essie, Ripple, Ripplefritz, Ree, Noble Breed, Noble Beast, Warmy Softy, Warmer, Rrow, Hurrrr, Girrrl and Rosana.

She used up her eighth life in October of 2005, when though near death, she somehow survived a bout of kidney failure. After this, Fritz largely went into retirement. She spent most of her time indoors. Her favorite activities from then on consisted of having her long beautiful fur brushed, eating squishy cat food two times per day, and entertaining visitors. Fritz loved hearing their worshipful adorations. Unquestionably, her capricious personality mellowed over her last year of life.

Fritz's death followed by 9 days the accidental death of "4308" pet, Smacky Marshall, who died in a garage door accident. House Master, John Marshall, was still mourning the loss of Smacky when Fritz's health went into an abrupt decline. Though her death seemed imminent, Fritz maintained a remarkable dignity over her last few days. It is also perhaps ironic that her death occurred when it did-in the waning hours of the last day of the year. The Marshall house at 4308 Royal Aberdeen is under contract, and the closing date for the sale was just days away (1/22/2008). It is hard to imagine Fritz at any home except the one she spent her entire adult life. In a real sense, her death closes the "4308 Royal Aberdeen" chapter in the Marshall family history.

Her family and many friends will miss her dearly!!!

Fritz is survived by her home servants, John and Carolyn Marshall, and her former home attendants, Erika Marshall (Kansas City), Andrew Marshall (Kansas City), Allison Marshall (Los Angeles) and Jay Gengelbach (San Francisco). She is also survived by her two home pet subjects, Oreo and Toulouse.

After her death, Fritz was laid to rest in the "Royalty Section" of Aberdeen Memorial Cemetery, not far from the graves of some of her previous (deceased) subjects: Jen Marshall (1984-2000), Taffy Marshall (1990-1998), Suki Gengelbach Marshall (1989-2004), Little Dog Marshall (2004-2006), and Smacky Marshall (2005-2007).

In 2006, Allison Marshall presented her father, John Marshall, with a gift-- an intricate, incredibly realistic and beautiful needle-point portrait of Fritz. John Marshall considers it to be one of his very most prized possessions. The remarkable piece of artwork will be transferred to the new Marshall home at 1201 Sutton Drive, located one mile south of 4308 Royal Aberdeen, which is under construction and scheduled to be completed in about March of 2008.

JBM

1/1/ 2008 @ 0500"