Well, I'm sad tonight. I have lost a dedicated friend who was always there for me--my little pet mouse. A couple of years ago, I was out shopping when I came across this special little mouse. He was shiny, black, and a tad on the pricey side; but he caught my eye.

I walked by him a couple of times, telling myself that I really didn't need him. In the end, however, he won out, going home with me, snug in a shopping bag.

He never let me down. He was a a quick study, always obedient to my commands, performing with precision any request I made of him. He even had a few tricks he executed on occasion to my surprise, and I knew him better than anyone. On the rare times that he failed to perform on command, I could pound him a time or two on my desk, straightening him up pronto.

Thanks to Holly, he had a special bed with a picture of Big Sissy and Little Buddy on it where he stayed most of the time, luxuriating in mouse 'heaven'.

I say "most of the time" because I ruefully admit I was careless with him, bumping him and knocking him to the floor more than once. He always bounced back, ready to perform on cue anytime I asked.

But yesterday, thanks to me, he met his demise, though he fought valiantly to overcome it. I was cleaning and needed to move him as he was "in the way", imploring me to quit cleaning and play with him. Instead, I carelessly moved him up on my scanner so that I could clean his home.

Then, I set a glass of lemonade under where he was resting. As I reached for something, I knocked little mouse into the lemonade. I quickly retrieved him, dried him as best I could, put him back on his pad and asked him to do some tricks.

He did, and I thought he was fine; but this morning, my pet mouse was dead. No amount of work could revive him--not even new batteries.

Yes, he was my remote control mouse to my computer! Tonight, I have a shinier, brighter, smarter replacement for him, but I still miss my first remote-control mouse. May he rest in peace in computerized heaven. He served me well for two years.