A Wonderful Evening!

Of course, I had a fabulous weekend! The Moody Bluegrass show at the Ryman Auditorium was nothing short of spectacular! When I bought tickets several months ago, I had no idea that I was in for such a treat. No seat is bad at the Ryman. Mom and I had tickets in the balcony section, dead center, in the front. I couldn't have asked for a better perspective. I've attended Moody Blues concerts for most of my life, but nothing compared to this. The show opened with bluegrass artist Clair Lynch. I'd never heard any of her work, but immediately I was impressed. I'm going to pick up a couple of her CDs soon. Her voice was absolutely beautiful, as well as her performace. She sang about 6 songs, before turning the show over to all of the fabulous musicians that participated on the Moody Bluegrass project. A man, I forget his name, introduced the artists and each song. He also told the songwriting story of every Moody Blues song and what band member wrote it. Every song on the CD was performed live, which was quite an impressive list. As the first half of the show began, I noticed some people just finding their seats to my left. With quite a start, I realized that it was Graeme Edge, the Moodies drummer, and his wife. They had come up to watch the first half of the show from our perspective! It was really a lot of fun to watch him, while the Moodies songs were performed. It was so interesting to see his reaction, and his appreciation. It was such a kick to know that he was just a row from me. The first half concluded, and Graeme and his entourage made their way backstage. I walked around and stretched my legs a bit. The seats in the Ryman are old church pews, and the legs and hips can get stiff after a while.

The second half got underway, with no less perfection. I thought one of the best performances of the night was by Jan Harvey. She did a version of It's Up to You, written by my favorite Justin Hayward. The next performance that stood out in my memory was Nights In White Satin, by Justin again, sung by John Cowan. It just blew the roof off of the place! Both of these songs received long, standing ovations. After many more songs, the moment that I'd been waiting for arrived. The Moody Blues finally took the stage, along with the bluegrass musicians. John Lodge came on first. He sang Send Me No Wine, which is from their On The Threshold of A Dream album. I never thought I'd EVER get to hear it live!! It was wonderful. Justin Hayward, my personal fav, was up next. He sangIt's Cold Outside of Your Heart from their album The Present.. Again, something I NEVER thought I'd hear live. Last and certainly not least, Graeme Edge took the stage. He performed his poem Higher and Higher from To Our Children's Children's Children. He's such a fun guy. He just banged on that tambourine and did his little dancy jig. He danced all the way across the stage and disappeared for just a moment. When he came back out, he had cloggers with him. The audience really whooped it up for that. All too soon, it was time for the finale. All of the performers, along with the Moody Blues came out on stage for a closing jam. They had more than 3 encores! Then it was over. Just a memory, but what a wonderful memory it is!

I did leave with a souvenir. It's a cute little Moody Bluegrass purse.

The front has the Moody Bluegrass design.

The back is of the Moody Bluegrass album on vinyl.

A closeup of the back

To hear samples of the Moodies songs, click the album titles above. To hear samples of Moody Bluegrass, click HERE. To hear 3 full cuts from the Moody Bluegrass album, click HERE.

Everyone have a great day!

Family, Good Friends, and Good Music

Tomorrow marks the Moody Bluegrass concert at the Ryman auditorium. I've been looking forward to it for a while now. So, I'm headed into Nashville early tomorrow afternoon with my Mom and brother. We are meeting up with some friends to have a visit and hopefully have a good meal, before the concert begins. The weather has taken chilly turn over night. I need to drag out the winter clothes tonight, so I won't freeze to death tomorrow. It's been over a year, since I've seen the Moody Blues perform. I've had my tickets for a while now, but realized this morning, rather startled, that I hadn't printed them out yet. I just kept thinking, "print the tickets, print the tickets, print the tickets". I can't believe that I'd forgotten to do that already. I would have been highly peeved to have arrived at the Ryman tomorrow night without them.

The Ryman is a great place to see a live show. It's very small and intimate, and it has great acoustics. It was originally an old church and the home of the Grand Ole' Opry. I count myself one of the lucky folks that have seen the Ryman from the other side. You see, I've performed on that very stage myself. When I worked in Nashville, several years back, I was a member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus. I've sung with choral groups all of my life. I've been able to sing with a group anywhere, but the Ryman is the only place that I've ever had a bad case of stage fright. It was so interesting. It didn't hit me, until we were onstage in the middle of our first number. You see, the audience is just right there in your face at the Ryman. They are so close, it feels like you can reach out and pat everyone on the head! It took me several numbers to get over that feeling, but once I did WOW! It was the most rewarding place that I've ever performed. I just kept thinking about how many great singers and songwriters had stood on the very spot that I was standing on right then. It was one of the most memorable performances that I've ever done. I feel very fortunate to have had that opportunity. So tomorrow night, I'll be thinking about that; wondering if the performers and the Moody Blues have ever felt that way. Maybe I can even do an AudioBlogger post sometime tomorrow night. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Meeting the Chihs and Other Fun Frolicking

Bye the time I got home yesterday, I'd talked myself out of going to see the 3 little chihuahuas immediately. I felt if I waited a couple of days, it would give time for interest to grow and lead to them getting really good homes. I set out as soon as I got home walking Bear. It was still a little warm, but I figured it just might get rid of some of that excess energy he's had lately. We had finished our walk, and I had just sat down to nurse a glass of cold ice water. Then "knock, knock, knock"! It was my neighbor, Tammy, from across the street. She had heard about the little chihuahuas and was interested in meeting them. Tammy and her husband had a chihuahua named Cricket until last spring. He passed away at the ripe old age of 18! So my plan was trashed right then and there. I threw on my kennel clothes, grabbed Mom, and we were off. They were just the cutest little things. There was the one white one with the eye problem, one chocolate colored one, and one black and tan. They were a little shy and nervous, because they had not been at the shelter long. Anyway, I'm so in love with them. I'm trying to have LOTS of willpower though. It would really be nice if they could find loving homes with families to dote on them. I think Tammy is really interested in adopting one. That will be nice, since I will be able to visit it everyday. I have no idea how they came to be at our shelter. I'm still trying to get the full story on what happened. I just hope that everything works out for the best for the little guys.

On the way home yesterday, Casey and I stopped and picked up some of our Star Wars stuff that we had on lay-a-way. You all know that we are just big nerds. In our batch of stuff was the electronic lightsaber that I'd picked out. I've had this thing for lightsabers, since I was just a kid. I've had several versions over the course of my lifetime, but none as cool as this one. My choice is the Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader Electronic Lightsaber. It lights up, makes all the sound effects, and changes from blue to red. Really cool! Anyway after I got back from the shelter, I got to play with it! It was just so cool. I kept turning it on and off just to hear the ignition sound. Casey and I had the lights off in the living room, so we could see the total effect. As a kid, I would have given both of my arms to have had a lightsaber as cool as this. I would still like the Force FX version by Master Replicas though. They just look so real, but are a lot more pricey. Who knows? Maybe Santa will be good to me this year. I just had to go next door and show my Mom. She is well aware of my love for lightsabers. On the way over, I had quite a bit of fun trying it out in the side yard. The kids across the street absolutely loved it though. I guess that I am just a big kid at heart. Grown up toys are just so boring!! I think it's sad that we somehow lose our ability to play as we age. It has been really nice to be reminded lately. My poor living room looks like a kid's Christmas morning just exploded all over it. We have action figures, ships, and of course my prize lightsaber. Now I'm just wondering who I can persuade to be my dueling partner. Everyone have a great afternoon!

Willpower...Need More Willpower

No, I'm not talking about trying to diet this time either. I was notified yesterday that our shelter has taken in 3 very tiny chihuahuas. Now, I have a very soft, warm-fuzzy spot for chihuahuas. I was into them long before the Taco Bell chihuahua was hip or the star trend of carrying them around in your overly expensive purse. You all know that I have Slate, my long haired chihuahua. I also had one of the tan chihuahuas. So, they can charm me in a minute with their oh so cute brown bug eyes. Anyway, my neighbor and my mother (she had a chihuahua of her own for years) are both interested in meeting the 3 little amigos. They have 1 black one, 1 black and white one, and one tan. The little black and white is only 5 months old, and has a really bad eye infection right now (I can SO sympathize). It's so bad, that they might have to remove his eye. I feel so sorry for the poor little thing. I'm already in love with all of them, and I haven't even laid eyes on them yet. I need LOTS of willpower, or I fear that I'll be adding to my brood!! Hopefully, I'll be able to settle for fuzzy friends and lots of good pictures!!

Seeing Double?

Saw a neat little story on the local news this morning. Five Toes, the cat, can lick two ice cream cones at the same time. That's right, Five Toes has two tongues. He's the only known cat in the world that is on record for having two tongues.

To see more pictures and read the full story click HERE. By the way Five Toes got his name, because he has five toes on each paw. This little cat has become something of a celebrity. He even has his own blog. It lists his appearances, and you can even buy a Five Toes t-shirt. Check it out HERE.

"No, Sit...Good Husband!"

This may be old news, but it's still worth sharing with all of you. It seems that the BBC has issued a formal apology over one of their recent programs. Complaints poured into the network after they aired the series Bring Your Husband To Heel. The series employed professional dog trainer, Annie Clayton, to help frustrated wives communicate with their husbands using dog training techniques. Only at the end of the training exercises were the husbands told they had had dog training used on their psyche. The outcry of sexist and discriminatory programming had the BBC under fire. Many men's groups were outraged saying that if this type of programming had targeted women, it would never have aired. More links to the story HERE, HERE, and HERE.

I've trained dogs for nearly a year now. Ladies, let me tell you, I've had absolutely NO LUCK with it on one particular man. Maybe I just need to get a louder clicker!!

The Eyes Have It!

An infection again, that is. It seems that I am in the middle of battling the same eye infection that I had last year. It also seems, that flare ups with this particular infection are common. Oh joy! So now I have medicine to use 4 times a day, and I have to have weekly checks to make sure that my ocular pressure isn't too high. I guess that explains the general not feeling well for the past week and the horrible headaches. Anyway, I'm functioning. That's about all I can say.

Casey and I had a rather nice weekend. We took a nice long drive on Saturday and did a little shopping. Since we had been out all day on Saturday, we mostly just vegged out on Sunday. We spent most of the day watching the DVD of Firefly. A friend of our has loaned us her DVDs, since we liked Serenity so much. We are not finished yet, but I'm really enjoying the episodes so far. In my opinion, I think the series is even better than the movie. I really wish there would be enough interest to pick the series back up. I feel like that you really get to know the characters better in the series than in the movie. Anyway, we were very entertained on Sunday.

Not much else going on with us, except the animals have all been quite "looney", so to speak, for the last week. They seem all nervous and are pacing. Maybe it really does have something to do with the full moon. We've been ready to drug Bear he's been so hyper. Even nightly walking doesn't seem to be helping him. He hasn't been this way, since he was a puppy. I'm definitely ready for this phase to be over. Anyone have suggestions?

Moody Blues Holiday

Most of you that read here regularly know that I'm a Moody Blues fanatic! Well, today is some what of a holiday for us Moodies fans. Today is lead singer, Justin Hayward's birthday. It's a day where fans near and far pause for just a moment to make birthday wishes! Justin Hayward joined the Moody Blues in 1966 and has been the lead singer ever since. He has been my hero, since I was 6 years old! After many years of attending concerts, buying albums, CDs, and DVDs, I finally got to meet my hero. He was one of the nicest people that I have ever met, and was truly warm and genuine. It is a day that I'll never forget.

Meeting Justin Hayward at Borders in Atlanta, February 1997. On October 23, 2005, I'll get to spend a little more time sharing space with the band and my personal hero. They are performing a show right in Nashville called Moody Bluegrass . It was kind of an odd idea when all of us Moodies fans first heard about it. Moody Bluegrass is a Nashville tribute to the music of the Moody Blues. No one could figure out how the prog rock of the Moody Blues would translate into bluegrass music. Well they did a wonderful job, and the result is an award nominated album. Several bluegrass muscians and the Moody Blues will take the stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium for a salute to this project, and I've got my tickets to be there. I can hardly wait. If you'd like to hear a little for yourself, you can go to the Moody Bluegrass site and read all about the project and have a listen.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN HAYWARD!!

Thanks so much for the music!

Justin Hayward then.

Justin Hayward now.

October: Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

I can't believe that I've forgotten to mention this! October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. If you have been considering or are interested in adopting a companion animal, please think about adopting a shelter animal. There are literally millions of great pets just waiting for a loving home. All of my animals are rescues, and let me tell you, they are the best friends that I've ever had. If you are interested in mutts, shelters and rescues have them. If you are interested in a pure breed, shelters and rescues have them. If you are interested in a furry feline friend, shelters and rescues have them.

Me and my rescued Schipperke, Bear, at the Blessing of the Animals.

Blah, Blah, Blah

Have you ever had that couple of days where you just feel all BLAH!! I've had those this week. I've just felt so uninspired. I think it may be caused by the seasons changing. Even though fall is a beautiful time of year, it's never been my favorite. I've always really liked spring and summer. There's just not much going on right now. I guess I'm just in between excitement. This weekend is fall break on campus, so I actually get a Saturday and Sunday off. The next two weekends after that will be jam packed. Back to back weekends of Moody Blues concerts. I'm really looking forward to it. I guess that I should be thankful for the peace and quiet, while it lasts. I'm sure afterwards, I'll look back and wish for all of this time that I've spent resting. Work has been good, but really uneventful. That's always good, I suppose. Maybe I'll be more inspired tomorrow and actually have a decent post. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great day!

Here's a little something for all of the Star Wars fans out there. It's another one of those little videos I made at HorrorFest last weekend. I like to call it the "Dancing Boba's". You'll need Quicktime to view the video. Click HERE to watch.

Pets Go Under the Knife for Beauty

I have always known that lots of pets undergo certain types of cosmetic surgery for necessity. I've heard of dental procedures and skin fold procedures, but now it seems that pet owners are willing to shell out the moola to make their pets more attractive as well. As long as my pets are all happy and healthy, that's all I really care about. I would NEVER consider a medical procedure just so they would "look" better. It certainly makes me wonder. To read more about cosmetic surgeries for pets click HERE.

Unbelievable!!

What an incredible story!! A sixth month old, St. Bernard puppy swallowed a 13 inch knife and lived to bark the tale. I've heard of puppies and dogs eating some strange stuff, but this one takes the cake! Maybe I'll relocate all of my cutlery tonight. Take a look at the x-ray:

Photo from MSNBC.com

I guess you just never know, do you? To read the full account, click HERE. Talk about giving a pet owner a heart attack!

Weekends Sure Do Fly By

The weekend was fun but quick. They always seem that way don't they? Casey and I went out to the HorrorFest on Sunday. It wasn't a really big show, but they did have some good Star Wars stuff. We picked up some loose figures and some cards and were on our way. We took advantage of the afternoon in Nashville to do some "running around". We went from the Rivergate area (which is way north Nashville) to Antioch (which is way south Nashville). We made "fun" stops, looking for figures that we were lacking. Anway, we finally made it back to our stomping grounds and stopped to eat at our favorite Chinese Restaurant. It's really cheap, and has the best food! After we got home I tried to watch a little television, but I was so exhausted that I just fell out on the couch. Oh well....hope everyone had a good weekend!

Spinning Bear

For those of you who would like to see a little movie of Bear chasing the flashlight, I've now got a way that you can do that. You'll need Quicktime to view the clip. You can download it, or just watch it. This link will be good for 7 days! Enjoy! For Spinning Bear, click HERE.

Look Who Came To Visit!

It has been such a drab and dreary day. Imagine my suprise, when my one of my student worker's brought her new foster dog to visit me at work today!! It's really made for a bright spot so far. The dog's name is Apache, and she is a Malmute mix. Apache is only 4 months old, but she sure is a sweetie!! I whipped out my trusty camera, as usual, and got a few good pictures of her.

I'm not sure what Casey and I will get up to this weekend. This cool, grey weather just makes me want to stay on the couch, with a blanket, and a cup of hot tea! Tomorrow, we are heading to Nashville to the HorrorFest. We are going out to meet some of our friends that belong to the Star Wars 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new friends, and having lots of great picture opportunities. We may or may not get to the drive in tonight. I haven't checked to see what they have playing yet. Since we'll be out all day tomorrow, we may just stay in tonight and veg.

Hope the weekend is treating everyone well! Maybe some of you will have a nice, furry visitor brighten your day too!

Chasing the Light

It's finally something like fall around the Richardson household. I can finally feel a little bit of chill in the air today. Casey even made us chili to have for lunch. All week the temps have been in the mid 80's, but today we are only going to sit around 61! I suppose that it's time. It's nearly the middle of October. All of our leaves are still green, and there are just now hints that they will change at all. Even thought fall is not my favorite time of year, I still enjoy the change of season. Summer has had us in a long lasting grip this year.

Most nights these days, I walk Bear after dark. I've tried putting his Spotlight tag on his new collar/leash combination, but it seems to bother him. I guess it bonking him in the head is what he doesn't care for. I've decided to take it off for now. Even though we live in a fairly quiet neighborhood, cars still fly up and down the streets. I've been nearly hit serveral times by passing cars. I came up with a new plan, so I could walk at night. I decided to get a MagLite Flashlight to carry with me as I walk. I figured I could turn it on and hopefully the passing cars could see us. They are very heavy as well. I got the big one and figured if anyone bothers me, I can just slam them with it too. I got one yesterday. Last night, Casey put the batteries in and tested it out. We both had completely forgotten that flashlights drive Bear absolutely nuts! I've seen a lot of cats that chase lights like that, but I've never seen a dog more obesessed with it than Bear. He was just crazy chasing it all over the house. He especially likes to turn around and around and chase it in a circle. Then, he walks all over the house running into things like a drunkard. He never seems to tire of it. We played with him for a long time, and we gave up before he did. I guess that I'll have to make sure that I don't point it towards the pavement, while we are walking. We'll just end up going in circles if I do. I may have to rethink this plan. Maybe I'll try the reflective leash and collar. But the way people drive down my street, it may be too late by the time they spot us coming from behind. Anyone have any more suggestions? My camera makes little Quicktime videos. So, Casey and I made one of Bear in his famous "spin" chasing the light. I'm not all that web saavy. So if anyone knows how I can post the video clip here, please leave me a comment. I'd love to share it with everyone.

Taking A Chance On the Numbers

Casey and I have been known to play the lottery, every now and again. With the Powerball jackpot reaching astronomical figures, we'll make sure that we play again this week. I know that the odds are staggering. But since Tennessee's lottery money goes for college scholarships, it's not really like I'm wasting my money. It's more like I'm ensuring my own job security at my university. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about what I'd do with that much money. But today, I feel lucky. I feel like coming up with a list of things I'd like to spend that enormous wealth buying. I don't consider either Casey or myself selfish people. We have a habit of spreading our good fortune. We realize that we are truly blessed, and we like to share. So, here's what I've come up with so far:

1. The first thing I'd do is I'd give at least a million to my local humane association. We are used to operating in an old run down building that was once a car garage. It tends to flood every time it rains. I'd buy them a nice, big piece of property to turn into a sactuary. With the money, they could actually hire people to work for them. Sometimes it's really hard to operate as entirely volunteer.

2. I'd buy my mother a new house. My mother was older, when I was born. She's retired and lives on a fixed income. She has some health problems that really strains her budget. I'd make sure that she was set for the rest of her life, so she wouldn't have to do without the things that she needed.

3. Casey and I would go out and buy the most pet friendly house that we could find. We'd need a wonderful fenced in back yard, complete with doggie doors. We'd also need a huge basement to serve as the fish and reptile room. It would also have a special pantry for pet food and a special storage place for pet related items. I suppose that we would actually have to build our own for those kind of specifications.

4. I'd spend a lot of money pampering my pets (as if they aren't spoiled rotten already.) They would have the best of everything: an unlimited supply of greenies. I think I can see them salivating from here. All the toys they wanted. I'd also have all the time I needed to spend with them.

5. I'd really want Casey to have a nice car. Ever since we started dating nearly 15 years ago, Casey has been content to drive whatever. It's never really mattered to him that much as long as it got him where he was going. Believe me, he's really driven some doozies. Right now, he's driving a 1990 Ford Festiva, which we lovingly refer to as the "Roller Skate". I think he deserves the high style vehicle.

6. This is the car that I'd want.

I just read about it yesterday on Modern Pooch. It's the WOW by Honda. It stands for Wonderful Open Hearted Wagon: completely pet friendly! To read more about the WOW and it's features click HERE and THIS ONE TOO!

7. I would want to make sure that my friends all had what they needed. I have the most wonderful friends, and I'd just like to pay them back for all that they've done for me over the years.

8. I think that I would like to take a Disney vacation cruise. I've never been on a cruise, and a Disney cruise just sounds like the most fun. That's really all that I can think of, right off the top of my head. If you won that gargantuan Powerball jackpot, what would you do with it? Everyone have a great day!

Pets Glued to the Tube?

According to a recent article on MSNBC, pets are now interested in t.v. programming. Scientists have gathered a test group of pets to see what their t.v. watching habits are and how long they watch. So far they've discovered that dogs usually like to watch programs about other dogs, while cats like fast movement on the screen. Apparently, even the networks are getting in on this craze early. Animal Planet is busy working on it's very own pet program, and pet marketing companies are offering t.v. time snacks and other items for our furry friends. I just wonder how long it will take for them to start doing studies on how excessive time spent by pets in front of the t.v. is damaging?! Will it stunt their mental growth? Cause problems in their social lives later on down the road? Should I, as an active pet parent, screen the programs and limit watching time? I've noticed my cats watching. I even have a picture of Mon Amie from the time she sat for hours in front of the t.v. watching. The dogs will watch every once in a while, but they would much rather go out for a walk or play ball. What about your pets? Anyone have thoughts on this topic? To read the full article at MSNBC, click HERE.

Blessing of the Animals

Bear and I had a terrific time at the Blessing of the Animals. Despite really hot weather (it was close to 90 degrees on October 1st!), the animals all behaved nicely. They had a lovely little service for us out in the church parking lot. There was a pretty little decorated arch with flowers and a nice statue of St. Francis. Most of the pets that were there were dogs, but there were a few cats, a turtle and a rabbit that all came for the blessing. Afterwards, they put big bowls of dog treats out in the middle of the parking lot, so the dogs could help themselves. It truly was a little piece of heaven for them. All of the church members that were present were exceptionally nice and welcoming. I really like the priest there too. This was my first year to attend, but I'll definitely mark my calendar for next year. I'm posting a few pictures here. These were taken by my friend Josh, who was there with his dog too. To see more pictures of the day in my flikr album click HERE. I'll be adding some more later this week and posting them on my photoblog as well. Everyone have a great day!

Bear in attendance at Blessing of the Animals.

Opening of the service.

During the service.

Blessing of the animals.

More animal blessings.

Lots of treats!

We Are Blessed

Photo from americancatholic.org Today, Bear and I are attending a Blessing of the Animals. The Episcopal Church in Shelbyville is holding our local service. I'm so excited. Many pet owners around the world take their pets for a special blessing usually held the first weekend in October, when St. Francis Assisi's feast day occurs. The blessing usually goes something like this:

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”

I'll be sure to give you all a full report. For more information on Blessing of the Animals or St. Francis of Assisi, click HERE

The rest of the weekend seems like it will be typical. Casey and I will probably go to the drive-in tonight. I'm not sure what else we'll get into. Everyone have a great weekend!

Pen To Paper

Thursday night, my friend Kim and I made our way to Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville. We were on our way to meet Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series. You all know that I just love this series of books, so I was very excited. The sixth book in the series was just released last Tuesday (A Breath of Snow and Ashes). Casey volunteered to drive us, since there is a Wild Oats Grocery next door. He figured he could peruse, while we rubbed elbows. We got there in time to grab a light dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. We settled for just the salad bar. We figured this would be the quickest meal by far. We drove the block down to the bookstore and arrived with about 15 minutes to spare. There were several groups of people already there, but nothing we couldn't deal with. We went upstairs and grabbed us a spot. Diana came out and spoke with the group for nearly an hour. She is such an interesting lady. She told us about how she originally came up with the idea of writing Outlander. She had seen a handsome man in a kilt on an old Dr. Who show! What a scream!! Anyway, she also told us about her writing process everyday and some upcoming ideas that she has for future novels. Diana then opened the floor to questions. She was so gracious to answer every question in detail. After she was finished, she started to sign novels for everyone. The wait wasn't bad at all, and soon Kim and I were proud owners of autographed copies of A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Diana was extremely warm and friendly in person and took the time to personally speak with everyone. Kim and I had taken other books out of the series to have signed, which she more than graciously did. She even stopped long enough for us to have our picture taken with her. What a great night! Afterwards, we stopped over at Carrabba's to have a bite of dessert. I had the Tiramisu and Kim had the Sogno di Ciccooata or the "Chocolate Dream". We went home satisfied and well stuffed Diana Gabaldon fans.

During the discussion.

Waiting to have our books signed.

With "Herself". L to R: Kim, Diana Gabaldon, and me.

Animal Smackdown At My House

Casey filled me in on possibly one of the funniest stories about our pets EVER this morning. Casey lets the dogs out every morning. Since both Bear and Fergie go out on leash, he takes each one separately to save time. Fergie's outing went without incident. It was Bear's trip out, when the weirdness began. Everything was proceeding normally. You know, Bear trotting along doing the hike and pee thing. Phoebe, one of the three kittens (who is now a 1 1/2)always loves to taunt the dogs while they are out. She loves to play. Most times you can hear her actually galloping through the yard to jump on one of the dogs! Bear stopped to mill around the big maple tree in our front yard and was busy sniffing the hastas. That's when Casey noticed the oncoming attack. He saw Phoebe coming from across the yard. She was at full gallop. Then, she performed a move from what Casey described as Friday Night Smackdown wrestling or something from a Jackie Chan movie. She flew across the yard, jumped, took two strides off the tree for velocity, and slammed with her side into Bear. Casey said he'd never seen a cat do anything THAT strange in his whole life. Not to mention, he was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Poor Bear was just standing there looking utterly bewildered as to what just happened. He was completely caught off guard. Afterwards, Phoebe was just trotting, proudly, through the yard. It sounds like it was hysterical. I just wish that I could have seen it too!

Internet Privacy Issues

As if we didn't have enough internet privacy issues! According to a study, it seems that personal information, i.e. passwords, account numbers, etc. can be detected by listening to the sounds of keyboard clicks!! I guess that MicroSoft will just have to get to work on silent keyboards. How do these people always figure these things out!! Maybe that's a good reason for cat typing. To read more information and the full article click HERE.

New Book Day

Casey and I had a lovely weekend. We did get to the Montana Drive-In on Saturday night. Both movies turned out to be pretty good. I was most impressed with Lord of War. I really feel it is worthy of a see anyway. Sunday we just really stayed around the house. We had planned to go out and do some shopping, but the storms rolled in and changed our minds. The day was indicative of naps on the couch. We did managed to get to our little local theatre to see Just Like Heaven. It was suprisingly good. I think even Casey enjoyed it.

Despite feeling under the weather yesterday, I was happy to get my brand new book by Diana Gabaldon. The sixth book in her Outlander series is finally in the hands of readers. It's called A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Even in my incapacitated state, I managed to at least get a couple of chapters read. Hopefully, I'll get a lot more reading done today. My coworker, Kim, and I are really looking forward to meeting Diana Gabaldon tomorrow night at her booksigning. We are busy trying to decide what to wear, and what we would like to ask her. I suppose that I'll be lugging all six books with me to get signed.

There's not much else going on today. Just the usual. Here's a link to a dog health trivia quiz. It's pretty interesting and packed full of good information. Click HERE to take it yourself. Everyone have a great day!

Little Dogs Lost

Pennie is back from Why Rush?. She's spent the past couple of weeks working in Louisiana in the hurricane relief zone. She's posted some really good pictures of pets that have been separated from their owners. With her permission, I'm posting some of them here in hopes of their owners finding them. If anyone recognizes any of these pets, please contact Pennie so she can give you their location information. Pennie is a wonderful vet tech that volunteered her services to help. Here is some of her work:

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Humane Society of Louisiana camp (which we lovingly call "camp chaos" now).

If anyone reading this recognizes these girls I sure would like to see them go back to their rightful owners. They're females and it looks like Louise (the black chihuahua) has had a litter of pups and is a little older than Thelma (the tan chihuahua). Louise also has one ear that bends down (making her look oh so cute). She also has some skin issues which we think was due to the flea infestation they came in with. Thelma is also much more shy and it's hard to get her out of her kennel as she cowers in the back. If you recognize these girls or know who owns them please contact the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge at 201-337-5180. They came in from New Orleans parish.

I ended up naming a lot of the dogs that came in. Scrunt was one of the first I named (and who stole my heart). I'd open his kennel and he'd come flying into my arms and wiggles and kisses. He had a collar on, so was moved to the Humane Society shelter in Hattiesburg, MS. where I hope his owners find him cause he's a great guy.

I hope all of these pets find their way back into the loving arms of their owners. Thanks so much Pennie, for letting me share your story!

New Art Charity Auction

Teresa, the wonderful artist from Hatamaran, has a new e-bay charity auction. It's for another one of her beautiful, original creations. All of the proceeds go to the HSUS hurricane relief efforts. The auction ends October 4th. For more information or to bid, click the picture below or the one in the sidebar.

Noogie isn't going to sit around and do nothing for his four-legged friends on the Gulf Coast. He's taking a bag of his best treats to share with his less fortunate friends. Impressed by his generous behavior, a flock of bluebirds have followed suit, filling their bags with birdseed and nuts to help their feathered friends build up enough energy to find new trees and homes.

Fun Week Ahead

It's finally the weekend. I've spent so much time lately focused on the Katrina animal rescue efforts, that I haven't had much time to personally report. Things are going just swimmingly around the Richardson household. Casey is really enjoying his new job. He's also lost a considerable amount of weight. He went down another belt loop just this week. Tick off notch number 7 for him. It does seem that I've found all that weight he's lost. (Note to self: quit pigging out after this weekend!!). Casey and I did a little shopping last night. We are trying to find Casey some new shorts that fit. It looks like we've waited a little late in the season. We ended up with nothing in the pants department. He did get a new pair of sneakers. Since he walks over 7 hours a day, he goes through a pair pretty fast. I ended up with a new pair too (yipee!! I do love new shoes). We stopped by PetsMart and got the dogs a few new things. Some of their old toys had gotten pretty ragged, so I wanted to replace them. They ended up with a new rope, ball, and chews.

The only dark spot on life you ask? Casey's cousin, Andrew, is deploying to Iraq this week. He's in the army and is deploying out of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Casey and I both just love Andrew and dread seeing him leave. We know that he'll be there for at least 12 months. Andrew just loves mail and having paper letters especially. So if any of you readers would like to have an army penpal leave a comment or e-mail me, and I'll be glad to hook you up with his address.

I'm looking forward to an exciting week next week. On Thursday after work, I'm headed up to Nashville to Davis-Kidd Booksellers. One of my favorite writers, Diana Gabaldon, is doing a book signing there. Her new novel A Breath of Snow and Ashes the sixth in the Outlander series, is due for release this coming Tuesday. I've officially cleared my book reading schedule for this. I'm really looking forward to it. My co-worker, who introduced me to the Outlander series, is going with me. It promises to be a really fun night. I'll be sure to get some pictures to post here.

Tonight, Casey and I are going to do one of our favorite things. We are going to the Montana Drive-In. It's been a couple of months since we've been there, and we really miss it. I'm looking forward to one of their hand dipped corn dogs, big vat of popcorn, and funnel cakes (could this be the reason for non loss of weight.....naaaaah!!). Since dusk is falling earlier, we should get home at a fairly decent hour. Those 2 a.m. movies were killing me! I think we'll be taking in the double feature of Lord of War and Transporter 2. A night of action movies for Casey. Not bad entertainment for $5! I've got to go and get a ton of stuff done. I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected as Hurricane Rita made landfall early this morning.

Flu Season for Dogs?

In the past couple of days, I've read and been sent by friends several articles on "dog flu". This flu has killed several racing greyhounds across the country and has been detected in several kennels. Just like the strains of flu that affect humans, it is most commonly spread among dogs that are kenneled together and are kept in close contact. The CDC is on the case doing studies and research. Once again, just like the flu that affects us, this "dog flu" most commonly affects the young and elderly dogs. Research is encouraging. The dog flu is much less deadly than the Parvo virus. Scientists studying the disease say that it would be relatively easy to develop a flu vaccine for dogs. The two most common flu antiagents are very successful at suppressing and combating "dog flu". There also have been no documented cases of the "dog flu" being transferred to humans. The most common symptoms of "dog flu" are coughing, fever, and a runny nose. In some cases it can be fatal, but this is mostly because pneumonia develops. Most dogs can recover quite well from it. Scientists assure the public that there is no need for hysteria over the epidemic. For full information and history, check out the New York Times article HERE.

And while we are on the subject of health issues for dogs, I received this e-mail alert from DogAge yesterday. You can sign up to receive these DogAge tips weekly by visiting HERE.

Spotting Spotted Fever September 22, 2005

New research reveals another potential health reason for keeping your dog tick-free.

Scientists have recently discovered that a very common type of dog tick can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans. Early-stage symptoms of the illness can include fever, nausea, muscle pain, and headache. So far, carrier ticks have only been found in a small area of Arizona, but an appropriate flea and tick control program is always a smart health move for your pet.

Just a couple of facts to consider, when planning for one of your best friend's health.

Keeping Them In Our Thoughts

I just want to ask all of my readers to keep Chrissy from Warm Puppies, Fuzzy Kitties, and Life and others in the path of Rita in your good thoughts, prayers, and wishes. As of yesterday, she was waiting to hear if she would be under mandatory evacuation. I just hate it that this is happening all over again so soon. Please remember to support the HSUS, American Humane, the ASPCA, Noah's Wish, and the many other animal agencies that support pets and their owners during these times. Also please remember the American Red Cross. They will need our help now more than ever. Their donation buttons are in the sidebar.

Here's one more way that you can help future hurricane evacuees and their pets. I received this from my Petwarmers list. A petition is circulating asking the Red Cross to set up shelters that will accept pet owners, along with their pets.

PETITION TO KEEP PETS WITH THEIR OWNERS DURING DISASTERS

Dear Petwamers:

Several people on Petwarmers have asked what they can do so that in the event of another national disaster, pets will not be separated from their guardians. They can sign the petition at this website:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/750226838?ltl=1127397493

The petition asks the national Red Cross to emulate a local Red Cross program in Nassau County, New York, called Pet Safe, which was started by Red Crossvolunteer, Nancy Lynch. It is the first of its kind in the nation.

Over 25,000 people have already signed the petition and it only takes a minute to fill out. The system centralizes signature collection to provide consolidated, useful reports for petition authors and targets. Please forward this email to others you believe share your concern. Thanks.

You may click the link to sign the petition in the letter above or click HERE

Voice Check In

Guide Dog Reunited With Owner

I saw a really good video link on MSNBC this morning. A New Orleans resident got separated from his guide dog, when he was rescued after Hurricane Katrina. This is the video reunion of the two. Click HERE to see the video and hear their story.

Good Night Moon

We had the most beautiful full moon out last night. It was so bright outside, that I could barely believe it wasn't the middle of the day. Casey and I rushed outside to see if we could get any decent pictures. It was really beautiful with the moon shining with the wispy clouds passing over. We don't have quite the type of camera to get the shots we wanted to, but here are a few that we managed.

I SEE THE MOON

I see the moon

The moon sees me

The moon sees the one I long to see

So God bless the moon and God bless me

And God bless the one I long to see.

HSUS Request

The HSUS is asking for governmental help to rescue the remaining animals stranded by Katrina. They are asking all animal lovers to get involved. Here's the request that I received today:

On Wednesday, one of our Disaster Animal Response Teams in New Orleans rescued a St. Bernard from a rooftop – a dog they described as the most emaciated animal they had ever seen in all their years of handling animals. The veterinarian who treated the dog was shocked that the animal, who weighed just 40 pounds, was still alive.

Who helped us rescue this animal? It was several National Guardsmen, who heeded our rescuers’ pleas to take them through the water on a tank so they could get up on the roof to save the dog.

But the troops’ actions were not ordered by the National Guard – nor by the White House, the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, or the state of Louisiana. In fact, despite our repeated requests, none of these entities has formally agreed to marshal their ground forces to help rescue the pets and other animals slowly starving to death in the affected areas.

At a press conference just a few hours ago, I implored the federal government to come up with the nation's first animal rescue plan. Now, I am writing to ask you to give them the same message: Please call or email President Bush and other officials today and urge them to help us before it’s too late.

Time is running out for these animals. Every hour that passes means more pets, locked behind closed doors in the disaster zone, will die of starvation. Our teams are working as hard as they can to reach as many pets as they can - and as we reported to you on Wednesday, we’ve rescued thousands. But there are thousands more.

At this 11th hour, when so many lives are at stake, we are asking you to help. I urge you to contact these government officials today and ask them to help rescue animals before it is too late. Please click here to call or send an email to President Bush and other federal and state officials who have the power to order National Guardsmen and other responders to assist with food drops, help supply our own operations, and do whatever else it takes to save animals.

One of our rescuers said it best: “We should not have to rely on the compassionate instincts of individual Guardsmen to rescue these animals. We need the full commitment of the government.”

Members of Congress have also been calling on President Bush and the federal agencies to actively assist with direct animal rescue. With most of the human victims of the catastrophe removed from the city, it’s not too late to save animals’ lives. It’s time for the government to recognize the incredible bond between people and their pets, and step in to help.

Thank you so much for your support of our disaster teams, and for all you do for animals.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle

President & CEO

The Humane Society of the United States

To help click the link above or the button below:

When Interests Collide

I just love it when two of my favorite things are found together in unexpected places. Check out one of today's entry's at Stuff On My Cat.

09/16: Stormstroopers prefer feline transportation

Stress In Pets?

In my morning reading over at MSNBC, I've stumbled over an interesting article. According to experts, pets can suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome the same as humans. The way we treat our animals after a traumatic event can determine how well they recover. Instead of giving them the extra touchy-feely attention, professionals recommend that we help reassure them by returning them to their normal lives and routines as soon as possible. They've included a list of symptoms to look for that may indicate stress in your pet. Animal behavior really interests me, and I've found the article quite fascinating. To read the full story click HERE.

A Salute to Heroes

Don't miss Animal Planet Heroes: Hurricane Rescues, this Friday at 9 p.m. ET. Would you like to learn more about the men and women involved in the Hurricane Katrina animal rescue efforts? This Friday, Animal Planet is hosting a special about folks that are braving the elements to rescue these animal victims. The preview looks really good, so I'm planning on watching. If you would like to see a program preview, click HERE.

Confessions

I'm feeling so uninspired blog wise today. I have not one idea of anything interesting to say. There, I've said it. Everything's fine. I'm just trickle in the river of ideas today. So, I'll leave you with some other good people's fine work. Watch the HSUS disaster teams in action. Click for a cool SLIDESHOW. Click here to see how a network of volunteers reunited two terriers with their owners all the way in New York! Everyone have a great afternoon.

Things That Make Me Happy Today

I try every once in a while to just be thankful for the little things. Nothing has taught me that lesson more than this past year has. There's a lot of things making me happy today. Sometimes I just have to make myself a list.

1. My husband

2. My mother

3. My family (all my furries included)

4. A good job

5. Lunch out today

6. Taking Bear for a walk

7. Leaving for work with a clean house

8. A humane association INBOX full of offers to give our animals good homes

9. So many families finally reunited after the wrath of Katrina.

10. Good friends

11. Memories of a happy childhood

12. Tickets to a Moody Blues concert.

13. Meeting Diana Gabaldon later this month. There's so many more. I just have to remind myself to always remember these things. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Moving On

It's finally the weekend. This past week has been such a whirlwind. Thankfully, it's starting to slow down to a normal pace. I've been so busy catching up, after last weekend's trip. It seems no matter how much I get accomplished, I always have much more to do. I'm back to my normal work schedule. Casey is working overtime this weekend, which will pay off later with extra time off. I don't have anything officially planned for the weekend. I think Casey and I will be resting tomorrow (as if we have the stamina to keep going!) I've decided to take Monday off at the kennel. There's a lot of housework and laundry that I need to get caught up. I've been so busy they past several weeks, that I've let the house go. I'll be posting all of the Dragon*Con photos over on the photoblog today. There's quite a few really good pictures that I didn't get the chance to post here. Everyone have a great weekend! By the way, seems my comments have been getting spammed lately. I've turned on the word verification to help alleviate this problem for now. Everyone just hang in there with me.

Seeking the Lost

Pennie of Why Rush? is on her way, along with other veterinary medical professionals, to Mississippi. Pennie is a talented vet tech and is volunteering to help with the animal rescue missions. She's hoping to blog post her experiences. Everyone please join together with me in wishing Pennie a safe and very successful mission. My thoughts and prayers are with her. May she bring rescue, comfort, and peace to those whose lives she touches.

A Prayer for Animals

By Albert Schweitzer

Hear our humble prayer, O God,

for our friends the animals,

especially for animals who are suffering;

for any that are hunted or lost

or deserted or frightened or hungry;

for all that must be put to sleep.

We entreat for them all

Thy mercy and pity,

and for those who deal with them

we ask a heart of compassion

and gentle hands and kindly words.

Make us be true friends to animals

and so to share

the blessings of the merciful.

A Picture That Says It All

Laura Skelding / Austin American-Statesman

A really touching picture from MSNBC's Animal Tracks slideshow. It just makes my heart break in half every time I look at it. I spent most of yesterday calling everyone I know, e-mailing, and gathering cat and dog supplies. My humane association is helping to fill 2 tractor trailer loads of horse, donkey, cat, and dog supplies to be taken to the Baton Rouge area to the overloaded shelters there. I know that a lot of you are animal lovers out there and feel like I do. Even if you can't send money, look around your home for extras that you have. Just simple things like flea collars, regular collars, leashes, treats, and a couple extra cans of food are a huge help in a crunch. I'm awfully proud that Tennessee is living up to its nickname of the The Volunteer State. I know that the Nashville Humane Association is working with the American Humane Association on hurricane relief as is the Davidson County Animal Shelter and the Memphis Shelby County Humane Association. I'm sure there are many, many others in the area as well. I even heard that they are preparing a special animal shelter in Franklin, TN just for pets of evacuees. The volunteers that are in the affected areas rescuing and saving these pets have my utmost respect. It's a wonderful thing that they do. My heart and prayers are with them.

Dragon*Con Day 3

Monday at the con wasn't quite so hectic. Many people were checking out and headed for home. It was really the first day that you could walk everywhere uninhibited. It finally felt like you could breathe. We only had a couple of things left to do. One of them was to meet the guys from the 501st Legion. It's amazing how much work those guys and girls put into their costumes. We also learned how much charity work they also do in communities. A really good group of people. I met a few people from the sister organization called The Rebel Legion. Very neat folks as well. After all of this, we made one last run through the dealers' rooms to make sure there wasn't anything there we couldn't live without. Afterwards, we just headed for home. All in all, I had a great time at Dragon*Con. It was an experience. I'm posting a few more pictures below. Hopefully before the end of the week, I'll have the full set posted on my photoblog. Everyone have a good afternoon.

The Incredibles

Chasing Wookies

We spent forever at the con on Sunday. We were up and ready early. There were lots of programs and panels that we wanted to attend. The first up, was to meet Peter Mayhew, who to Star Wars fans is Chewbacca. Casey and I were lucky. When we arrived at the booth, we were first in line. I can't remember ever being first in line for anything. It was a welcome change from the day before at registration. Anyway, the autographs were supposed to begin at 10:00, according to the program book. We waited and waited. We finally found a Con worker to confirm that Mr. Mayhew was actually scheduled to be there. She confirmed that yes, he probably was on his way. While flipping through the programming, Casey discovered he had been double booked and was busy working a children's hour. We started to wonder if he was really scheduled at all. The children's hour was schedule two hotels over, so we took off. As we got there, we passed Mr. Mayhew on his way out. We decided to go and speak to the lady in charge of the Star Wars scheduling. She told us that he was indeed scheduled to sign autographs over at the main dealer's room shortly. Casey and I took off once again, racing the two blocks back over to where we were in the first place. We did really well. Not only did we make it back, but we beat Mr. Mayhew to the booth and were once again, first in line! I got my autograph and got my picture made with him. We also got to speak with him a little. A very nice man indeed.

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and me. While waiting for Mr. Mayhew, Casey and I also ran into Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace. He is such a super nice guy. He was posing for picture before he even got to his booth for free! He's very talented in martial arts. I was a bit suprised that he was shorter than I was. I guess I expected Darth Maul to be really tall. We also got to see the likes of Marina Sirtis and LeVar Burton (Diana Troy and Geordie LaForge from Star Trek: The Next Generation), Lou Ferigno, and others.

After the Star Walk in the dealer's room, we headed out to our programs. We attended an Expanded Universe discussion, a MSTK3000 style showing of The Empire Strikes Back, which was absolutely hysterical. One of the most fun sessions we attended was lightsaber dueling. The instructor was Dr. Bill Ernoehazy, Jr, who is an ER doctor and martial arts, sword fighting instructor expert. Dr. Bill was highly entertaining, and while we were only fighting with our meager lightsabers, we were learning real martial arts swordfighting techniques. It was 3 hours long and too much fun. I guess I'm just a big kid at heart, and I still love to play. Here's a group shot of our session.

Lightsaber Dueling

After we finished lightsaber dueling, we headed out for our last program of the night. It was Star Wars Fan Films. Most were spoofs and were hysterical! You can click the link above to view a few of the ones that we saw. We saw Sith Apprentice, Pink Five, Pink Five Strikes Back, and also watched the very first premier of The Return of Pink Five, and many others. By the time we finished it was almost 2 a.m.! We finally drug weary selves back to the hotel and turned in for the night. More tomorrow.....Everyone have a great day!

Charity Auction

Teresa from Hatamaran, is a wonderful artist. She especially does wonderful pet artwork. Teresa is holding an EBAY auction for a piece of her artwork to raise money for pet rescue and relief, due to Hurricane Katrina. She is donating 100% of the profits to The Humane Society of the United States. The auction runs until Sept. 9th, 8:27 p.m. CST. To make a bid or for more information, click her picture below or in the sidebar:

I've also added a banner to the top of the page. Anyone wishing to donate to the HSUS Disaster Fund, may do so by clicking.

Home from the Con

What a weekend!! I feel like I've been gone forever! I tried a couple of times to Audio Blog, but I couldn't get a signal out of the dealer rooms at the hotels. I had a blast at DragonCon! I've had a good hardy dose of Star Wars. Attendance was incredible. The con spread between 3 hotels. It was like fighting your way upstream just to walk anywhere. Casey and I hadn't pre-registered, so we had to go through on-site registration. The line for registration was 4 hours long!! I can't believe that I had enough patience to endure it. We got in line before 11 a.m. and when we finished it was after 2:30 p.m.! How do you describe DragonCon? Well, I got to see so many great costumes (and a lot of people with very tiny costumes...if you get my meaning), I went to a lot of great panels, and I met a lot of great people. Since I was there for a full 3 days, I'll be making posts in installments. Today I'll do an overview of Saturday.

When we finally got out of the registration line, we went to the Star Wars Costume Contest. It kicked off with a spoof band called Aero Sith. They did rock using the actual movie dialogue in songs. It was really funny. The costumes. Talk about creativity, these guys really had it going on!! All of the costumes were handmade. The details were amazing. There were several of Princess Leia and Padme'; really beautiful gowns. There were a couple of Stormtrooper types. One was of an especially intricate expanded universe character. There was a totally homemade costume of Chewbacca. It was so good that it looked very professional. While the judges made their decision, we were entertained by Luke Ski . He's a big parody guy, much like Weird Al. He's been a regular on Dr. Demento a lot. His show was really funny! The winners were announced by Daniel Logan, who played the young Boba Fett in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. After the contest, I ran into a guy who bears a striking resemblence to Ewan McGregor. His Obi Wan was spot on! Here's some pics of the Costume Contest winners, some great costumes at the contest, and me with "Obi Wan".

Costume Contest Winners:

Other Great Costumes at the show:

The Incredibles made an appearance.

Me and "Obi Wan":

Another one of "Obi Wan"

Afterwards, we went to the Star Wars Trivia Challenge. I so should have entered. I knew almost every answer. Then it was time for the Mr. Star Wars Contest. It was a male pagent of sorts, and it was absolutely hysterical. The guys all had to parade in and do all sorts of stuff like skits, answer questions, and cite pick up lines. I haven't laughed that hard in a long, long time. Finally, it was time to head back to our room for the night. More tomorrow.....have a good afternoon everyone!