Mourning Uncle Kurt

It's 12:43 am, EDT. CNN is reporting that Kurt Vonnegut just passed away, at age 84. Of course, this was bound to happen. But I am sad, sad, sad. The universe loses a special wit today.

SO SAD!

Seriously, someone rad introduced me to Vonnegut when I was in high school (well, who amongst us didn't have their life saved by reading Vonnegut in high school) and it was the best revelation in the world: there were smart people out there and life wasn't always going to suck like high school. Vonnegut's books picked me up and dropped me, and I am truly sad to learn he's no longer with us. Uncle Kurt and Papa Heinlein - those men really changed my life. And I will never get to have dinner with either of them.

I am tired and I have to be at my new apt at the crack of dawn for the grand painting adventure, so I leave you with this:

Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly; Man got to sit and wonder 'why, why, why?'
Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land; Man got to tell himself he understand.
-- Cat's Cradle

and this:

“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’ ” -- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

and, this, my most favorite Vonnegut line, which has become a sort of personal mantra for me whenever i get down, from Timequake:

You were sick, but now you're well again, and there's work to do.

My deepest, deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. You will be missed, sir, you will be missed.