Choc has passed away..
 

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First off, forgive me for not posting his passing right away, I just couldn't.. emotionally I just couldn't do it until now.

Choc Passed away June 4th between 11am-1:20pm EST 2014.

It's hard to type that... hell, I didn't tell my sister until a week ago..
In my other post, I told you he could no longer walk, and his kidneys were failing, well, we carried him to his water, and food, and took in both fine.. but was still losing weight.

He loves to sleep up under the covers, and donna went to work, and I woke up late, at 1:20pm because I was up late with him, and doing some things. And I woke up, and he was laying on his side, and when I touched him, I knew... stiff. no pulse. I knew it would come, but still gutted me.. I didn't loose it 'crazily' like I thought I would, which surprised me.. but knowing he died in his sleep, next to us made us feel better.

He was such a fighter... that's one major thing I will always remember from him.. "Never give up, no matter what". And enjoy life.
I found his adoption records, and said we adopted him in Mar of 1998. (he was 5 1/2 then), and so I guess he was around 22 1/2. Which is AMAZING.. for ANY cat, let alone one that's blind. :)
We dug a grave for him, 4 ft. next to Charlie's grave... Charly lived until he was 17. Which is funny, We had 17 years or so with Choc...

If you lost a pet, you will look at the missing food bowls, missing toys... water glass... and get sad.. Or walk into a room and just for a split second say 'where's xxxx', in your mind, and remember...
same thing with sounds.. and loads of other things. It's weird.. my brain has to rewire itself to the loss...

Some nights in the office late at night, and Donna is asleep, I'll think of him and get sad... I still think of him a LOT each day, but that's normal...
I have cried about Choc, but it was weird... about a week ago, I forget what caused it.. a song, or me thinking of him, and BAM!! I finally had a good old cry, and got it out..

I'm doing better now, but time will heal the loss.. but he will never be forgotten.
I'll be designing a Choc dedication page on my new tgeweb web design which was put on hiatus (along with almost ALL other work--website, forum, comic, 3D modeling) since Choc was sick, but I will slowly get back to it all..

Took about a year after Charly died to 'feel' like drawing again.. (weird thing with artists but I'm not waiting a year this time! :) ).... but tgeweb is 90% done, just need to get a GOOD guestbook cgi (which bots can't mess with) and voting.. And some Flash aspects I am learning.

I'm already working on finishing up the new Durty Bug Comic. Only 1 page left, and its the 'coming next month' page, so it'll be quick! :) Then tgeweb finishing, and Ironworks webarea an forum.. (Forum will require a new version of vbb, and my 'so called' lifetime membership' doesn't cover their 'new' version... its like 200-300 dollars.. lol so that'll be next year.. (The new version has a mobile and web version, which I need). Like an app... plus the website... don't know much about it yet.

I have 1000's of Photo's of Choc, and tons of video! I'll be adding it to the dedication page when it's launched. (It'll be a lot of pages with the best images). and video of him playing, running around on the bed, chasing the string.. :D

Sure miss him... he'd be sitting next to me right now....
I will keep my Avatar of him up. Choc is king! :) He is still IW's mascot, just from a higher place now. ;)


"I Bow, to the Meow" once last time...
-Dan

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

My condolences.

Although I do not write here much, I would like to send my sympathies to you. The loss of a long-term companion strikes hard, I know.

I was moved by your stories of how Choc seemed to ignore his difficulties of being blind and would do just ordinary (or extraordinary) things.

He will be remembered.

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

Sorry to hear about your loss Ziroc.

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

I am sorry.

You could have done no more.

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

Oh Z I'm so sorry to hear that. Choc was part of my growing up on the internet. I remember using his gif all the time way back then. If it's any consolation he lived such a long and awesome life with great parents! Had a really good innings, as we would say in Australia. When my Mikka finally passes on (hopefully she has as good a knock as Choc did, she is 10 now) I think I will have to move because I don't think I could stand living in the same house , with all the reminders. But like Ozymandias, everything ends. My condolences for your loss and I hope you and Donna are coping well. :(

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It's weird having someone you love, and spend a good part of the day with for 17 years just gone... just now, I was taking a PC Monitor a part to fix a power supply, all laid out on the floor.. and I thought in my head, Choc would come in and sniff it and walk on it all wondering what I was doing... heheh
Then come sit up next to me purring. :) I'm always have those memories.


(BTW Mario, Happy Birthday my friend!!! Sorry it's a few days late! Hope you had a great day! And I DO think your kitty will live a long, happy and healthy life!)

I'll be getting back into posting more, here and on facebook.. also going to get back to finishing up the NWN1 Mod Escape from Undermountain, so I can release it for download. I'm actually going to make two tilesets from the old AD&D game 'Eye of the Beholder'. I have many tiles for the first level done--orange walls--sewers, and I want to do the Drow level. When done, I'll post it for Download for all to play.

Thanks guys!

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

Sorry for your loss Dan. :(

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

I am glad we moved out of our house in Simpsonville because every morning and night, I'd look out the back door watching for our cat to be looking back at me from outside on the porch...She's been gone since November 13th (my birthday) and I was still looking at the door watching for her to be looking back.

I have known Choc since the Baulder's Gate TotSC days and IW without Choc is just like that back door in my old house...I'll come here every time expecting to see our iconic mascot :choc: and hearing about some silly thing Choc has done or how we're all under Choc's power and will.

Re: Choc has passed away..
 

Ziroc / Donna my thoughts are with you

Choc has been a presence since i first ventured from online lurking to diving into the pool of internet forums with Ironworks. He is and always will be the Avatar and mascot of Ironworks

His memory of god like troll slaying capabilities will live on Ziroc


R I P Choc

Re: Choc has passed away..