My story, and a bit more...

Fast forward to 1997, the year of the Red Wings and my first viewing of SK!

It was Spring Break, and I was getting to stay at my sister's house. She had went to bed, and I was thinking about doing the same, since nothing was on, or so I thought! I hit Cartoon Network at about 2:30 A.M., and found Superchunk on. For those who have NO idea what that is, it shows 3 hours of a certain show at a time. Guess what was on. I watched the show until 5 A.M., when the chunk was over. I went to bed feeling good.

Next morning, I woke up with something I think a drunk person would call a hangover. I had the feeling someone took a hammer to my skull! I also had a feeling that is easy to understand. I wanted more SK!!!

I went home feeling that way. I tore into my ever-present pile of magazines, looking for 2 certain books, one Nintendo Power, one Nickelodian. I found them, and read them, and then some more. They turned into 1 of my only 3 links to SWAT Kats, my others were drawing, and my head! I started thinking about what is now my fanfic series, titled "The New Breed". I had one other link that I wanted to make. I wanted the SNES game. That piece of the story will come later.

I tried to get to stay at my sister's when I thought there would be a chunk of SK on late nite, but I came up empty, and I stayed that way for the next year and a half! I had no luck.

'98 would be my year. I had tried to get cable, time my visits, and whatever I could do. Nothing worked! I was going down the drain, like my hopes. No depression or anything like that, but I was down, really down.

Late June '98, a month before our trip to Tennessee. By some weird stroke of luck, one of my missing links was fixed! I went to a video store that was by a car parts store we always go to. I went in, hoping for a miracle, and guess what? Sitting, on the used games shelf, was SWAT Kats! The cost: 10 measly dollars! I was DETERMINED to get it! I prayed no one would get it first, cause I had to wait until the end of the week for my paycheck! Friday came, and I went, bought, and have not gotten tired of it yet! I even took my system and games with me on the trip! I held out hope for getting to see SWAT Kats while we were down there, but no show. After we got back, things got real good!

I have to thank my buddy Adam, better known as Plankeye on ICQ, for helping me find the next best thing to the shows: WEB SITES!!!!!! I went to his house one day, and typed SWAT Kats in on Yahoo, and found DJ's, Kristen's, and Strike's sites. Putting it mildly, I was happy! I was even more determined. I would get to watch my show, no matter WHAT. I worked out a plan to get SK, even if it was just one! My sister's little girl had just got a TV and VCR AND cable in her room! It was perfect, or so I thought! I bought a tape, set the timer, and waited. We finally went to my sister's 1-2 weeks after the weekend I had set the tape for. It was the day we went out to celebrate mom&dad's wedding anniversary. I went to go upstairs to get my tape, when Jen told me she was using MY tape to obtain Man in The Iron Mask! I don't know if I got the show or not, since she rewound the tape and had to've taped over it. Blah. Oh well. I was going to get my next chance soon enough.

The next time I tried, I got my ep. The show: Unlikely Alloys, the last ep they made was my first show in a year and a half! Talk about ironic! What's even more ironic is the fact of when the show aired for the first time: MY birthday in '94! I have watched that thing so much, I would be considered insane! But yet again, she had used my tape, but she didn't keep it this time! She did it a third time, and messed up a week of taping! She, for some reason, thought I was getting Sailor Moon(which, by the way, is now another fav show of mine.)! I was mad, very mad! I had told her the week before to erase my timer setting to tape, but that was because I had taken my tape home, and I wanted no accidents with any of their tapes. She had left it alone a whole week and not put any tapes in, but when I had my tape there that Friday, all set and everything, she remembered to erase the timer setting. Does that make any sense to you? It sure dosen't to me! Adding insult to injury, she taped more stuff on there without asking!! I told her not to, but she ignored me! I was mad, but at least none of my other shows were messed up!

Up until recently, I only had 7 watchable eps, but that has all changed, thanks to a VERY special friend of mine, who shall remain NAMELESS. To that friend, thank you VERY much. You know who you are. :) Anyway, guess the moral of THIS story is, and this has been heard before, but, NEVER give up trying. If you do, you'll never know what could have been...