Jac Mackenzie

Darling Gav!

"Gav", the other half of "Maz and Gav"....

How many times did I write those names together when planning another frozen daqueri night at Karoo or dinner out back in the day. The list was always - Prue and Tim, Ro and Mikey, Maz and Gav etc etc I'd love to do a tally from Prue's diaries! Go right to the source!

There are so many times that come to mind when I think of you Gav. But I'm going to stick to these two, as I keep coming back to them!:

The night you met Maz:

I always had it in my head that I was there the first time you met Maz. Or was this the first night we met "Maz and Gav" !?

This is how I remember it: Veronica, Maz and myself headed out to "Rogues". I'm not sure what night of the week it was but I know it wasn't Tuesday, or we'd have been at "Berlin" and it couldn't have been a Thursday or we'd have been at Minski's. But I do remember all of us being single at the time.

I was watching the dance floor thinking, "Could it get more f-ing crowded??!! Then again, if anyone asks me to dance I'll be able to hide my moves".... when I get the elbow from Veronica. We had a really sound method of 'spunk-spotting', you see. We would point out the spunks in the room by pointing the straw in our drink toward the particular spunk we'd sighted. I remember thinking, "For the love of God, when will Veronica's and my taste ever be one?!" I look back at the dance floor and I see vision of complete hotness - a total spunk with height, hair, huge shoulders and clearly some class - in that black cashmere jumper. I elbowed Veronica and pointed my straw. You'll be pleased to know for about the 1st time ever, we were both on the same Spunk-page. Perving further, we crane our little necks to see who you were with and around turns the bopping be-bobbed head of our darling Maz. Hadn't you spotted her across the room and asked her to dance? Or was it the straw technique? However it happened, I don't remember you guys being apart since. And that was about the only good thing ever to come out of Rogues!

The second thing that keeps coming to mind: Gav the Actor.

Does anyone know of your thespian aspirations? Does anyone know: dude can not only cut the rug at Rogues superbly, but get to the last round auditioning for NIDA? You crack me up. I remember when you said to me you wanted to audition for the NIDA acting course (I'm pretty sure I'd graduated by then) and I offered to help you with your audition pieces - inside knowledge and all. I couldn't believe you said "Yeah, that'd be awesome" Actually, did you call me to ask? However it happened, you wanted help and you were not shy in coming forward for it. 'My lord', I thought 'He clearly means business'.

I know it doesn't seem like that big-of-a-deal, as they say in the more recent classics, but you'd be amazed. People have ideas of doing things but rarely turn the ideas into any kind of action. Probably just park them out the back in Regret Ally. But not you. Not by half! Not before nor since. (Take RUOK, for instance!)

So you showed up with your monologue learned. A very good start. And Gav, you were f'ing good. That, added to your noted hotness, I remember thinking "Jeezus, this could happen. Gav can act. Gav could get into Nida!" and then thinking "Will Maz ever forgive me for helping it to happen!"

Apparently, she was all for it. So we worked the pieces. The comedy piece was a knock-out and when I said "I reckon this will be even funnier if you do your party trick- you know, take out your front teeth!", you said "Yeah, alright." And out they came! Just like that! Didn't we roll around laughing! Now, I've known a lotta actors, before and since, who would never do that - levels of vanity etc, ya know? But not you! And, boy oh boy was it funny! And you got right to the end of the process. Miss'd out on NIDA by a hair. Or was it a tooth? ;-)

You're someone I've always thought will run the last mile in every area of your life. Hard working beyond hard working, brave beyond brave, f'ing pissingly funny, ever hot and a great match for our Maz.

I hope so much all these amazing stories on this blog bring you some laughs and some love and make the hidious pain you must be in, in some small measure, bearable. It's so wonderful to read all the stories. You are one funny bloke! And beaut friend! And ever a true spunk - the Straw has spoken!

We love you Gav. It's been and honour and pleasure and a f'ing laugh. Sending love now and always and if there's anything we can do, let us know!

xxx

Jac and Roxy and my ma and da who send their best.