Hello!

Or as we say in Italy, Ciao!

My name is Tombrock's Nightwish . . .

Well, that's not quite true. My name WAS SUPPOSED to be Tombrock's Nightwish.

When I was born, the main men in my life, Cristiano and Salvatore, decided to name me Tombrock's Nightwish.

Then, when the time came for Salvatore to send in my registration papers to CFA, he forgot the name they had agreed upon . . . and I so ended up being called Tombrock's Chopin.

If you are wondering why the name of a contemporary symphonic rock metal band from Finland was somehow turned into the name of a Polish/French composer of the 19th Century, I can't answer that.  You will need to get Salvatore to explain it to you . . . :-)

Anyway, they call me Chopy now and I like it.

That's my photo on the right. I was just a few weeks old.

Wasn't I cute?

I just kept getting better and better looking . . . until when I was 10 months old I went to live with Cristina and her husband, Cristiano. They decided they should show me.

I quite liked being a show cat. It was fun and exciting.  On a very hot Easter Sunday I became a Grand Champion!   Everyone was very excited and pleased with me.  We even had a party!

After that, I figured I would be staying home . . .

but these two crazy-looking people—Cristina and Cristiano—decided we should show more . . . perhaps fly around for a bit . . . spend lots of money on airplane tickets and hotel rooms . . .

Look at those faces—would you expect anything less than insane ideas from those two?

I think not.

But I love them just the same . . .

So, we started traveling. . .

Showing is fun but there is a lot of time in between the rings, so I thought I would learn another skill in my spare time.   I didn't want to just be a pretty face . . .

So I decided to study to be a Master Clerk . . .

I began by memorizing the rules of cat showing at home . . .

Then I helped the Master Clerk at a real cat show . . .

It is a lot of work being a Master Clerk . . . I needed some down time from studying.

I relaxed with a dish of kibble and a wind chime video on YouTube.

After recharging my batteries I checked in with Cristiano.

I think while I was studying he was just getting older.  Look at all the white in his beard!

We kept going to shows together. . .

And I did a lot of hanging out . . .

Literally I was hanging.  Hanging from hands. Hanging on arms. My legs dangling in space.

Lots and lots of hanging out . . .

I would even hang out with Cristiano . . .

Cristiano was an excellent travel companion, valet and my personal servant and hair-dresser.

I always looked my best in the show ring thanks to him.

And all the combing and primping really paid off . . .

I did very well at the shows. I won a lot.

I was Best Cat in Championship in the Purple show at the CFA World Show 2014.  

Here I am pictured with my best girl, Cristina and the fancy rosette they awarded me at that show.

It says I was also 2nd runner-up out of 641 cats.

Some of the awards I was given were not as easy to understand.

I needed a translator to explain this plaque that I won at a show in Russia . . .

And again, I was hanging out . . .

One of the entertaining things about cat shows that I really enjoyed was watching all the "interesting" people.  In the photo below I was having my picture taken with Cristina and judge Arie Groenewegen.   Look at these two ladies behind us in the photo below . . . I would love to know their story.

Judges are interesting too.

Often they tease me . . .

Shaking a toy just out of my reach . . .

Or twirling a feather above my nose . . .

But never quite letting me catch it . . .

But I would fool them. Instead of chasing the toy, I would climb up the nearby "tree" instead . . .

The judge had to be fast to catch me or I would be gone!

The spectators liked it when I did that and they laughed out loud.

I also never understood why so many judges seemed to be trying to measure my neck size with their hands.

Even though they were always gentle . . .

It was still a little weird . . .

One lady judge even wrapped a fancy rope around my neck!

But no matter how crazy the judges may have seemed to me,

and perhaps some are at least a little bit nuts . . .

In the end . . .

I know they really loved me . . .