Song: "Creep"
Artist: Stone Temple Pilots
Album: Core (1992)

I used to have a cat. I bought him for something like $10 at a pet store in the neighborhood that my first sort-of boyfriend lived in, pretty much on a whim. He was screaming at me through his cage, and something about his outright craziness made me realize he needed go home with me (who am I talking about again...?).

Driving home, we were thinking of names. I decided because his nails were so incredibly sharp, like a paper cut, I would call him Avery after the office products company.

I soon learned his cage screaming wasn't conditional - he had something to say about everything. And he was hyper as fuck, even when he got older. He was very independent. He seemed very much a "gemini". We had another male cat later on, and I once found them bathing each other which resulted in a series of nicknames mostly circling around Gay-vry. ... I do what I can to support your -isms.

Anyway, Avery and I never really connected in an affectionate "pet" sort of way. He was a lively bastard and I need things to be centered/in control. However, I appreciate bright, shiny beings and he certainly was.

And then he was neutered. This didn't change anything, but the days afterward he was sooo low. I didn't like having the cats in my room, but I decided I needed to keep an eye on him and sat him in my chair in my room, where he slept most of the time he was down. I kept checking on him, talking to him, making sure he knew we weren't trying to kill him and that he was the greatest Avery, ever.

During this time, I heard this song... where the chorus is "I'm half the man I used to be". I fucking died laughing... I sort of knew the song, and didn't like it because it's god awful boring, but holy crap... Avery is totally half the man he used to be.

This became a regular thing... "Hey Gave, are you half the man you used to be?" "BRRMOW!" "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Of course, he got me back for laughing at his expense. But that's another long story...

Avery was awesome, and this song always reminds me of him.