Monday, January 21, 2008

Meet Mr. Six

I always proclaimed myself to be open-minded, except when it came to owning a cat. I didn't have anything against cats; I just did not want to be "a cat owner." Little did I realize that my mind would be wedged wide open a couple years ago by a cute little rescue kitty.

My wife and her friend were eating out at a local restaurant and heard the whining sounds of newborn kittens in the rafters of the eave over the entrance. Without hesitation, the two summoned the manager and found out they were born to a feral cat who had not been seen in a couple days. That's all they needed to know...the two got a box, brought them home and for weeks nursed them to health.

One of the litter stood out amongst the others. First, he had an extra toe on each foot which is known as being a polydactyl cat. This type of cat is sometimes referred to as a Hemingway Cat, named after the famed Ernest Hemingway who owned and raised polydactyls after falling in love with them upon receiving his first as a gift from a ship's captain.

The second thing that made this little six-toed cutie stand out was that he was extremely social; followed my wife everywhere she went as she was sharing the nursing duties for the litter. It didn't take long for the two to fall in love and when my wife asked if we could keep him, I knew I was out-matched.

It turned out to be a great decision. Mr. Six, whose name started as just light-hearted moniker due to his extra toes, turned out to be the a great addition to the family. He acts more like a dog than a cat. He always wants to be around one of the family members, loves to drink water from the faucet and even responds to a handful of voice commands. Mr. Six certainly charmed his way into my heart and with his great personality is a constant source of entertainment around the house.




Friday, January 18, 2008

There's Something Funny Going on in Beaverton

Eric Kingstad figured Beaverton (Oregon) could use a good laugh. So he is doing something about it. In November, Kingstad opened the Jester Comedy Club in the corporate events and meeting complex he owns in Beaverton. There is no other club of its kind in the suburb town just outside of Portland and Kingstad is going all out to provide an upscale establishment with nationally known headline acts.

On opening weekend Cowboy Bill Martin christened the club as he brought his hilarious down-home country routine into town. Despite the moniker, hat, boots and western clothes, Martin's comedy has a broad appeal and taps on elements of life to which city folk and rustlers can relate. The opening weekend crowds responded with barrels of laughter providing a great atmosphere which Martin mastered keenly.

Opening for Martin was Northwest based Kermit Holiday who bills himself as "the world's skinniest comic." He took the crowd on a ride through pop culture and got the laughter rolling. Coverage of Jester's opening night was for a Beaverton Valley Times feature story.