New Orleans and Dora the Explora...

Why is this little girl so happy?


Hello and welcome to Just a little love on a friday.

I would first like to say to all the people in the NO area that we are all hoping that you get out okay and things get rebuilt and repaired soon. I know a few people who have been to NO and they say it is a beautiful city. Daryl M, Preston, and a few other WGBA employees got down there when the Greatest Football team EVER won the Super Bowl. Go Packers. I was hoping to get to that one but oh well. Politics kept me away from the San Diego one also, but that is a whole nother story.



I sent an email to Kris Rhodes, who lives or lived in NO, earlier this week. Here is what she said,

" Hi Chris,

My husband and I have evacuated to Birmingham. Tomorrow we'll head to Minneapolis to stay with my parents. We think we still have a home in Bay St. Louis... although it may be one of the only ones still standing and there's no telling if all of our belongings are still there.... and our condo in New Orleans is probably in worse shape. This is a complete nightmare! My husband's sister lost her home in Bay St. Louis... and his other siblings are also bracing for the worst. We're all okay and that's what is most important but I'm numb right now to all of the images that I see on the TV.

Kris"

If you have the time email her and let her know that you are thinking of her. She needs all our support at this time. I am willing to start a fund raising campaign if we need to. The TundraTalk Rhodes Trip I will call it. If you want to donate let me know and I will try to get it going. I am sure anything we can do to help at this time is appreciated. Stay strong Kris, we got your back...

Last weeks blog on the Chuck Meter got a few comments that I would like to recap...

First off Marcus who lives in Toronto Ontario sent me this note about a Chuck signing in TO


"I loved Fargo Rock City. I think you lent it to me. I stumbled across Killing youself to live by accident, but Immediatly bought it. I'll have to get his 2nd one (Coco puffs) next. I agree, the Drug use and Kiss really disturbed me. Not the woman/Kiss analagy, just the fact he loves Kiss so much (They are the one Band I dispise). My Loylties are with Alice(Cooper). There was one part in the book he talked about Drinking, I think it was the night out with "Uma". He mentioned he was drinking Gingerale and Brandy. I was waiting for the name of the drink to come up (Chris, Do you remember what he called them in Fargo Rock City??) Witty Chucks!!!, because when he drinks them he (Chuck) becomes instantly funny. He's going to be here in Toronto on Wed. at a Bar to promote his book. I'd like to try and make it down, But the shift 3 - 11pm might pose a problem. "


Well Marcus made it down to the show and had this to say...

"Hey I made it down to the Horseshoe.
I printed off the Chuck Blog and gave it to him. Maybe he'll leave a rebuttle(The Link to Tundra Talk was on every page). He talked on stage for about an Hr. Read a bit from his book (Mastadon's). Its funny when he'd reading a part where he's having a conversation with a Highschool girl, The reading "Voice" he uses for his voice in the conversation sounded alot like Mitch Hedberg for some reason. Its funny, I never heard his voice before, but hearing him speak except for the Mitch voice pretty much was the voice in my head when I was reading K.Y.T.L. I picked up S.D&C.C.P.'s and took KYTL with me and got both signed. I was the 1st in line and there was a Huge line behind me. I didn't really get to talk to him as long as I would have liked. But he seemed like a nice guy. He sipped from a pint glass. I meant to ask him if it was a "Witty Chuck" or not. "

Marcus thanks for showing him my blog, but I am a bit embarassed that you did so. I guess I will have to write him and explain it now. Kinda odd that his book signing and me writing a blog about him all happened at the same time. I told Nick Chase about this and he responded...

"It's weird and cool that Chuck has become big enough for this many people to go out to see him. Wow."

I agree. Chuck really has impressed me especially since I hated him so much to come to now where I kinda respect what he has done. Oh well.

On to the subject at hand. Dora the Explorer. I know you are probably saying now, "Chris I thought you learned your lesson with the Blues Clues show." Obviously I have not learned a thing. Last weekend we took McKenna to an 'appearance' of her favorite person in the world, besides her daddy of course, Dora. She loves Dora. I guess if you want to make a comparison to me, it would be like meeting the Nature Boy Ric Flair. That would be awesome.

I was eating breakfast one day, minding my own business reading the paper, when McKenna stood up in her chair, slammed her hands down on the table and yelled DORA! I said where? Looking at the TV to see Dragontales, not Dora on. She pointed at my paper and lo and behold right in the middle was this tiny ad about an appearance of Dora the Explorer in Edmonton. I said wow kid, you really got good vision. So in the ad, which McKenna demanded that I cut out for her, it says that you have to go to the mall and obtain a "ticket" which guarantees you an audience with Dora. I guess I would cut out the Ric Flair ad also, so it isn't that crazy. So I explain to her that Dora is coming to town. She says, lets go, and starts to climb out of her chair to go right now. Great, now I have to explain to her that it is still two weeks til she gets here. Doesn't work, she insists all the way to day care that we go right now. She understands the concept of 'sleeps' so we tell her that it is 14 sleeps til Dora. That kinda settles her down. 14 sleeps til Ric would be tough for me too.



This is the closest I have been to Ric.

So after I drop her off I drive to the mall to obtain her a ticket for the 'apperance' of Dora. I love my kid. The place does not open til 10 and I am here at 9 so I kill some time, not much, and go back to the store. The lady asks me why I am here and I tell her, so she is kind and shoots me a ducket. I am the best dad in the world.

That evening when she gets home I hand her the ticket, and she goes nuts. And again she wants to go right now. We explain again and she wants to go to bed to make it happen sooner. Wow, maybe we should give her a new ticket every night. Nah, that would never work, she would want some kind of pay off every day. Back to the drawing board.



One ticket to Dora heaven. Notice the number is 79. They gave out 600. No self respecting dad would accept any ticket higher than a hundred.

So the 'Day of Dora' rolls around. Mckenna is on cloud nine. She eats her cereal and takes time to pick out the special dress for the occasion and just the right toys to take along. What would I wear to go and meet the Nature Boy. How about, a nice frilly robe that has my name on the back in sequins? Nah, maybe a full suit and tie, dress to impress. That is an option. I would probably go with a simple black 4 horseman tee shirt. Yeah, that would rock. I would drop the four fingers at him the minute I saw him. He would love me. Oh sorry back to the Dora thing.

We head off to the mall about an hour early to secure a good place in line so we can get to a wedding later. Congrats Wes on your commitment. Anyway, we get there and this is what we see...



We place ourselves in line and wait it out. I definitely would wait in a long line to meet 'THE Man". I probably would be willing to make it a day. McKenna instantly has lots of friends because she brought her Princess Dora. The mall was smart to do this. The planned it right at noon so all the kids would be hungry. Parents have to buy food and drink for the kids. I tried to defy the marketing to not comply by buying stuff in the mall but I needed a tie to go with my suit, the dry cleaners lost my other one. We had to buy McKenna food, Donna was hungry also. The family in line next to us said they spent about 140 dollars in the mall. We probably spent 60 bones. They made a lot of coin off Dora's appearance.



AS it gets closer to the event more people show up and find out that you need a ticket to get an audience. How do you explain that to your three year old that you can't go see her cause your daddy is a dead beat. Losers. Not me, I am the best one here. Security, yes they had it, was pathetic. They could not control this line to save their life. Just before the whole thing started this woman who looked like she just left the cologen(sp) chair pushed her way into the front of the line and butted in front of about 500 kids. I soooo wanted to just drag her out by her greasy hair but I did not.



McKenna and her dora.

It was crazy in there when Dora came out. Kids went nuts. Parents started pushing, mass hysteria. McKenna was in awe. She sat on my shoulders and everytime I turned my head she got mad cause she could not see Dora.





There were even people on the roof. Just plain nuts. We finally got up to the stage and she got a big hug from Dora. She was so happy. Now would I hug Ric Flair? I probably would try. He would probably prefer just a big Whoooooo! Man that would be cool. We asked McKenna what she was going to say to Dora and she said "I love you." Ahhh how sweet. I would probably tell Ric that he was cool and ask him to lock the figure four on me. What says I love you more than asking for a figure four.



McKenna was walking on clouds the rest of the day. I am sure I would be too if I got to meet Ric Flair. Maybe someday McKenna will get me a ticket to see the man. That would be awesome! I can only wait. I wish it was only 14 sleeps.

Have a nice day and GET BACK TO WORK!!!!