Out of the light came stories, and among them was a prequel to A Final Day at Gridline Games. One which will reveal all that needs to be known about Gridline Games, and possibly much more! You may weep openly, and that is okay. The tears too are made of the light!
Departing a Day at Gridline Games
The tear-jerking prequel to "A Final Day at Gridline Games."
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: The Purge
-- Part 1: The Calling
-- Part 2: Recording Session
-- Part 3: Trouble in Paradise
-- Part 4: Christmas is Cancelled!
-- Part 5: Clearance
-- Part 6: The Walking Said
- Chapter 2: Forget-Me-Not
-- Part 1: Party of Five
-- Part 2: A Haunted Holiday
-- Part 3: Come Soarin' With Me
-- Part 4: Come Together
-- Part 5: Hour of Greatest Light
-- Part 6: What Will Be
Chapter 1: The Purge
Now with more hair raising situations!
Part 1: The Calling
The day began just like any other. I woke up beside my wife. Not wishing to disturb her sleep, I quietly crawled out of bed. I then made my way toward the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. Just as I was about to do so, the phone began to ring. I cautiously waited for the answering machine before picking it up. Perhaps I merely enjoyed hearing the sound of my own voice on the automated recording. As it would turn out, the call was from none other than Mike. Still, I refrained myself, and simply let the message play. He rather enthusiastically invited me to come down to Gridline Games for a recording session. Mike went on to say that he had a very important role for me to play in Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion, but he would not say anything more about it over the phone. For a brief moment, I thought about answering, but then decided to wait until I saw Mike in person. Glancing up at the calendar, I happened to notice that it was now only six days until Christmas.
I readied myself and quickly went out the gate. As luck would have it, that just so happened to be the one morning in which the car would not start. I had no choice but to walk all the way down to Gridline Games. This twist may not have been so bad had there not been some very ominous storm clouds present in the sky. Fortunately, I arrived at the offices of Gridline Games just moments before it began to rain. As I reached for the door, Allen rushed in ahead of me, not even bothering to say hello. It was as if I did not exist at all. I sincerely hoped that the rest of the team would not follow his example. Putting that experience behind me, I walked toward Mike's office. He appeared to be in a conference of one. He was sitting at his desk in the lotus position, wearing a pair of Sony Dynamic Stereo headphones. Hey, those used to be mine! He was made instantly aware of my presence, and asked that I sit down. Mike said that he had recently taken up meditation in an attempt to calm his frayed nerves, and this was his way of preparing mentally for certain events that were to follow that day. A very tricky design meeting for Space Ruckus was scheduled for that afternoon...
Part 2: Recording Session
Mike led me into the recording room, where he finally revealed the role that I would be playing in Space Ruckus. He said that I would be playing the part of Bill Grig. He was apparently a *very* important character in the story. I knew this because he said it three times. Mike encouraged me to relax for just a moment. He had prepared an audio/video presentation the night before, hoping to put me in the spirit of the character and the greater universe that he inhabited. For my sake, he sought to bend the lines between real life and fantasy. Mike spared no expense. It was a very moving presentation! I could feel the emotion of Bill Grig, who was faced with such dire circumstances after his fellow men were slaughtered in the collision between his race and the dreaded aliens, collectively known as Velorians. I had a full picture of the character. I was ready to record.
"Remaining calm under pressure is an invaluable resource, Joe. Death surrounds me at every turn, but I must always persevere! It is my solemn duty. My oath as an officer of the fleet of Ralin V. We will win this. We will take back what is rightfully ours! Mark my words." I had given my very best take. Mike seemed very impressed with the results. He quickly saved the recording, and gave me a thumbs up. Mike queued up another scene, and I once again delivered. "You murdered my whole crew. You destroyed my home. My very way of life. It is about time that I payed you back. Karma, as they say, is a bitch!" Whoa, that last line seemed like a bit much. Mike knew that I was not a fan of profanity, but he said that it was a necessary one in this very special case. Mike and I wrapped up the recording session with one last take. "Victory came to the people of Ralin V on this day. For now, we celebrate, but this victory came at a great expense. So many have died for us to be here today. We must never forget them. Their memories will reside within us forever." I wrapped up the session with what felt like a tear in my eye. Mike had written a beautiful farewell for these people. I mean, characters. They just seemed so real!
Leaving the recording room behind, Mike encouraged me to stick around for the rest of the day. I was not a regular to Gridline Games, but I had no other immediate plans that day. Besides, it had been so long since Mike and I hung out together. I agreed to stick around...
Part 3: Trouble in Paradise
Mike returned to his office. Once we were both inside, he closed the door. There was a bit more happening than he had previously led on. A tricky design meeting was actually the least of his worries. Mike said that several Space Ruckus developers had recently gone absent without official leave. Most concerning because they were all working on very important aspects of the game, and much of that work was never turned in. The most recent of which was a team member named Joe. Mike admitted that his personal life had also been spinning out of control as of late, causing his own work to slip behind. I could easily relate. My life had also recently taken a dark turn. We nodded our heads in agreement, and moved on from the issue. I then agreed to keep this conversation between us. Mike smiled and thanked me for sticking around. He said that he valued my support more than I ever knew. I placed my hand on Mike's shoulder, and told him that we would get through this. Life always finds a way.
It was then that someone burst into the office with a jubilant look on their face. Mike referred to him as meelWORM. I assumed that to be a nickname, as it was the most peculiar name I had ever heard. His real name was Mark, and he came bearing good news and bad news. He asked Mike which one he wished to hear first. Mike said that he could use some good news right about now. Mark said with an enthusiastic tone, "they finally fixed the brownie bar!" Mike gave Mark a blind stare for a good long moment before inquiring, "if that's the good news, what's the bad news!?!" "Oh, yeah," Mark said after pausing for a second, "the other developers look as though they are ready to kill each other." "Mind you," he said, "not over the delicious brownies." In hindsight, this sounded like the more important of the two developments. Mike, Mark and I, following their lead, made haste for the troubled wing of the building...
Part 4: Christmas is Cancelled!
"Watch out, Mike! It's a flying Christmas ornament that looks surprisingly like a live grenade!" Mark blurted out this most confounded statement before ducking for cover under a desk. The spirit of the holidays was alive like I had never seen before. The room reeked of cheap eggnog, Andy Williams, and attitudes worse than Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life. Broken Christmas ornaments lined the floor of the room, which had apparently erupted in complete chaos just moments before we arrived. Now, I had a legitimate reason to shed a tear. What had these sad people done? They had turned a once joyous holiday into a total disaster. And the worst was yet to come!
"I buried Santa Claus!" One developer uttered these words in an attempt to be noticed within the ensuing chaos. I came to know him as Micheal. Mike, likely as shocked as I was, tried in vein to calm everyone down. It would be a futile effort. The conflict had apparently started when Allen, Jovani and Micheal disagreed on the art direction of Space Ruckus, and they were not about to change their positions on the argument. Allen said with a firm tone, "lose the stupid helmet. I always hated it." Micheal said with glee, "Bill Grig should have long flowing black hair, a scar across his face, and a battle axe in one hand! Yeah!" Jovani turned the other cheek and said, "I don't care about any of that stuff. I just want Bill Grig to accept Christ." Worse still, Vlad had come to blows with Aubrey and Trevor over the direction of the soundtrack. Vlad insisted that Space Ruckus have a mid-evil sounding arrangement, and when he did not have his way, he threatened to leave and take all his existing work with him. "I cannot work with such filth. You are not worthy of my excellent work!" Vlad said with a certain degree of superiority. Aubrey said with a harsh tone, "Leave, then. Nobody cares about your mid-evil shit." Mark said in despair, "will someone please think of the brownies?"
"SPACE RUCKUS IS CANCELLED!" Mike hollered this statement as affirmatively as he could. He then said with a tear in his eye, "it's dead. If anyone wishes to leave, leave!" Mike looked at me and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that." Then, he turned and walked back to his office. Thus, those who remained loyal to Gridline Games stayed behind, while the rest prepared to clear out of the building. This would later come to be known as The Purge...
Part 5: Clearance
I followed that perplexing Mark fellow back into Mike's office. I tried to ask him what he thought about this horrible turn of events, but he would not give me an answer. Mark was likely too distraught for words. Mike was pre-occupied with a phone call to Estonia, where another developer had been away training for the Estonian Defense Forces. His name was Eero. Everyone around here had such strange names! Mike let him know as calmly as possible that Space Ruckus was dead. Following this conversation, he immediately fired up Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven on his office computer, and cranked up the volume until it was no longer crank-able. I did not approve of the volume. However, his choice in music, especially given the dire circumstances, was very nice. "You know sometimes words have two meanings." Mike muttered these words while staring off into space. Mark and I both were very concerned that he may have dipped into the liquor cabinet. Mike declared that he was okay and said, "I can see clearly now. The rain is gone." He was right about that. The rain from earlier that morning had finally subsided.
I encouraged Mike to snap out of his meditative trance. Now might be the time to think about our next move, I told him. What plans, if any, did he have for the existing Space Ruckus material? Mike shook his head in agreement and said, "you're right. You're always right." Mark said with an expressive grin, "why, thank you! I aim to please!" Not saying that it meant anything, but he just so happened to be standing next to the liquor cabinet when he said that. It was then that Mike had a bright idea. He suggested that we come clean with the public about what had happened here today. Mike said with a finger raised in the air, "complete transparency!" Mark and I agreed with this course of action. It was the honest thing to do. Mike made it official. He wrote a post on the Gridline Games web site with the headline "Space Ruckus has been cancelled. See post for details." Mark chimed in at the last minute, "I mean, what's the worst that could happen, right..."
Part 6: The Walking Said
Allen and Jovani burst into the office with a look of absolute terror. The very first words out of their mouths were, "walkers everywhere!" They said that the whole building had been surrounded by them. In complete shock, Mark said, "the zombie apocalypse was started when Space Ruckus was cancelled! WHY DID WE NOT LISTEN? WHY!?!" Mike just sat there in silence for a moment before saying, "there has to be a rational explanation for this." He maneuvered his chair to the window, and took a peak outside. There were indeed bodies walking about the outside of the building, but they were not zombies. At least, not in the classical sense. They did, however, appear to be chanting one common phrase, "Gridline Games must die!" Mark looked in horror and said, "my God! They're eating Vlad!" Mike took a closer look and said, "that's not Vlad. It's a piece of cheese." He went on to say, "I would never kill a real life person in one of my stories." The rest of us were not quite sure what he meant by that statement. Mike then said with total resolve, "I don't know about everyone else, but I am ready to leave."
We quickly made our way toward the back entrance of Gridline Games. There were likely to be less walkers there. Allen, Jovani and Mark accompanied Mike and I. When we came to the back door, Mike reached out for the handle and said, "we run fast, and we don't look back!" It was as if he was channeling an alter ego. Then, we proceeded to run across the parking lot as fast as possible. Not looking back. Not even once. Mike pulled out his car keys, and tapped the automatic unlock button on the attached remote. Everyone piled into the car in a disorderly manner. Mike said in a fester, "Hey, leave a little room for everyone!" I took the last remaining seat. If Mike had not said anything, I have a feeling that the others may have left me behind without a second thought. The moment that we closed the doors, a group of walkers surrounded the car. Mike quickly started the engine. Mark turned to Mike and asked, "where are we going to go?" Mike replied with persistence in his eyes while firmly grasping the wheel with both hands, "there's only one happy place left now!" Everyone else in the car harmonically said, "you cannot possibly mean..."
Highway to...
Chapter 2: Forget-Me-Not
Now with more magical moments!
Part 1: Party of Five
That morning had been anything but normal. A car that would not start for the life of me. Apart from Mike, the most unusual band of people that I have ever met. The worst Christmas party in the history of... history. The angriest mob of the living not-dead. And now, Mike was veering for the southbound Interstate 5 highway like a man on a mission! Everyone was holding onto the overhead handles for dear life. Mark referred to these handles by another name. One which I would not repeat. On the radio, Elvis Presley's Promised Land was playing on K-EARTH 101. Mark, who was riding shotgun, insisted that he play a "Weird Al" Yankovic CD. Mike said with a firm attitude, "the radio stays where it is!" Allen and Jovani remained silent on the choice of music. They merely wished not to die in a horrible car accident. Suddenly, Mike swerved into the off-ramp lane. We came to a complete stop in traffic on South Manchester Avenue. Mike pulled out his wallet, revealing four lifetime passes to the Disneyland Resort. Jovani screamed from the back seat of the car, "Jesus, I didn't even know those existed!" Apparently, Mike had done some incredible promotional work for Disney!
The traffic soon lifted, and we arrived at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. Mike presented one of his lifetime passes to the parking attendant, and we were in like Kevin Flynn! We came to a stop on Level 5. Mike looked out the window of the car and said, "everyone remember Donald 4E." I did my very best Donald Duck impersonation, but it fell on deaf ears. Everyone is such a cricket! Mike strongly suggested that we avoid the lines at the tram loading station. He said, "it would be faster to walk through Downtown Disney." "You should know," Mark said, "you practically live here." We soon arrived at the park gate, where Mike dispersed the lifetime passes. We then made our way onto Main Street U.S.A., filled with its splendor and ragtime music. A rush of memories came back all at once! I thanked Mike for encouraging me to stick around. This may have just made up for the unusual morning. Mike said with a smile on his face, "no, thank you!" It was then that everyone contemplated splitting off into adjacent points of the park. Allen and Jovani headed into Fantasyland, and Mike, Mark and I headed into Adventureland...
Part 2: A Haunted Holiday
We found ourselves outside the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. One of my all time favorite attractions! Mark said with excitement, "look, there's no line!" As we approached the attraction, however, we learned from a cast member that it was currently experiencing technical difficulties. She encouraged us to check back later. "Bummer," Mark said, "I was looking forward to pillaging pirate booty." We stopped in New Orleans Square for a moment while Mike and Mark pondered their next move. Mike suggested Splash Mountain, one of his favorite rides, but Mark did not wish to get wet on such a cold December's day. He said while taking a sip from a nearby drinking fountain, "you may be crazy, but I know my limits." Mike said with a grin on his face, "you will regret doing that later." Then, Mark looked up and said, "hey, let's ride The Haunted Mansion!" I was up for that if they were. Although, Mike appeared to have an uncertain look on his face. One which gave me a sense of foreboding.
Mike, Mark and I quickly entered the line for The Haunted Mansion, which had taken on the theme of The Nightmare Before Christmas for the holiday season. The line extended around the side of the mansion, but in what seemed like no time at all, we were near the entrance. I had a very unusual experience as we were filling the room with the stretching paintings. Guests were crowding in so tightly that it almost felt as though they were pushing straight on through me! I brushed it off as simply part of the immersive experience of the attraction. Upon exiting the room, I encouraged Mike and Mark to stay close in order to avoid being separated in the darkness. When we came to the Doom Buggy load area, Mark jumped in ahead of Mike and I. Mike, out of courtesy, allowed me to step into the vehicle before him. He filled in the last remaining seat, and then I lowered the lap bar. The air was uncharacteristically cold as we entered the first turn. It was then that I recalled the time in which my wife stopped the whole ride. She failed to enter her Doom Buggy before that turn. I laughed so hard that time! And then, I remembered something else. Today was in fact my wedding anniversary! How could I have forgotten a thing like that, I thought. Mike said with complete reassurance, "given the circumstances, I am sure she will understand." Mark yelled while pointing to his ear, "I cannot hear a word you're saying!" Just then, we entered the mirror room, where we waved at our reflections. It was too dark to see them very well, but I was having too much fun to mind. I lifted the lap bar, and we departed the Doom Buggy for the escalator. All the while, I could not help but feel that I had forgotten something else...
Part 3: Come Soarin' With Me
Along our way back to the gateway which extends into each land, Mark came to a stop just outside Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. He said with excitement in his eyes, "KALIMA!" And once that was thoroughly out of his system, he said, "we have to ride this!" Mike said with the best intentions, "I love the Indiana Jones movies," he continued with what appeared to be a tear in his eye, "but I made a promise to someone. A promise I must now honor." Mark was determined to raid the temple, therefore Mike gave him a piece of parting advice. He said while pointing to a cast member standing near the entrance, "inquire about their single rider access. You will bypass the long line. You even get to ride an elevator!" Mark seemed confused by Mike's sudden change in tone, but he happily took his advice. Mark rushed off to ride Indiana Jones, while Mike and I departed for a destination known only to him. When I asked, he said with a smile on his face, "it's a surprise!"
Mike had taken me back through Main Street U.S.A., across the esplanade that divides the two Disneyland Resort parks, and into Disney's California Adventure. He stopped outside Soarin' Over California. He turned to me and said with what was now very much a real tear in his eye, "you never had a chance to ride this!" I had previously visited Disney's California Adventure, but never rode Soarin' Over California. I was led to believe that it was an intense ride. Mike said with tenderness, "no, it's actually the most comfortable, relaxing and soothing ride you could ever hope for!" He was convinced that I would love every moment of it. I looked at Mike, smiled and agreed to go with him. I knew that he would never put me on a ride that was too much for me. As we were passing through the loading area, which looked surprisingly like an airplane hanger, Mike pointed out the pictures along the walls. They were meant to represent great moments in the field of air and space research and development. He knew that I would get a kick out of this because I actually had a hand in crafting the sheet metal that went onto several of the space shuttles manufactured by NASA! I was awe struck by the atmosphere, the music, the pictures. Everything! And we had yet to even board the actual ride!
Mike and I came to the boarding area, where he said, "party of two!" He looked at me and said with excitement, "get ready to soar!" We entered the loading chamber, and found ourselves to be on the out-most portion of the glider. Mike sat inward of me, and I took the outside seat. Mike buckled his safety belt as a ride attendant came around to check on everyone. We were then given the go ahead for take-off, and our glider soared into the air. Just like that, we were high above the clouds! Flying over San Francisco's majestic golden gate bridge. A forested river with rafters, kayakers and fishermen. An open field with air balloons. The most beautiful pacific ocean coast. A snowy peak with skiers aplenty. The glorious hillsides and mountains of Yosemite National Forest. And another air glider passing into view! A golf course as green as can be. My God, my color blindness was gone! An orange grove with workers mending the fields. Sweet Lord, I could even smell the oranges! The rocky mountains with men on horseback. And air force fighter jets! An aircraft carrier with a deck full of jets and helicopters. An even more beautiful pacific ocean coast with the sun setting in the background. High above the nighttime Los Angeles skyline with car headlights buzzing by below! Mike turned to me exuberantly and said, "there's Disneyland, Dad!" A ton of fireworks filled the air as our glider returned to the ground. That was the most incredible experience that I had ever had at Disneyland. How had I never tried this before? Hey, wait a minute, Mike called me Dad! Mike turned to me and said with the brightest smile across his face, "I knew you would enjoy this ride!" Indeed I had, but what made this ride truly special was the fact that I had ridden it with my Son. I just smiled right on back and said, "thank you, Mikey..."
Part 4: Come Together
My Son Mike and I made our way toward the exit of Soarin' Over California. He said with a straight face, "now must be the time to set the final pieces in place for this play." I nodded my head in agreement. "The exact details of what was to follow," Mike continued, "would remain between you and I, and no one else." Mike said with determination, "now, we must find the others." Mike knew just where to find Mark. He said, "if I know Mark like I think I know Mark, he will be found at the Star Trader in Tomorrowland." We then returned to Disneyland Park across the esplanade. As we entered Tomorrowland, Mike looked into the air and said, "that abandoned PeopleMover track saddens me every time!" Sure enough, upon entering the Star Trader, we found that wonderful Mark character. He was in the process of purchasing an illuminating toy lightsaber. Mark said with glee, "you never know when one of these things might come in handy!" He continued, "such as in the event of a power failure. Or worse, an alien invasion!" Before leaving the Star Trader, Mark picked up a Darth Vader helmet accessory and said, "Mike, I am your father!" Mike responded with a deliberately dull delivery, "no, that's not true. That's impossible." Mark must not have known how serendipitous he was when he made that comment. As we were heading out the doorway, I caught a glance at the calenders on sale for the coming new year. They read, "Celebrate 2010!"
We proceeded to Fantasyland to pick up Allen and Jovani, where they said that they had gone earlier. There was no sign of them near King Arthur's Carousel. So, we stood under Sleeping Beauty's Castle for a few moments just listening to When You Wish Upon a Star. It was simply magical! More people should take the time to stop there. We then returned to Fantasyland to continue our search. As it would turn out, Allen and Jovani had been trapped together in hell on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride for the last two hours. In that time, they had appearantly grown to hate one another. Allen said to Jovani with a stern tone, "hell does exist, but only when I am with you." Jovani replied harshly, "I find your lack of faith disturbing!" Those two were a barrel of fun, were they not? Mike interjected, "the day is almost over, guys. But there is one more ride we must take before we leave." Mike then led us all back to Adventureland...
Part 5: Hour of Greatest Light
We once again found ourselves outside the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. This time, the attraction was fully up and running. It was now a forty minute wait, but we had nowhere else to be, and as I said before, this was one of my favorite attractions. Mark said with jubilance, "I hope we find the treasure of Big Whoop!" Allen said with a certain level of cynicism, "it was an amusement park all along!" Mike said with a firm tone, "hey, don't spoil the ending!" Jovani and I both appeared to be lost in this exchange. The time seemed to pass rather swiftly, and before too long, we were next in line. Mike stood in front and said to the attendant, "party of five!" Allen, Jovani and Mark simultaneously said, "party of five?" We were initially assigned rows one and two. The attendant noticed a mistake near the time of boarding, and asked if we would be so kind as to divide our party into two boats. Allen, Jovani and Mark stayed behind on the dock and waited for another boat as Mike and I departed on our adventure. Mike hollered from the boat, "I'll see you guys on the other side," he paused for a second before saying, "at the end of the ride!" It was then that I noticed the attendant's more critical mistake. There had been room for the others all along. Mikey and I were alone together in that boat!
The following is best faced with Chicago's If You Leave Me Now.
Now, this was nice. A relaxing voyage on the bayou, with the sound of crickets, toads and galloping fish. Boy, just listen to that banjo play! As we entered the darkness, Mikey said with shivering timbers, "it be too late to alter course!" He continued, "you can handle a little drop okay, right?" "Are you kidding," I said, "this is one ride I love, Son!" Whoa, here we go! It was as if Mikey and I were young again! He said with a smile across his face, "remember all those good times we had at Christmas, at Campland, at Disneyland and at Knott's Berry Farm, Dad?" I said with the utmost gratification, "of course I do, Mikey," I continued, "how could I ever forget all those wonderful memories? Memories that would not have been the same without you, Steven, Kristina, Patrick, Shawna, Paula, Stephanie and your Mom." Suddenly grief stricken, Mikey said, "then why do you have to leave?" I said in confusion, "I'm not going anywhere. I am right here on this lovely ride with you, Mikey!" Mikey said with sadness, "you and I both know that as soon as we reach the upward flowing waterfall, our time here together will end!" He continued, "I knew this from the moment I called you this morning!" I told Mikey with complete confidence, "I would never leave you guys. I will always be there in the end. You can count on that, I promise!" Mikey looked ahead with tenderness in his eyes and said, "God, there it is! The watery lift!" Our boat slowly began to ascend the lift. I could hear the clanking of the gears. They seemed especially unsettling to Mikey. He said with persistence in his eyes while firmly grasping the handle bar with one hand, "this is it!"
There appeared to be a magnificent light at the top of the waterfall. Light which became brighter and brighter the closer our boat came to its source of origin. My God, it was beautiful! I could not help but shed a tear, and as I did, so did Mikey. He said with sorrow, "this just progressed too damn fast. I wish we had more time," but he said with a smile, "there will be no more pain now." Mikey reached out for my hand with amazing grace, and helped guide me into that wondrous light. As he did, I felt as though all seven of my children, my wife and my extended family were standing there beside me, offering their loving touch. I began to let go, and in doing so, Mikey said with hope in his eyes, "it's just a ride. That's all it is." He then said while trying his best to contain another tear, "I love you, Dad!" I smiled and said, "I love all y'all!" Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be...
My 2009 Calendar
Dad and I in Yesterland
Dad's Sony Dynamic Stereo Headphones
Editor's Note: My Dad's (Paul Wayne Haley's) time of departure was 4:40 in the afternoon on October 12th, 2009. He had been in a coma in Hospice care for a week leading up to these final moments. Dad had only been diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer three weeks earlier. It was the most turbulent time of my life, and Christmas of 2009 simply was not Christmas without him. And even though we may never know for certain, I have a strong feeling that, at least in his thoughts, he was right there beside us enjoying happier times spent at places such as Campland and Disneyland. He was sixty-three. Nobody can truly say what lies beyond this life, but light at the end of the tunnel sure does sound nicer than darkness. In the end, we each have to come to terms with death in our own ways. This much is for certain: We are all going to die some day. Morbid as that may sound... "When I'm Sixty-Four"
Hakuna matata, everyone!