How Shadowfax got his name...
We sat on the waiting chairs at Fantastic Sam's, while her older brother got a desperately needed haircut before going on tour with his choir, and talked about names for the kitten we'd seen at the shelter. The temporary name the shelter gave him was "Professor". But that name wouldn't make much sense once he was separated from his litter-mates "Bubbles," "Blossom," and "Buttercup."
And besides,I didn't want to accidentally confuse anyone at Law School by talking about the antics of my Cat and them thinking I was describing Paul Campos.
She began by thinking about the kitty: "He's black and white, like Tom. Or we could call him Jerry."
"Or Sylvester," I suggested.
She looked at me as if to say, Who's Sylvester?
Of course, I remembered, Cartoon Network features Hanna-Barbera, not Warner Brothers.
"He has white paws. How about Mittens,or Puss-in-boots?"
"Mo-o-om!" she laughed, as if I were the most clueless person on the planet. "Puss-in-boots is orange and stripey. That wouldn't work."
She thought longer. "I could name him Black-and-White..."
"How about Midnight?" I offer.
"He's not all black. You have to be all black to be Midnight," she reasons.
"What about Shadow?"
"Nah."
"Ok, then," I think about what she likes. "How about Legolas? It could be a joke about his 'legs'."
"No," she giggled. "That would be silly."
"Then maybe Aragorn?"
"No way," she declared. "Hey, we could name him after one of the hobbits!"
"Cool! How about Frodo?"
"I was thinking of maybe Sam or Pippin. Merry isn't very good, it sounds like a girl's name, and this kitten's a boy."
"Which do you like better? Sam or Pippin?" I asked.
"Or maybe Gandalf," she continued.
"That would be a good name," I said.
She sat with that for a moment.
"Shadowfax!" she suddenly said.
"Oooooh," I squealed. "I like that one."
"That's his name. Shadowfax," she declared.
Just then, the hairdresser finished, and with her delightful accent exclaimed: "Come see big boy! All handsome now!"
And the kitten has been Shadowfax ever since.
And besides,I didn't want to accidentally confuse anyone at Law School by talking about the antics of my Cat and them thinking I was describing Paul Campos.
She began by thinking about the kitty: "He's black and white, like Tom. Or we could call him Jerry."
"Or Sylvester," I suggested.
She looked at me as if to say, Who's Sylvester?
Of course, I remembered, Cartoon Network features Hanna-Barbera, not Warner Brothers.
"He has white paws. How about Mittens,or Puss-in-boots?"
"Mo-o-om!" she laughed, as if I were the most clueless person on the planet. "Puss-in-boots is orange and stripey. That wouldn't work."
She thought longer. "I could name him Black-and-White..."
"How about Midnight?" I offer.
"He's not all black. You have to be all black to be Midnight," she reasons.
"What about Shadow?"
"Nah."
"Ok, then," I think about what she likes. "How about Legolas? It could be a joke about his 'legs'."
"No," she giggled. "That would be silly."
"Then maybe Aragorn?"
"No way," she declared. "Hey, we could name him after one of the hobbits!"
"Cool! How about Frodo?"
"I was thinking of maybe Sam or Pippin. Merry isn't very good, it sounds like a girl's name, and this kitten's a boy."
"Which do you like better? Sam or Pippin?" I asked.
"Or maybe Gandalf," she continued.
"That would be a good name," I said.
She sat with that for a moment.
"Shadowfax!" she suddenly said.
"Oooooh," I squealed. "I like that one."
"That's his name. Shadowfax," she declared.
Just then, the hairdresser finished, and with her delightful accent exclaimed: "Come see big boy! All handsome now!"
And the kitten has been Shadowfax ever since.
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