Why I don't pay much attention to April Fool's Day

Buckaroo painting 1 – him sleeping on the bed. He actually stayed still for this, it was painted ±97% "from life."

April 1st was when we celebrated the birthday of the great Buckaroo Banzai, my handsome-as-all-heck tuxedo cat who was part of my household from 1992 through 2011. During his nearly-19 years, he tolerated 9 moves across 4 states, large & loud parties, grad school, three other cats, and some – but not all – of my boyfriends.

April 1st was probably not his official birthday, but when the vet estimated his age as a kitten, it brought things to the first week of April. It worked out well for him, too, as did his name. He tried on several occasions to pass through solid matter, in the forms of large, closed windows, walls, and the parts of doors that were the door frame or the actual door, and not the opening part.
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Here Buckaroo sits on the actually-wet painting that would be the cover to BloodDreams Issue 1.

Rosie and Buckaroo LOVED the heck out of each other!

So, whenever April 1 rolled around, more often than not, I would watch the movie Buckaroo Banzai with him. He liked it, I think because he knew his name, and they say it a bunch in the movie. He was one of those cats smart enough that if he had thumbs, I probably would have had to keep my car keys & credit cards hidden from me.

He inspired my Radicats series of paintings when he got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism around age 11 or 12.

I still think of him and miss him. So while everyone is trying to trick people into various things, I'm sitting here going through old photos and sniffling a little.

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The Ascension of Saint Woo-Woo

I painted this a few days after Buckaroo opted out. I'm a firm believer in the power of creativity to help process all kinds of emotions. I came across it recently while looking for another painting in storage. I thought it needed to come out of storage. It's in a clear plastic bag, tacked up to the wall. I still need to frame it, after all this time – that's how much I can't stand framing!

Anyway, cheers to all of you as you try to pull a fast one on the people in your life. I'll be here, with my kitties & memories of kitties.