20 years, 7 months, still not long enough - RIP Sophie

Better times.

This is the post I never wanted to write. 

 

Sophie started visibly deteriorating about a week and a half ago. I ended up skipping the L.A. Times Festival of Books to keep an eye on her.

 

Tuesday she went to the vet. Her rapidly declining mobility issues were attributed to arthritis. She got a painkiller shot and put on another daily painkiller, along with a couple other things due to what came back on her labs. The hope was to ease her discomfort and hopefully give her some more quality time. But the fact was she wasn't going to bounce back this time.

 

On Thursday I kept telling myself to give the meds time to work, that I couldn't expect instantaneous results. But she kept deteriorating and Friday night I had her with me in bed all night, and she was visibly uncomfortable. About every hour or so she would get up, eat, drink water, then hit the cat box. But every time she got back on the bed (with my help, she couldn't make the jump anymore), she couldn't get comfortable, repeatedly getting up and repositioning herself, and worst of all she just laid there, eyes open, not sleeping. I actually dozed off a couple of time during the night, but I never saw her sleeping. I almost got up a couple times during the night to take her to the emergency vet to put her out of her misery. A cat who doesn't sleep is not a well cat.

 

I've always said that I could recognize a quality of life for her, and if she was still herself. Over the past 4-5 years, there have been multiple times I'd take her to the vet fearing this would be the last time, this would be the moment I would be told she'd reached the end of the line. Each time she proved me wrong. But I've always recognized her quality of life, and that she was still herself. I saw neither of those things during and after that long Friday night. 

 

Saturday morning I called my vet. I explained that we'd reached the end of life. They were booked all weekend, which left the option of dragging her to the 24 hour emergency vet, a minimum 20 minutes away depending on traffic. They referred me to a company that would come to our home to administer euthanasia.

 

I'd heard of services like that, but in my concern for Sophie and becoming increasing distraught over her condition, I hadn't thought to ask about it. Thankfully, the vet's office made the recommendation and after all was said and done, thank God for Hearts and Halos.

 

I called at noon, and Dr. Sarah came over at 2pm. I can't even begin to describe how compassionate and amazing she was. Having Dr. Sarah there to ease Sophie into her next life was like having a friend along side to ease both Sophie and I through the process. It wasn't at all like a having a stranger come to your home. The process was explained in advance, and the doctor was all love and compassion for this animal and owner she'd just met under the worst of circumstances. It went so smoothly. There was no drama. Within minutes Sophie just slipped from earthly pain into oblivion.

 

I will say this: although it was hideously expensive, I'm glad I did the in-home euthanasia. It was such minimal stress and fuss for Sophie compared to putting her in the carrier (which she hated), taking her to the vet (which she hated) and being in a strange and frightening place with strangers and other animals at the end. Having one person walk into the room didn't faze her and it all went very smoothly. She was on the bed and that's where it happened. Totally worth the money if you can do it when the time comes for it to be done. I would do it again. I look at it as the last vet bill I will ever have for her.

 

On the downside, I miss her like crazy. Amazing how quiet the place is, and so alone without her presence. Too quiet and too alone. She was my constant companion for almost the last twenty years of my life and one of the best souls I've ever known. It's going to be a while before I can cope with the loss. I will miss her forever.

 

No waiting for you, Little Missy. Step right up for your well-deserved eternal reward.

 The day after I had to let her go, this popped up on FB. So true:

 

 

Sophie was an angel.

 

Reflecting on the end of the 2012/2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings

Recently two of the most important and beloved Kings in the history of the team announced their retirements. Guys who were key members of the team Kings fans had always dreamed of, the team we'd waited decades for. The team that GM Dean Lombardi built and Coach Darryl Sutter finally whipped into shape. The team that finally made it fun to be a Kings fan.

 

Part of me wants to cry like a baby. Another part of me wants to graciously accept that all good things must come to an end. I'm leaning towards sobbing piteously.

 

With the retirement of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty is the last remaining King from the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup champion teams still on the roster.

 

The captain, Dustin Brown, the first King to ever lift the Stanley Cup, retired without fanfare (his choice) in 2022. Now with both Kopi and Quickie wrapping it up, I started thinking about the rest of those rosters and some of those players we loved so much.

 

Trevor Lewis just announced his retirement from hockey. He left the Kings in 2019 as a free agent and returned to the Kings for two more seasons in 2023-2025.

 

Jeff Carter was traded to Pittsburgh in 2021 and retired at the end of the 2024 season.

 

Justin Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 2014 playoffs. He signed with Washington as a free agent in 2015, then with Carolina (with whom he had won his first Stanley Cup in 2006) in 2017 and retired in 2020.

 

Alec Martinez was traded to Vegas in 2020 and won a third Cup with them in 2023. He retired from hockey in 2025.

 

Willie Mitchell signed as a free agent with Florida in 2014 following the Kings' second Cup victory. He retired after two seasons with the Panthers.

 

Matt Greene retired in 2017 and stayed with the Kings in player development.

Jarret Stoll left the Kings in 2015 as a free agent and rejoined the team in 2016 in player development.

 

Kyle Clifford was traded to Toronto in 2020 and retired from hockey in 2025, taking a player development position with the Maple Leafs.

 

Star defenseman Slava Voynov was arrested in October 2014 on charges of domestic violence and was suspended by the NHL. He was convicted and following 90 days in jail was taken into custody by ICE. He opted to voluntarily return to his native Russia rather than going through deportation. He continued his hockey career with Russian teams.

 

Mike Richards's contract with the Kings was terminated in June 2015 following his arrest at the U.S./Canadian border for possession of oxycondone without a prescription. He last played 39 games for Washington in the 2015-2016 season.

 

Tyler Toffoli was traded to Vancouver in 2020. Since then he has played for Montreal, Calgary, New Jersey, Winnipeg, and is currently with the San Jose Sharks. 

 

Which makes Drew Doughty the last player remaining from those teams. 

 

Doughty, who debuted with the Kings at the age of 18, is now 36 and will turn 37 during the 2026-27 season. Part of me wants to beg him to play forever. Another part of me wants to graciously accept that all good things must come to an end.

 

But there was something so magical about those teams. I wish the 2012-2014 rosters could have lasted forever.

 

And while I'm wallowing in Kings nostalgia, how about this oldie but goodie that I posted umpteen times back in the day:

 

Build the time machine and send me back to SMOOCH THE GOALIE!!!

They were just so much damn fun.

 

So I'm trying to be graciously accepting for now. But when Doughty hangs up the skates...BUCKETS. I WILL CRY BUCKETS.

 

Damn, I hate the passage of time.

 

Recent reading: Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine continue to run late under the new publisher, but that's okay because I'm behind on reading. Word is they have a new printer and will catch up over the next few issues.

 

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

January/February 2026

 

Some favorites from this historical themed issue: 

• "Glass Beach" by Michael Bracken: A fun, twisty tale about what happens when a teen and his stepfather discover the spoils of a years old payroll theft and decide to keep it, learning about money laundering and local corruption in the process. 

• "Paradise Stolen" by Mark Thielman: Philip Hawksley, the vestry clerk at St. Giles-without-Cripplegate Church, is charged with recovering purloined body parts taken from famous poet John Milton, whose casket was uncovered in the church during repairs. Some local pubsters under the influence went from wanting a peek to making off with pieces of Milton's shroud, some swatches of hair, a few teeth and most alarmingly, a rib. In spite of the gruesome topic, Hawksley is a fun, entertaining character and watching him pull off his investigation was a treat. Would love to see more of Hawksley in the future. 

• "Illegal in All States" by John H. Dirckx: Sergeant Dollinger has to get creative to solve the mysterious death of a cameraman who died on the set of a crime-recreation show. 

• "Left Hand, Third Finger" by Jim Fusilli: A great, but brutal story. After her rich fiance breaks their engagement, Emily Michaelangelo has no intention of returning the extremely valuable engagement ring. When a mysterious stranger takes it with horrific force her retired cop grandfather is on the case, with an assist from Emily, who has inherited his toughness.  

• "When the First Body Drops" by Steve Liskow: A highly entertaining story of a woman who gets carried away with a plan for revenge when she discovers proof of her husband's infidelity by setting him up for his bimbo's would-be murder. However, things go awry and they both become suspects in her disappearance. 

 

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

January/February 2026 

 

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine dedicates the January/February issue each year to Sherlock Holmes, so there were several Holmes pastiches in this issue. 

• "The Final Problem" by Terence Faherty: According to the intro, this is "The final story in Terence Faherty's current series of Holmes parodies that have appeared in EQMM." This story suggests that Holmes didn't die in a confrontation with Professor Moriarty, but that the story was a cover for him simply walking away from detecting, having found love and embarking on a new life. Great voice for Watson and full of fun twists and suspense. Bonus points: Even though I haven't read the others stories in the series, this story works just fine as a standalone. 

• "Where's Pete?" by Nick Guthrie: The lead singer of punk band The Guttersnipes mysteriously vanishes just before a gig that could result in a record deal. If you want to flashback to the early days of 1970's punk, this story is for you. 

• "The Adventure of the Belgravian Banshee" by Michael Mallory: Another great Holmes story, in which a carriage driver asks for the great detective's help protecting his ailing employer, Lord Atherton, from what he describes as the curse of a banshee. With Holmes otherwise occupied, he sends Watson in his place to check on the victim's condition. This is presented by Watson as a case that Holmes had asked him not to write about because even though he solves the mystery, he was not able to prevent the death of Lord Atherton and didn't want this failure publicized, so Watson had waited until two years after Holmes's death at the hands of Professor Moriarty. 

• "Coins in the Box" by Kate Hohl: Another Holmes pastiche, going back to when Holmes and Watson first take rooms at 221 Baker Street, run by a landlady with a dark secret to protect and deductive skills of her own. 

 

And now Jonathan Quick calls it a career

Turns out Anze Kopitar isn't the only King of Kings to retire at the end of this season - Jonathan Quick, who backstopped the Kings to their two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) has announced his retirement. Now a New York Ranger, Quick will make his final start tonight against the Florida Panthers. In addition to his Stanley Cup successes, Quick is also the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history.

 

So, the end of another era for Kings fans. I just wish he could have retired as a career King like Kopi. Enjoy your retirement, Quickie, and thanks for all the fantastic hockey memories!

 

Memorieeeees...

 

 

Updated 7:50pm: Classy move by the Panthers. RESPECT!!!

 

Updated 9:27pm: And here's the video. At the end you can see a couple of guys in Kings Quick jerseys, plus not only was his family there, so was Jeff Carter, who was also a huge part of the Kings' two cups. 

 

I hope Quickie enjoys the heck out of his retirement. I also wonder how he would feel about coaching the Kings' goalies. Just sayin'...

 

End of an era for Kings fans

This is a rough one.

 

Beloved team captain Anze Kopitar played his final regular season home game today, a 1-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Next week the Kings finish the season on the road with games in Seattle, Vancouver, and Calgary.

 

Kopi had announced at the beginning of the season that this would be his last year. He retires as the team's all-time leading points scorer. He also won two Stanley Cups (2012 and 2014) with the Kings. In addition to the point scoring, he also excels at faceoffs. His retirement is going to leave a number of gaping holes in this team.

 

The Kings have won four in a row, but since this was yet another That's So Kings season, they're still fighting to secure a playoff spot. But since the whole division seems to be sucking, they still have a legit shot at it if they don't screw up on the road. This means more Kopi for at least one round of playoffs.

 

Seriously, 90 points gets you 7th place in the Atlantic Division, tied for 6th in the Metropolitan, and tied for 4th in the Central. Point leaders in the other divisions have 106 points (Buffalo), 110 (Carolina), and 114 (Colorado). In fact, the top three teams in both the Atlantic and Central Divisions have over 100 points. The Kings are lucky they aren't in any other division or they'd already be planning their summer vacations.

 

 

I can't believe it's been twenty years. It isn't going to seem like the Kings without him. Now I'm going to watch this again and cry some more.

 

Top pic snicked from the LA Kings website. 

 

Updated 4/13/26: The Kings defeated Seattle 5-3 and have clinched a playoff spot. We haven't seen the last of Kopi at home.

 

Happy Easter!

 

But seriously...

Famous (and not so famous) idiots in the news

Hollywood people are so full of themselves.

 

Andrew Garfield - Dude, relax. No one in the real world cares what you watch. Watch something, don't watch it, we don't care. It doesn't affect us. It's yours. We have ours. The whole reason for this story is he doesn't want to be canceled in the industry for watching something by an author that the so-called tolerant industry hate right now because she won't walk in lockstep with their beliefs and won't be silenced. Which leads us to...

 

Josh Duhamel - "Because I respect their views on things but I'm not going to preach to them." Holy moly, this guy gets it. But wait, there's more! "They can believe what they want to believe. I'm just here to, you know, make cool stuff." Nailed it, but I wonder how much of a backlash he's going to get within the industry for not sticking to the script. 

 

Going back to Garfield, referring to J.K. Rowling - author of the Harry Potter series and one of the most successful authors in the world - as "she who shall remain nameless" isn't as clever as he thinks it is. How about this take, Andrew: Are you not saying her name because of her opinions on certain topics (which, whether or not you agree, she's entitled to have)? Or are you belittling a woman? Are you a misogynist? Down with your patriarchy! 

 

Or are you dismissing the writer as beneath you because you're a big Hollywood star and don't have to acknowledge the little people? Are writers just schmucks with Underwoods to you, big shot?

 

Also, did Hollywood ever give back the billions of dollars they made off Rowling's creations? Come on, show up how outraged you really are about her opinions and cleanse yourself of her filthy money! 

 

Laura Benanti (Who? Yeah, me too) makes an ass of herself when a group of teen theater kids didn't recognize her on a plane flight. Apparently she's trying to walk it back as down to earth self-mocking, but if she's such a great actress wouldn't that have come across in the first place? In her defense, she's a successful (if not recognizable) actress, with tons of credits and a Tony Award. Unfortunately, it's now her performance as a big shot who gets pissy over not being hailed by the little people is what a whole lot of people find the most memorable.

  

There have been a lot of memorable responses to the original video, but this was my favorite: