Post #556349 by Babalu on Mon, Sep 27, 2010 9:00 AM

I have always thought this was a really cute picture of Kate...I took it several years back at a Chop that we had over here at my house.

It just so happened that Kate's birthday fell on, or around the day that we had that Chop, and of course, as always, Kate was the first to show up to the Chop even though she had to travel further than anyone else. I gave Kate that (kind of ugly) Chop Tribute Mug you see her holding there in the picture towards the end of the Chop as a birthday goodie which she happily accepted...(I later felt very honored as I found out that Kate 'rarely' ever put any mug, or anything else, in her collection that did not have a tiki on it).

Anyway, back to the story, Cammo had brought some Kava Kava to the Chop for us all to try...now, I don't know if all of you have tried Kava Kava, but it is some really nasty stuff...it tastes kinda like chalk and old sock! When I gave Kate the mug she piped up right away and said that she needed to break it in...she pointed to the un-drunk bowl of Kava Kava that we had sitting there and said, "fill it up". I filled that mug to the top, thinking she might take a little tastey, and make some scrunchy face, and throw the rest out....but Kate downed that mug of kava kava through that straw there as I snapped that picture...she looked up at me after she had finished, smiled and said, "hehehe, my tounge is numb!" :)

Dave (squid) just happened to be down here playing in the studio the other day when we first got the word that Kate had passed away....I told him the story of that picture, and showed him a bag of Kava Kava that Cammo had left behind the day of that old Chop. Dave said, "let's try it!"....we mixed up a bowl and, Dave, my wife Amy, and I sat around and drank it...we thought of Kate, and we giggled as our tounges went numb...

Kate, I love and miss you sis...I can't help but think we will meet again...

Rick