Lucking Out...

I had my second pre-natal appointment on December 26th. This was the one I was worried about - I was certain all those cookies would be coming back to haunt me. Well, I must say that I was lucky. I actually LOST a pound and a half. The interesting thing about being four months pregnant - is that I'm the thinnest I've been in a really long time. Funny how that works.

In Praise of the Office Cookie Tin...

It's my first day back at work, after a brief stint on holiday, and while I was gone it doesn't appear that much happened. I had largely sorted through the few outstanding bits and pieces when it appeared...the variety cookie tin. Sent by a dear man who reps our products, yet whom I don't really know. All I have to say is these are some KICK ASS "cookie tin" cookies. In keeping with the theme of my last post - this cookie tin might be instrumental in pushing me over the edge of weight gain but I just can't help it - I think I'm growing a cookie monster.

On Becoming a Big, Fat Pig...

In one of my literature classes in college we had to do a project that involved selecting a book that had an "impact" on us. Then we basically had to tell the class why. I remember picking "Charlotte's Web" because, as I told the class, I identified with the main character - the loveable pig Wilbur.

It was a joke back then. But now that I'm pregnant I have this fear building inside me...that I'm going to gain a ton of weight and get in trouble with my doctor. Perhaps the fear of gaining weight actually stems from the knowledge that my diet has been crappy the last couple of weeks and soon I'm going to have to face the scale and possibly the music.

I know I'm supposed to eat all kinds of healthy things so the baby is healthy but what I really like is sweets, which I've always loved, but now it seems to be the easiest thing to reach for. I was riding pretty high, that I'd come this far without gaining a pound, but I fear the baby's calorie burn will soon no longer be able to keep up with the calories I'm putting in there, and soon they will be showing up at weigh in time. Perhaps that would be a good new years resolution...try not to become too big of a big fat pig!!

Whose Popular??? My Boyfriend, that's who!!!

For the fourth year in a row my boyfriend, Dale Earnhardt Jr, was voted Nascar's Most Popular Driver. Of the 2,835,277 total votes received, Junior came away with 1,172,195 of them. Good for him.

I'm a Fan of Underwear, but if I wasn't...

I saw these in my latest Cosmo magazine. I had no idea that so many people went without underwear, that it warrants a product like this. It's the "Commandos" underwear patch, which can be purchased at GoCommandos, for $16.00 per pack. They are offered in denim for your jeans or light pink for your lighter colored pants. Just stick this disposable patch into your pants to protect yourself and your clothes and off you go. Just think of how many happy guys there will be out there, now that there is an easier way for their women to go without underwear. Woo hoo!!!!

Here's a Good One...

For the last week or two, I've been having some crazy f*cked up dreams. I'm attributing it to the fact that I'm pregnant, but last nights dream was hysterical. In the dream my dear husband and I were trying out to be cheerleaders...why I have no idea. I was totally psyched because I was able to do a split, really well, and the coach was really happy about it. He kept telling everyone how great my split was. I woke up almost laughing at the whole thing. My dear husband wasn't sure what to think about it. Oh well, I guess it's just one of those things.

Victory thy name is Emmitt...

I must say that I was pleased with the outcome of last nights "Dancing With the Stars" finale. While Mario Lopez was more technically proficient - Emmitt, like Drew Lachey last year, was the "every man" who proved he had talent and really gave every dance his all. Obviously the fan favorite, I was really pulling for him and I'm glad he got to hoist that sparkly disco ball trophy high into the air last night.

Way to go Emmitt!!!

Just One Word..."Why"?

The guy on the country radio station was talking about this item this morning. Why on earth would someone spend $9.95 plus shipping to get this item for their dog or someone elses? And an even bigger question...what dog would actually hold this item in their mouth, like the dog shown in the picture? I never found wax lips to be all that fun when we had them as kids...so I really don't see the point of this at all.

Pigs In Tiger's Clothing...

I just thought this picture was so cute. The story goes that a mother tiger in California gave birth to a rare set of triplet babies that died due to complications. She recovered from the delivery but her health began to decline because she was very sad. Zoo workers thought if she could surrogate another mother's cubs she might do better. Unfortunately there were no other tiger cubs who needed a mommy. The only "orphans" that could be found quickly were these baby pigs. So they wrapped them in tiger skins and put them around the mother. They seemed to have gotten along just fine.

How Dare He...

In 1982 my parents bought us a Colecovision Gaming system, which seemed to have the best graphics of any other system at the time. One of our favorite games was "Smurf Rescue" that Emru Townsend of PC World has ranked 6th on his list of "Worst Video Games Ever" for many reasons. Regardless of what he said - it still holds a fond place in my heart.

Hmmmm....

It's reported that she also dated Baltimore Oriole Brady Anderson. Makes me wonder, you know?

Is It Wrong...

Is it wrong to be happy that this guy's hypocritical existance was finally busted wide open for his "followers" and the world to see? My question is this...if you know you have an issue with something in your life (that "something" being either homosexuality, drug addiction or both, since I'm still not sure which he's admitted to) why would you become the leader of the largest Evangelical Christian church in the US. Why wouldn't you just live your life and if one day you decide that you can no longer live without the drugs or the dicks, then you just divorce your poor wife and move on. At least then it's only her life and the lives of your five kids you've screwed up...not the lives of the 14,000 people who looked to you as a messenger of God. It's not a very Christian way of me to think I guess, but I just don't get it.

Sour Grapes or a Bad Joke...

The big debate seems to be...was Faith Hill really cheesed off that new-comer Carrie Underwood pulled the "Female Vocalist of the Year" award rug out from under her - or was it a joke like she claims. I don't know why she thought it would be seen as funny. I haven't been following Faith all that closely recently but has she done something spectacular this award year? I know she toured with her husband and she has an album which radio is currently playing songs from but Carrie Underwood has had a pretty rapid ascent to super stardom since winning 2005's American Idol competition. To me it looks like she was so dumbfounded she couldnt react any other way. Oh, well women are called catty bitches for a reason sometimes.

"Culture Club Declares War on Boy George"

How could I pass up commenting on a headline like that? Two founding members of the "Club" are furious with Boy George because he accepted a classic songwriting award at the Q Music Awards for "Karma Chameleon". The guys are saying that they should have been there with "Boy" to accept the award because they wrote the song collectively. It seems that these guys are mad because "Boy" always got more attention then them. I had no idea the "Club" was still open for business but it seems they are starting a British tour December 7th, sans George of course, because "the only person George loves is George."

Who Would You Pay $7500 to Spend an Evening With?

On the satellite radio show that I sometimes listen to on my way home from work, the women were talking about how Dennis Rodman is "selling himself" on Ebay or Craig's List for $7500.00 for an evening. Then they posed the question to each other - who would you pay $7500.00 to spend an evening with. They also said it had to be someone currently living. So the question now is...who would you pick?

If Only I Lived Closer...

I was online this morning and found out that stop number eight on the 2007 PBR Built Ford Tough Series has been dubbed the "Dale Jr PBR Clash". That's right, my favorite cowboy (Justin McBride) could possibly win the inaugural "Dale Jr PBR Clash" title. What a sweet combo - two of my Top 5 together. Now all I need to do is come up with an excuse to be in Charlotte the weekend of January 26th thru 28th!!!

It Really is a Cake Walk...

We are training someone new at my job...she's 42...and unlike "young people" now-a-days she's a real go getter. So much so that you can't even get to your desk in the morning and turn on your computer without her asking if there's anything she can do for you. While I value her drive we're really just not that high energy around here. As crazy as it sounds I've become accustomed to a certain amount of down time in my day. It affords me the luxury of emailing friends, posting on my blog, watching episodes of TV shows that I've missed...you name it. I know I'm supposed to be highly motivated and driven but after eight years I've learned how to take care of the customers as well as myself. I appreciate the cake-walk that is my job most days and it never seems more evident of just how nice I have it until we're training someone new and there isn't much for them to do. At least it seems management hasn't picked up on it yet. Though I think they're just as into free-cell and solitare as I am into Pop Candy and Blogger. I just don't want the apple cart upset that's all, is that too much to ask?

The Top Five...

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.







2. Matthew McConaughey











3. Justin McBride












4. Mark Harmon












5. Chase Utley

Life Is But A Dream...

Friday night was a big night for me. I got to meet one of my "Top 5"...you know one of the guys I could sleep with if the opportunity arose and it would be like a free pass. According to the rules...reiterated to me by my ween...I need to make the list public. So you will now all be privy to my Number 3 - JUSTIN MCBRIDE. Friday night was my first time watching bull riding live up at the Sovereign Center in Reading. After all 45 guys rode their bulls and most of the spectators left I noticed people gathering at the rail. To my delight - the cowboys came out and went around the ring signing autographs. I grabbed my program and quickly took my place next to the veteran's of this kind of thing. While I waited patiently to see if Justin McBride would come out I got to look at scads of cute cowboys. Finally as the fervor drew to an end - he appeared. The reigning world champion of the PBR - all 5'9" 155 pounds of him. He stopped and signed the program of the lady next to me. Then she noticed he was wearing his World Champion belt buckle so she asked to see it and when he lifted his shirt - she uttered that it was beautiful. Once that exchange was over he moved on to me. I had my program open to his special page - he signed it and I asked if I could shake his hand. He smiled sweetly and said "sure". So I did. Then he moved on to the twelve year old girl next to me. I feel I had good positioning between the lady in her 50's and the pre-teen girl. No big busted hussy's in sight to distract the cowboys. It was so way cool!!! One down four to go.

This Wasn't a Good Idea The First Time Around...

Why on earth must the smart, attractive women of this great land buy into the resurrection of this horrible leggings and oversized sweater trend made famous in the 80's? All it does for me is fuel painful flashbacks to my junior high years when the trend came around the first time. Granted I believe the "leggings" I had were actually "stirrup pants" but the effect was the same. God bless my 12 or 13 year old sense of fashion, that thought white leggings and a long pastel pink and white striped tunic style top were all I needed to be the belle of the junior high school ball. I think that was the outfit I was wearing when I made the horrific revelation, once at the dance, that I had forgotten to put on my bra before leaving home. Not that I really needed it, but I was convinced everyone would look at me and know. Not a fun evening. Oh well, I can guarantee I will leave this fashion fad where it deserves to be - in the PAST!!

A Realization...

I could never be a contestant on "The Biggest Loser" because I refuse to workout until I throw-up.

Top of the Heap...

Tuesday night my boy Joey Lawrence danced an inspired "Quick Step" and came out as the judges darling with a 29 out of 30. I didn't vote this week because I didn't have the energy to go online and wait for everything to come up. Shanna Moakler, the former Mrs. Travis Barker, was booted last night and I would have to say that I agreed with that. While Jerry Springer isn't very good technically, he has his loyal following to keep him around another week or two, but no one really cared much about Moakler. The highlight of the night for me was guest singer Julio Iglesias singing Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is". Hello? What is he trying to do with that?

Funny...

I started watching Nascar in college, because I
went to the races with my brother and his friends.
Now I watch with my husband - mainly for the
one minute a race where they may talk to
Dale Earnhardt Jr, otherwise known as
"my boyfriend".

I'm a Cantalope F*cker....

Saturday night I went to visit my Ween for her 30th birthday and we went to see Jon Stewart at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. He is just one of the funniest men alive. He started his night with discussions about the President and the state of our world. He was quick to note that G.W.'s response to any question he doesn't want to answer is, "There are people out there trying to kill us." Yeah, we know...there always have been and there always will be. He then moved on to talk about how extremists on both ends of the political spectrum are the ones controlling things because they mobilize. While us moderates are busy doing other things. I've often said that - so it was nice to have my views substantiated by Mr. Stewart.

One of the funniest parts of his act was when he talked about having problems with his computer. How he bought a top of the line Mac5 and had trouble five months later and everyone at the store acted like it was a Commodore 64. He also went on to say he bought the computer to play games and how one night he shook his wife awake at 4:00am to tell her he saved the world and her response was, "You've been playing for nine hours?" Who among us with a 30-something year old husband can't identify with that story.

The set-up of the venue was a little strange but the seats were good and everyone sat in rapt attention during his entire hour and a half performance. Even the opening comic was pretty funny - so it made for a great night.

I've Gone And Done It...

I committed the cardinal sin of early TV season viewing...I watched the pilot for a new TV show and liked it, so it will most certainly be cancelled. After "Dancing With The Stars" ABC aired the show "Men in Trees". It stars Anne Heche as a relationship coach who finds out her fiancee is cheating on her. Cliche, I know. She's on her way to a little town in Alaska for a speaking engagement when she finds out - and much craziness ensues. Of course there is only one bar in town and very little cell phone service. It's kind of Northern Exposurey, only the new girl in town is actually a girl (which of course the town seriously lacks). Despite the cliche's I found the show funny and there are a few familar faces...like the big orderly from ER. It's going to normally air on Friday nights at 9:00pm - I'm usually home, so as long as I don't forget it's on I will hopefully get to enjoy it some more - that is before the corporate executives deem it unworthy and replace it with reruns of "The George Lopez Show" or something horrible like that.

Okay...it sucked me in.

I must admit I watched Dancing With The Stars last night. It wasn't a conscious decision but before I knew it two hours had passed and now I'm hooked. Joey Lawrence was first up and all I can say is "Hello? Where have you been hiding?" He could really "cha,cha,cha" if you know what I mean. He wore a sleeveless shirt and who knew Blossom's little brother had such big guns. His dance pants showed off his nice tight butt too - does anyone have a quarter I can bounce? He's one of my early favorites.

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum was Tucker Carlson. I think he should shove his bow-tie up his ass - he SUCKED!!!! If he's not eliminated tonight it will be a grievious injustice against one of the other performers. Last season Master P stomped through several weeks before his not caring ass was booted. Let's do everyone a favor and get rid of Tucker tonight. Not one ounce of rhythm here or desire for that matter.

The pleasent surprise of the night was Emmitt Smith. That boy can really dance. I think he's paired with Drew Lachey's partner from last year. He may not have the long, lythe lines of a dancer but he rocked. I hope he stays around for a while so we can see what else he can do.

Below I've listed how I would rank the celebrities this week. I will admit I even went so far as to vote online last night after the show - I evenly split my 11 votes between Joey and Emmit, with my one extra going to Sara Evans.

First - Mario Lopez (Another boy with a nice tight ass - just made for dancing - yummy)
Second - Joey Lawrence (Who said bald heads aren't sexy!)
Third - Vivica A. Fox (Props to the 40 year old - the judges called her "dirty" - how can you not love that?)
Fourth - Emmitt Smith (Nice smile, good rhythm let's keep him around.)
Fifth - Monique Coleman (From "High School Musical" - she's young and flexible - she should go far!)
Sixth - Willa Ford (her description said "pop star" - I'm not familar, we'll have to see what happens there.)
Seventh - Shanna Moakler (the soon to be ex-wife of Travis Barker - talked about the personal problems she's having right now too much. I don't want to hear about your divorce - I just want to see you dance. Is it wrong that I think her husband is hot in a skinny, tattooed, pierced rocker kind of way?)
Eighth - Sara Evans (I love her pipes, she's going to have to loosen up for the judges to like her.)
Ninth - Jerry Springer (He tried, and wasn't too terrible. Very much like George Hamilton last year - so not really a serious contender.)
Tenth - Harry Hamlin (He rotted almost as much as Tucker Carlson - talk about stick up your ass stiff - he really needs to let loose or he's going to be my bottom pick next week.)
Eleventh - Tucker Carlson (He called an alleged rape victim a whore and he can't dance worth a shit. I have to send him back to the bus and say "NEXT"!!)

I Think I Could Play This...

The pictures from this game are so cute they make me want to play. I might have to put it on my birthday/Christmas list.

Another time around...

It looks like we'll have to try again.

Ripe for the picking...

"Since 1939"...not anymore...the area will soon be getting 14+ new Giant Food Stores. In an announcement yesterday Clemens "Family" Markets has been sold to the parent company of Giant Food Stores and another grocery wholesaler effectively wiping another locally owned company off the map.

The Commen-Tater

Last night I went to the Reading Phillies game. Imagine our surprise when we arrived and they were already in the first inning. Turns out a rain-out the night before gave us a double header. After securing seats in the grandstand we set our sites on gathering our food stuffs for the evening. All was right with the world until half way through the first game when "they" arrived. The man and woman with the two year old and a huge obsession with baseball. We only stayed through the first inning of the second game but in the short amount of time they were sitting behind us I formulated a couple thoughts about this family...

1) The husband had an annoyingly expansive and detailed knowledge of baseball which he wanted everyone to know about.
2) The wife seemed equally as obsessed and it was evident that they wanted the two year old daughter to become obsessed too
3) They, like many parents, felt the need to commentate the entire evening for the benefit of a child who was happy as a clam having "Blooper" the Goofy-esqe dog mascot shake her hand. She doesn't care if a pitch was a strike or if a hit ended up as an out.
4) Finally, the mother couldn't get over the fact that they didn't play music between the games but spent time honoring long time stadium volunteers and players. Because her kid was getting bored...how dare they not play music? Plus they were bitching about the late start of the second game, didn't they know kids had school? What do you care - you're kid is 2!!!! Won't be 3 until November 18th, which he said over and over to some guy who happened to come along and join their party.

Plus they had goofy accents that I just couldn't place. At first I thought the four teenagers who came and sat in front of us would be the problem turns out I was wrong. I should have been more worried about the queer looking guy in the bright blue newsboy hat. GOD!!!!

Soggy Night...Great Show

Last night my husband and my mom accompanied me to the Allentown Fair for a country music triple header. Miss Miranda Lambert kicked off the night with a solid performance. At certain points during the show her microphone was really over modulated and a few notes went right through my left ear like an ice-pick. But all in all she was a good start to the evening.

The venue was no where near sold out, which was a shame, because people missed a good show. Having seen both Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley before - the wild card of the night was Jason Aldean. In my humble opinion this relative new-comer stole the show. Working from a debut album can sometimes make for a difficult stage show but after playing several of his songs "Why", "I'm Just a Man", & "Amarillo Sky" he asked if he could sing a few songs from groups that influeneced him growing up. True to his country roots he belted out fabulous renditions of three of Alabama's biggest hits "Tennessee River", "Love In The First Degree" & "The Closer You Get". Then swinging the pendulum in the other direction he played "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns & Roses. I thought it was AWESOME!!!! The woman my age a few seats over didn't appreciate Jason's foray into hard rock because she sat with her fingers in her ears until he was through. I could have listened to Jason rock all night long.

Around 9:40pm Dierks took the stage and was grateful for everyone who came and sat in the rain to see him perform. Having seen him this summer on tour with Kenny Chesney, there weren't many surprises. He played two songs from his new album, all his hits and a couple extra gems from both his debut and sophomore album offerings. It was nice seeing Dierks with only a few thousand people instead of in a jam packed arena. He said he always wanted to return to the Lehigh Valley for a show and last night he got his wish.

As we ate our waffles and ice cream and walked back to the car - I had to admit it was a great night all around - good music, good company and no crazy talkers to ruin my good time.

Another Groovy Way to Waste Time Online...

Courtesy of the Pop Candy blog there is a site out there where you can create your own concert tickets, records, cassettes etc. I think it's brilliant...

Feel free to visit and create your own at Says-it.

A Different Kind of Bridal Shower...

Sunday eight of us journeyed to downtown Philly to try our hands at rolling our own sushi. We learned how to make round sushi, triangle sushi and square sushi. The occasion we were celebrating is the impending nuptials of my older sister Stephie. It was a good time, despite the fact that I don't really like eating sushi.

Didn't we all???

Now We Wait...

I was inseminated on Friday (8/25) & Saturday (8/26).
The doctor said things looked good so I am trying to be
hopeful that things are going to work out.

Isn't He Sweet...

Milk Dud boy at my office was in Michigan this weekend to visit family and see the Nascar race. Somewhere along the line he acquired a 16oz aluminum "collectible" Dale Earnhart Jr bottle of beer (like the one in the picture). Knowing my love for all things "Junior" - Milk Dud boy brought it to work and gave it to me today. Right now it's sitting on my desk with my Dale Jr trick or treat helmet, my mega blocks car and pit set and my Dale Jr Daytona 500 statue. Thinking he had a whole case of these custom bottles I asked him what he did with the rest of them. That's when I found out he only had one and he gave it to me.

I wonder if this is some kind of overture :):)

Shooting Up...

Today will mark the 7th day that I've been injecting myself with hormones to try and manipulate my body into creating, and holding onto viable eggs in a scientific attempt at getting pregnant. In seven days my estrogen levels have risen from 32 to 136. The doctor seems pleased with that so I will be too. The directive for the next three days is to continue with my regimen from the last six days, which is two vials of meds mixed with one vial of saline. But tomorrow (Tuesday) I have to give myself a second injection of a medication that will keep my right ovary from releasing, what the doctor called my "lead follicle", early. I also have to take the second injection Wednesday night. Then it's back to the doctor Thursday morning for blood work and another ultrasound. Should everything be on schedule I will have to give myself yet another shot of medication, only this time to signal the release of the egg. Luckily these needles just go into the skin of my stomach because for the last two nights I think I injected an air bubble along with the medicine. I just can't seem to get them out of the top of the syringe without spitting out the medicine. Since each night I'm shooting $100 worth of medicine into myself I don't want to waste any of it and muck something up. I must say this process is giving me a new respect for people with illnesses and insulin dependent diabetes - at least there will be an end to the constant bloodwork and needles for me. Other people aren't so lucky.

I Couldn't Agree More...

The other day my 8 year old niece said that the
days pass so slowly for her...when she's 33 like
me she'll wish they still did...

A Whole New Level of Crazy...

Yesterday my dear husband and I went to a three year old's birthday party at Green Lane Park. It was a lovely day for such an event and there were lots of people walking, fishing or riding bike. At some point during the party one of us realized there was a group of people over from us who had brought their cat and had it on a leash, tied to a nearby tree. What we couldn't figure out was why. We're all familar with people who have dogs and bring them to other peoples houses when they visit because they don't want to leave them home alone. There are also a lot of people out there who take their dogs to any outdoor event that they attend, but I thought this behavior was limited to dogs. Did these people actually think their cat wanted to leave the comforts of home behind for an afternoon spent tied to a tree sitting in the dirt. I must say, seeing that was a first for me.

Awesome...

The "Pop Candy" Blog on USA Today is a never ending resource for all that is cool. Use this link to make your own Steven Colbert "On Notice Board". The possibilities seem endless.

A Groovy New Toy...

Yesterday I decided I had to get out of the office at lunch so I went down to Kohl's to see if there was anything that jumped out at me. Why Kohl's you ask? Because I had a 15% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. I stopped briefly to look at clothes but nothing spoke to me. I was cruising by bedding on my way to shoes when an aisle display caught my attention. They had this cute little boom box that will either play FM radio stations or songs from my I-Pod. Supposedly it retails for $169.00 but it was being offered as part of the "Big Wednesday" sale for only $99.00. I reasoned that it would be an even better deal with my coupon so I tucked one under my arm. The shoe department looked like a tornado hit it and I didn't see anything that struck my fancy. With tax my little radio was $90.00. I'm listening to it now...my I-Pod peaking out at me from behind it's protective plastic shield. I'm glad I went to Kohl's yesterday.

Stop "Needling" Me...

Monday dear hubby and I visited our fertility doctor for a post surgery follow-up. Things appear to have healed up nicely and I got to see some groovy pictures of my insides before and after surgery. It appears the next step is learning how to give myself injectable hormone medication. We learn how to do that on Friday 8/18. If two months of that doesn't yield a pregnancy we move on to something else.

The doctor is hoping the first time will be the charm, I fear allowing myself that same optimism will only result in disappointment. I know every person is different and every infertility situation is different, but knowing people this hasn't worked for always lingers in the back of my mind. But I suppose for every negative story there are positive ones.

That dear husband of mine decided that if he has to administer the injections - he's going to handle it like playing darts. He will throw the needle at me and then run up and press the plunger...he thinks that's funny.

Is Your Corp Ready???

Saturday night, my mom, my ween and I headed up to Allentown for the "East Coast Classic" stop of the DCI drum corp tour. It's been somewhat of a tradition these last few years - sitting in the bleachers reconnecting with our marching band days gone by. This time though, we also got to reconnect with the drum corp days gone by of the people sitting behind us. When I say "days gone by" - I mean DAYS GONE BY - they marched with Crossmen in 1982. I was ten in 1982. What made them even more endearing to us - was their North Jersey accents. They were priceless.

All in all the performances were good. Though our socks were definitely not blown off. As always, our first choice, was the Madison Scouts. The Scouts are an all male corp from Wisconsin and musically they reign supreme in our humble opinion. The Carolina Crown also deserve kudos for a performance that should have garnered them higher then fourth place. But in the drum corp world, as in figure skating, there are obvious judge favorites and very rarely is anyone shocked when the final scores are read.

In case anyone is interested. The results for the evening were:
Blue Devils - 95.550
Blue Coats - 92.350
Santa Clara Vanguard - 91.475
Carolina Crown - 88.550
Blue Knights - 88.350
Madison Scouts - 86.750
Spirit from JSU - 84.700
Crossmen - 80.825
South Wind - 76.150
Seattle Cascades - 74.425
Pacific Crest- 74.275

For those of you who don't know, participants "age out" of drum corp at age 21. For the last two years there was a particular individual in the post of drum major for one of the corps, who was sorely missed this year. So in his honor, one more time with feeling..."Jonathan Holmes...Is your corp ready?"