WINNERS!!!

What a masterful ending for Lentertainment, with so many captions, votes and new voters coming to the blog…(Welcome, Pope John XXIII and Sr. Jovita--nice to know that some of those in the afterlife is checking out the blog and also that they have retained a sense of humor--is it too much ask for you to sign up as followers? I'd like to have a few more nuns in the fold--and a Pope would be quite a coup).

Before we get to the scoring, the chart, and the winners, I just want to thank each and every one of you.  This contest exceeded my expectations all the way around.  The blog ticker went sky high, we all made some new friends, (John and Rob--you can thank me later for your budding bromance and Jessica, let me know when you are in town--we need to have lunch, drinks, dinner or all of the above.  Karla, we need to meet in person because after counting the last set of votes, I think I need to confirm that you are indeed a human and not a robot--and ask your niece if she knows any of my kids…if she does, tell her I apologize in advance) but even more importantly, you guys had me laughing EVERY single day.  There were so, so, so many funny captions and comments.  Who knew just how clever you all could be? (I'm talking to you, Joann Speca) And who knew just how many oddities every one "saw" and described in the pictures/photos? (crotchtacular anyone?) And how many new words we would all create? If you ever get the chance, go back and reread some of the captions--you will start laughing all over again.  Truly, thanks for the rocking good time--it made the Lenten season fly by.

Now that Lent and Lentertainment are over, please, don't be strangers.  Stop by, read the blog and post a comment or two for old time sake.  (It's going to be very hard going from the over 1,100 comments that the last post generated to the single digits again…)   I promise we will do another contest, but not for a few months (I need a break and I'm sure you all do, too).  AND we will have a blog party/reunion at some point this summer--(Karla and Judy's entire posse will be invited so we can make sure they are real and try to figure out just how the hell Judy got them all to keep casting those votes. Seriously, it was some sort of crazy, ass phenomenon).

Ok, the here is the scoring Chart--don't freak out and please keep reading as it requires a bit of explanation which you will find below the chart:

Names	Previous	Quantity	Quality	Voting	EC	Total
Judy	678	83	30	50	100	941
john	658	96	20	40	100	914
Joann	463	3				466
Linda	507	40	20	20		1009
Rob	700	51	20	30	100	901
Jessica	565	21	10	20		616
Stacy	368	133	30	30	200	761
Sue R.	160	1				161
Brian K	50					50
Sue E	496	6				502
Michelle	110	8				118
Nate	106	3		10		119
Chris	99					99
Mr. DelFava	122					122
Joe Laken	2					2
Kim W.	2					2
Tricia	490	7		10		507
Kim P.	2					2
Ginny	170	2				172
Becky	114					114
Brifry	51					51
Kiki	294	8				302
Marie	407	5	10			422
Jan	303	5	10			318
Molly		1				1
Jean					500	500

Quantity--every single caption on the Nuns having Fun photo got a point, so yeah…that took some time.   AND the old captions that Stacy applied to this new, nun photo garnered a point for the original author, AND a point for Stacy--who by the way, was a total captioning machine with 133 whopping big, HUGE captions--nice, nice job, Stacy. I like your strategy and your Bob Freund caption was genius. Hall of Fame for you.

Quality--you know how that one works, and I must say, with over 400 captions, it was super hard to narrow it down to just 15 great ones.  Thanks to Nate "Bad Will (egg) Hunting" McKeon for assisting with the final Top 15-I appreciate your efforts and willingness to help sift through the captions--an extra pair of large check Chubbieshorts for you--I know…Chris will be SO pissed…

Voting--

• Judy literally had well over 600 votes--I know because I counted every, single f'ng one of them. For that she got 50 points and she earned EVERY single one of them, because she singlehandedly brought several new people to the blog--thanks, Judy.  You are a fierce competitor.  
• John made a truly valiant effort and entered over 300 votes himself.  AND he made a lamb cake mid voting. For this very impressive effort, he was awarded 40 voting points
• Rob and Stacy had a bit over 40 votes a piece (Stacy's were more comments than votes but they were hilariously hilarious) and for that, they got 30 big points
• Linda and Jessica each had 9 votes…which gained them 20 voting points (I know--like shooting fish in a barrel, isn't it??) 
• Nate and Tricia both got a vote, and as a result got 10 super easy points.  

Extra credit--Extra credit was super hard to award.  I had 1,000 points to give away, but really struggle in how to divvy it up.

• Judy had to be rewarded for the impressive voting record,  AND for all the new, very funny traffic she channeled to the blog. Karla, Mary Werwie, Pope John XXIII, Sr. Jovita, Paul, son John, Leo, Grace Montemurro and all the others that voted for Judy not only help the ticker move, but also added a ton to the Lentertainment value of the season. For that, Judy got 100 large points. 
• John shared great Catholic school stories and day in and out a ton of great captions, comments and links to knowledge that I really appreciated--and I really did watch the nun-monster truck video. He, too, got 100 points of extra credit. 
• Rob owned the personal sharing portion of the competition and excelled in sucking up to the blogmaster.  This did not go unnoticed and as such, Rob also got 100 big points.  I know, I know--that doesn't really change the end result, but I did want to acknowledge the efforts of all
• Stacy got 200 extra credit points because her 133 captions were pure and utter quality.  She had me cracking up the entire weekend, (which was fine because technically speaking, Lent was over, right?) and capped it all off with the great, great comments during the voting…I loved her "Hey, Mary Werwie, do you have a dog?" comments.  Such a perfect strategy. So well played, Stacy.  Very well done.  Btw? Was Seebeck's really having a sale??
• Finally, and I warned you that Extra Credit is incredibly random--I awarded 500 points to Rob's wife Jean, because once I heard the 7 lb plus twin comment--(yeah, Rob, super smart of you not to mention just how heavy your big boy twins were to the woman who carried them attached to her body for nine long months) I really felt I had to recognize this achievement.  Seriously, TWO over 7 lb babies at one time?  My eyes about popped out of my head when I read that…Hooray for you, Jean Fredrickson.  I hope Rob properly rewarded you for that incredible accomplishment….and continues to do so. 

Game Changer: During the voting portion of the last photo, Marie asked if she could gift her points to Linda.  I read the rule book several times and could not find anything precluding this per se, so I granted Marie's request….Marie is going on a pilgrimage to Rome and I really need her to put in a good word for me with the big guy, (especially after this contest) so, I'm pretty much going to do whatever she asks…and she was such a terrific competitor that I have a hard time denying this selfless request.  Adding Marie's 422 points to Linda's total gives her a whopping 1009 points which is astounding and kind of awesome, However, that puts me in a bit of a dilemma…. which I think I've resolved quite nicely… because you all know I'm always, always thinking. 

Here's how it all shakes out: 

• First Place--Judy and Linda will BOTH win Tory Burch totes, because OF COURSE I bought two of them, because I knew something like this would happen…I've done this before and always err on the side of generosity.  (don't you remember the Fit Club contest??  which Judy also won...) So, congrats to both of you.  You were both terrific and worthy competitors. I am very glad these totes are going to such great homes. Enjoy them in good health and let me know when and where to drop them off. Also, I hope that you ladies will allow Karla and Marie, respectively, to tote the tote every now and again, as these two women were quite instrumental in your victories…well done, one and all...
• Second Place--John, you are the second place winner and are bringing home the CASH.  Yes, cash is king and so are you.  The $100 visa gift card is yours and you earned EVERY single penny of it.  In addition, because you are such a great sport and so very, very funny, you will also receive a "Bringing Home the Bacon" Tasting Box from Sugarfina, for bringing home the bacon in this competition.  Nicely, nicely done--and seriously, if you want to play a round of golf at the Creek, let me know.  However, you may have to play with my sons, so you might want to rethink that …
• Third Place--the $50 worth of Chipolte gift cards AND the sugarfina candies (ONE Cocktail Tasting Box and ONE Bringing Home the Bacon Tasting Box) go to our very own Rob Fredrickson. FYI--those combined 15 lbs of twin babies are now about 500lbs of big man twins.  I hope they enjoy Chipolte, because $50 will may buy one meal for your twin towers of sons…You were a very tough competitor and wrestled the lead from Judy on more than one occasion. We are all very glad that you threw your captioning hat into the ring. Every single round, you made me laugh again and again.  Thanks for being in the game. 
• Finally, I have a few consolation prizes for those of you who consistently captioned, voted, chimed in and added to the fun.  Stacy, Jessica, Tricia, Joann, Sue E, Kiki, Jan--basically any competitor with over 300 points will get a lovely box of candy from Sugarfina…(their tasting boxes are terrific). Those of you who live out of town, email or FB message me and I will ship the candy to you.  Sue E, I'm not sure how well the candy will transport over seas--We may need to work something out… And yes, Marie and Jean Fredrickson will get some candy, as well.  You've both earned it, with your giving natures, you are the embodiment of Lentertainment.  Congrats all the way around.  
• And honestly, everybody is a winner with Lentertainment…good fun, big laughs and new friends. What more can you ask for? 

Thanks again to everyone who captioned, voted, read, or shared this blog.  Keep coming back… I will do my best to keep you entertained--and who knows, we may be doing an Adventertainment contest come December….

MCKEON EASTER FUN--why Lentertainment scoring was not done until tonight.

I apologize that I did not get the scoring done sooner, but it takes a serious amount of time to go through over 1,000 votes and attribute each one to it's proper contestant and I didn't have six spare, uninterrupted hours to sit and compile the results until this evening.  I was a little busy yesterday having some serious Easter fun and I have the photos to prove it. Here we are in the yard post Mass, pre Egg Hunt. Yes, Pete is making another face…trying to ruin another picture…Classic Pete.

As many of you know, every year, since our kids have been little, we have a highly competitive Egg Hunt, (think Hunger Games without any real blood shed) Similar to the Lentertainment contest, prizes are awarded for both quality and quantity.  The person who finds the most eggs gets $50.  Second place takes $20 and 3rd place gets $10.   Quantity pays, but hunting skills are rewarded as well.  Dave McKeon hides about 160 eggs, many are just tossed in the rocks on the beach or thrown in the prairie, but a few are very well hidden. These special eggs are worth serious cash so they have to be hard to find: there is one prize egg worth $50, 2 eggs worth $20, 4 worth $10 and 8 worth $5.  Yes, we blow a wad of cash on the egg hunt, but it is worth EVERY penny in pure entertainment value.  We have years of great Egg Hunt memories and it is an anticipated event.  Even when we are out of town, we have a big money hunt.  One year we actually hid the eggs in the exercise room and pool at the Four Seasons in Boston.  We had planned on hiding the eggs in the park across the street from the Four Seasons where we were staying (this was the year we took all the kids on Annie's East coast college tour--14 schools in 9 days--we have never looked at another college since--even though Pete and Nate were only in like fifth and sixth grade) The weather was freakishly cold, so I called down to the front desk to see if we could hide eggs indoors.  They said we could use the pool/exercise area but we had to be done by 7am. We hid most of them and then just threw the rest in the pool--needless to say, the early morning swimmers were not too pleased…typical McKeon holiday.  Good times, good times. 

 Here are the kids this year pre-hunt.  Posey seriously regretted wearing a skirt...

 The eggs are hidden in our yard, from the beach all the way across the road into the Prairie Preserve.  It's a lot of real estate and most years, some of the kids eventually give up. This year, all of the kids are broke, so they were hunting forever…(side note--it took us like ten years to figure out that we should NOT put actual cash in the eggs, because Dave could never remember where he hid all the money eggs and as a result, we often left $20-$40 out in the prairie somewhere.  Two years ago, we started marking the eggs and then handing out the cash post hunt…and this year, Dave took notes on where he his the money eggs so he could provide clues if the hunt went on too long.  One year, we had to take a break for dinner and then the boys went back out to hunt until dark…pouty Pete eventually found the last $20 egg) This year, though I pegged him as a real contender, figuring that since he can now move his arms and legs that he would be totally primed to do whatever it takes to scoop up all the eggs, Nate got shut out in both quantity and quality.  He only found a handful of eggs and only one had money it--However, it was an egg from three years ago that had a single dollar in it.  We were laughing our asses off.  Obviously, plastic eggs live forever.  Jack brought his friend Tim home for Easter and he cleaned up. Tim wisely wore long pants, he had a good stride and he was smart to draft off of Chris (who usually finds the most eggs) .  This year, Tim not only found the most eggs, he also found a few money eggs. I think he took $70 off of us...He most likely will NOT be asked back.

 Here are some action photos:

Nate, sucking it up in the Egg Hunt.

Annie scouring the beach.  Annie is not our strongest competitor. Usually once she finds any money she calls it quits and just comes in.  This year, she and her cousin Nora (both poor grad students) stayed until the bitter end. However, Annie did not land in the big money….again. 

That's Posey "Prairie Beast" McKeon on her way to finding the $50 prize egg. Mid hunt, she actually got stuck in a thicket out in the Prairie and had to be freed by her father, as the other competitors would not stop or slow down to help her. It's every man for himself in the McKeon Hunting world.  However, Posey once again showed them all. And though her legs look like they got caught in a thresher,  for the second year in a row she won the most money of any of our kids. A good time was had by all, but it left little time for scoring the contest.  See the next post for the scoring chart and the prizes awarded.  

NUNS HAVING FUN need your votes.

There were so, so many excellent captions, I had to call in reinforcements to assist in choosing the final TOP TEN---After a delightful family dinner of shrimp fajitas, queso blanco, massive amounts of guacamole and peach margaritas at La Fogata,  (yeah, the McKeons are really feeling the sacrifice of Lent in that Good Friday meal….however, it really was our only meal of the day--though I'm not quite sure how margaritas fit into the Lenten fasting rules…) I turned the blog over to Nate to get his opinion on the best of the best, asking that he mark his favorites before midnight.  While his siblings and their college cronies played Cards Against Humanity (another super appropriate Good Friday endeavor--though they did wait until midnight to start making meat based food) Nate got to work.  When I woke up this morning, here is what I found on my laptop: 

Hello my dear readers. My sweet mother Laurie was composing the final blog post when, out of nowhere, the ground opened up below her and she was swallowed into the depths of hell by a fire of Biblical proportions. This should be a warning to you all. Stay on your guard, any one of you could be next (Mr. Fredrickson). My main concern at the moment is figuring out how I’ll explain the gaping hole in the family room floor to my dad, because we all know that it’ll take some serious dough to fix this bad boy. I’ve taken it upon myself to complete the Lentertainment journey by posting the final Top Ten. You all have competed marvelously, and should be proud of yourselves. But not that proud. Only the winner can be truly proud. Without further ado, it gives my great honor to present to you the Top Ten of the final Lentertainment blog post. Let’s boogie:

 Before we "boogie" I must confess (Lent and all) that I edited Nate's TOP TEN this morning, turning it into a well deserved TOP FIFTEEN.  (Stacy really came to play--she had about 20 great captions all by  herself)  Also, my descent into Hell has been greatly exaggerated at this time--though it could be imminent, today is not that day. And I'm sorry to say this, but I fear more than a few of you will be joining me on that fast train to hell, as Rob nicely pointed out. But, I hope we've all enjoyed the ride. 

Here are the FINEST FIFTEEN--someone tell Karla so she can spend the whole day voting. The voting stops at MIDNIGHT!! at which time,  I will ruminate, tabulate, and congratulate the winners.  

Remember, ONE THOUSAND very important extra credit points will be awarded this round.  I am incredibly impressed by the quality of nun captions.  You have all outdone yourselves. Please continue with your winning ways during the voting section--It's not just about the quantity of votes--quality comments ALWAYS get noticed and often get REWARDED…Let's keep the LENTERTAINMENT coming and finish strong.  

My other car is a Prius         Linda

Since nobody can hear me, I'm going to say it: "I think Mr. Freund is hot."       Stacy

(This made every single one of my kids laugh out loud) 

I'm picking Jesus up at the Tomb on Sunday....it's a long drive.             Judy

It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas and a half pack of cigarettes ... We're on a mission from God…    Jan                (I LOVE this one…very much) 

I can't wait to hit that bitch Sister Mary Catherine, for stealing my rosary.          Jessica (not Jess)

"What are the nuns doing that they can't answer the phone?" Pope Francis said.           Judy

(Thank Maggie for this one getting in the Top Fifteen. If Maggie likes it, it's good) 

God dammit, get your ass out of the slow lane, Sr. Jovita!            Judy

Sister Ignatius may have just peed a little?            Stacy

The Fast and the Furious!         Linda

Racing to confession with that cute Father Joe.                      Rob

After Vatican II, they began driving real cars.                      Marie Pitt Payne

Sister Catherine instantly regretted not wearing her sports bra.      Stacy

 I think Laurie lured us into this so she'll have company in Hell.              Rob

(This may or may not be true) 

"All the single ladies, all the single ladies, put your hands up" timing is everything.        John

" Let she who is without sin crash the first car".                  John

  (excellent use of Bible verse) 

UPDATED SCORING--the lead has changed!!

OMG!! The scores are posted and Rob has taken the lead--Well played, Rob.  Sharing your stories during the voting section was a VERY smart strategy.  Well, at least I fell for it….and I kind of want to know more, especially about that Jessica on the balcony story…don't leave me hanging.  Lesson to the rest of you, Lentertain me and you will be rewarded.

OMG!! again--The blog is well over 80,000 hits--Thank you all very, very much, especially you, Karla.  I owe you one…and will buy you a great big cocktail at the blog reunion...

Here is the explanation for the scoring: 

Voting (which was once again DOMINATED by Judy) was scored as follows: 

• Judy got 50 points because she cannot be stopped.  She killed all comers in the votes and pretty much single-handedly is making the ticker count.
• Rob got 30 points because he had several votes and used the voting section so, so wisely
• Jessica got 20 points, mostly thanks to Rob, and I loved the Jessica stories. 
• Everyone else who got any votes got 10 points.  You're welcome. 

Extra Credit: 500 whopping extra credit points were awarded as follows: 

• 25 went to Judy for her voters and their amazing powers
• 25 went to John because he makes me laugh
• 50 went to Rob for his incredibly entertaining stories--keep them coming
• 100 went to Sue E because she is on the road, but captioning and voting and her dedication impressed the heck out of me. 
• 100 went to Jessica for bringing Rob into this contest. 
• 100 went to Tricia because the Judy voter comment was a beauty and should have gotten more votes
• 100 went to Ginny because her Leprechaun comment was just so nice. 
•  

There you have it. The tension builds, the Tory Burch is gift wrapped (by Tory Burch--not me) and ready for the winner, we are winding this whole shebang up and I cannot wait to see how it ends.  TOP TEN from the nuns having fun photo will be up later tonight--then Karla will start to vote and could very well catapult Judy into the winner's circle. Stay tuned and keep it all Lentertaining...

Names	Previous	Quantity	Quality	Voting	EC	Total
Judy	583	20	10	50	25	688
john	583	20	20	10	25	658
Joann	442	11	10			463
Linda	480	7	10	10		507
Rob	580	20	20	30	50	700
Jessica	429	6	10	20	100	565
Stacy	347	1	10	10		368
Sue R.	160					160
Brian K	50					50
Sue E	373	3	10	10	100	496
Michelle	110					110
Nate	105	1				106
Chris	99					99
Mr. DelFava	122					122
Joe Laken	2					2
Kim W.	2					2
Tricia	367	3	10	10	100	490
Kim P.	2					2
Ginny	58	1	10		100	170
Becky	114					114
Brifry	51					51
Kiki	294					294
Marie	367	10	20	10		407
Jan	282	1	10	10		303

FINAL PHOTO-- and ONE THOUSAND BONUS POINTS??--That's Lentertainment.

The voting for "Toxic Waste" is done, and once again, Judy dominated. It appears that everyone has basically conceded the voting portion of the competition to Judy and her followers. I'm not sure if I am disappointed that the rest of you basically rolled over if I can respect the strategy of conserving your energy for the captions. But mostly I'm wondering how the hell Judy can get all of these people to vote for her in droves, while the rest of you terrific and great people cannot generate much more than 20 votes.  I'm not judging here, just perplexed and a bit scared of Judy's power.

 I will score Toxic Waste tonight, as I watch the Blackhawks play, (Go, Kane) but I need to get the very last photo up.  While I had a suggestion from John to but up that Obama-Biden selfie, I am going with something a bit more joyful, timely and appropriate for Holy Week. Nuns in Bumper Cars…What's not to love here?   I think Sr Jovita would approve.

IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE FOR THIS LAST PHOTO: 

In an effort to make the ticker pop and to keep the excitement high, I am removing the caption cap…Yep, you read that right…no scoring limit to the number of captions you can submit. AND I will count and score EVERY single caption that comes in for this final photo, so shake off the carpal tunnel and get your captions flowing.  This is a HUGE sacrifice on my part, because it is a total pain in my ass to keep counting all those captions and you just know that John and Judy are going to go crazy with this.  Please, Linda, Joann, Rob, Tricia, Jessica, Kiki, Jan  and everyone else, try to caption early and often just to keep John and Judy from killing themselves, each other or me.

As we close out Lentertainment, and head into the Triduum, take some quiet time…. to fashion the best captions ever (you thought I was going to say something holy, didn't you??  Hey, how you live your spiritual life is totally up to you. I just want this blog to hit over 80,000 hits and I'm counting on you all to make this happen. Unlimited captions works well for all of us, doesn't it?) In honor of Sr. Jovita and all those who came before her, with their fancy RayBans and bumper cars, start your captions flowing and let's bring this Lentertainment to the finish line.  

Captions will be accepted until 5:00 tomorrow.  Make these captions exceptional, because I if I have to count each and every one--they better be making me laugh. 

Oh, and did I mention that ONE THOUSAND BIG, BIG EXTRA CREDIT POINTS will be awarded in this final round? -- don't get nervous, but if someone hits it out of the park in this round, they could totally steal this whole contest….yeah, I'm talking to you, Stacy, Sue, Ginny and Mr. Delfava--you have every opportunity for a come from behind victory. 

So, without further ado, Let's get our Lentertainment on and close this contest out with the enormous bang that only nuns in bumper cars can make. 

TODAY'S TOXIC FIFTEEN are ready for Karla's votes (and yours, too)

I hope everyone got a chance to view the scoring charts.  Wheewww. Things are super tight. It's shaping up to be a real Lentertainment Battle Royale.  Judy and John are already throwing down in the comment section of the last post, and I must admit, I like their competitive spirit.  Lentertainment  "wasn't about winning or losing. It wasn't about words. The hysterical shouting was in tongues, like at a Pentecostal Church." (borrowed this quote from Fight Club--somehow it seemed appropriate) 
These next few days will determine who is the caption champ--and I think it's going to be a hard battle and a close race. I cannot wait to see what shakes out, and I may have to tweak the rules in the final round, just to separate the wheat from the chaff.  And to keep everyone motivated as we sprint to the finish line, I just want you to know that the prizes have been ordered. They are on their way to my home, arriving any day, beautifully wrapped and ready to be awarded to the Lentertainment winners.  That Tory Burch tote is mighty sweet, but the Sugarfina swag is even sweeter--I seriously could buy EVERY single gummy item they have available--and I pretty much did.  Also, check out these caramel robins eggs. 

 They are not only beautiful but very tasty. Think how AWESOME these would look in your Easter basket.  Oh, that's right. I already did.  You're welcome, McKeon children.  (who are we kidding? I will eat every one of those eggs.  My kids would rather have Reese's eggs all day long--which is great because all the more upscale candy for me…)   Always the value shopper (I honestly could barely type that sentence because it's such a HUGE lie during Holy Week), I had to buy a 5 lb box of the Sugarfina Swedish Fish for myself because it was such a total bargain. (compared to the $18 they charge for the 12.5oz box, that is) I cannot wait for these candies to arrive. Happy Lentetainment to me.  

Now, it's time to get the voting started for today's TOXIC FIFTEEN.  To refresh your recollection here is the photo:

Here are the TOP FIFTEEN (I couldn't decide…I really did try and I tried to talk Beth Matteucci into helping me pick, but she side stepped any part in this whole deal very adroitly) in no apparent order, just awaiting your important, important votes. 

This is where people who don't vote for Judy go.           Tricia

Dishwashing liquid? You're soaking in it.                         John

Great! Another reason for the city not to empty my trash can!!            Linda

"I'm melting....."             Marie

Kenny's skateboard and phone didn't make it out, but Kenny will be fine. Well… except for that dang third testicle…    Stacy

Suzie tried desperately to cover up her Pinterest DIY gone wrong, (terribly wrong). "It's those damn frackers!" she proclaimed.           Jan

I warned the new mascot not to wash his leprechaun suit in hot water.           Ginny

Another SJCA Science Fair project gone awry.           Joann

"Is that Green Bay?"           John

Is this Kathleen Sebelius' driveway?      Jessica 

WARNING: No Swimming, No Fishing                      Judy

Cannonball man has landed.                         Rob

That ain't just pee in there…..                  Sue E

John has set a trap for Karla.                  Rob

It was the first time in years they had reached a unanimous agreement, but at that very moment they all decided to skip the split pea soup.                    Marie

Ok, you all know what to do.  You have until 3pm tomorrow to vote.    Don't make me have to crack down on the rules this late in the game--honor system, people. This is the second to the last photo. I will be monitoring the voting closely and will devote full and complete attention to Lentertainment for the next several days.  I want to see quantity in voting, quality in comments and enormous effort in the quest for extra credit.  If you haven't figured it out by now, I will clue you in: magnanimous gestures and witty repartee in regard to voting usually get rewarded with large extra credit. Start spreading some love and laughs, and good things will come your way.  (like a 5 lb box of the world's best Swedish fish--oh, wait, that's for me) 

 Get out the vote, share the post, do what you have to do to spread the LENTERTAINMENT!! 

SCORING FOR THE POODLE TWINS

Someone (that would be me) has been logging some serious chart time to catch everyone up as we head into the final kick toward the finish line.  I am also scouring the internet to find the best finale picture ever.  I still haven't found what I'm looking for…. (nice U2 reference there--you're welcome)  I kind of wish I would have held back the fat guy on the greased pole, because that one is still my favorite, but I am praying for a Holy Week miracle that drops the perfect photo in my lap…or I'll just give up and post a big head photo of Nate.  Right now, it could go either way…

I will have the TOP TEN captions for that "toxic waste" photo up later this morning, but I really don't like mixing scoring posts with the fun posts so, I want to get this one up first.  Yes, you read that right…that will be THREE posts in less that 24 hours.  I am a goddamn work horse in the name of Lentertainment.  I do want to note that I LOVE the comments you all make in the voting.  Sorry that I don't always comment on them in a timely fashion.  Sometimes I don't read them until a few days later. Sunday I had to scrub all the tailgate stuff and get it put away AND I scoured my garage floor. I was just so sick of the ugly, dirty, gritty crap that gets tracked into my house through the garage that I took a hose, a scrub brush, a squeegee and a huge bottle of dawn out to the garage and went to town.  While Dave McKeon watched the Masters, I suds and scrubbed the garage floor.  We both felt really good about our Sunday afternoons, which pretty much sums us both us.  I will admit that I get a little thrill in my heart from a well organized linen closet, a pristine garage floor or sanitized tale gate paraphernalia. So, I apologize for not following the voting comments more closely, but I was chasing that cleanliness high.  We all need to find our joy somewhere--mine comes from order and the smell of fabric softener. 

Again, I digress…Here is the latest tally chart--HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, this is a close one.  John and Judy are ACTUALLY tied.  Rob is 3 tiny points behind. We've got Linda, Jessica and Joann in the 400s, Tricia, Stacy, Marie, and Sue E are close behind in the 300s. Basically EVERYONE is still in the hunt, because I'm doling out the extra credit with a shovel these days.  Scoring for the last two photos will be generous and bounteous because that is how we roll. 

A brief explanation for today's scoring (quantity and quality are self explanatory) voting and extra credit were awarded as follows: 

1. To show her TOTAL voting dominance, and the aberration that was the last round with Rob splitting the vote, Judy CRUSHED it in the voting portion for the Poodle Twins round.  For that she got 40 well deserved points, double the usual 20 allotted. And the undying admiration of politicians everywhere. I personally thank her and her posse for running the blog ticker up so high.  And Karla, we need to meet because I really should thank you in person and shake your hand for making this happen. 

2. John got 30 points for coming in second in the voting (nice try, Rob, but Judy cannot be stopped)

3. Linda picked up 20 big voting points and then everyone else who even got a sniff of a vote got 10 voting points--most of you should thank Linda for this because she is such a nice, kind competitor that she always votes for her peers. (this munificence has not gone unnoticed by the judges) 

4. FIVE HUNDRED extra credit points shook out like this: 

• 200 points for Jan because she had the sense to do a bit of self editing, admitted she had nothing and then totally confessed on herself. For some reason, I loved everything about the whole comment…(probably because I could totally hear myself saying/doing the exact same thing) including the part about poodles in pussy hats…still makes me laugh. 
• 100 points for Kiki because I have a crush on her dad and because her caption was terrific
• 100 points for Marie because she keeps us all honest and has some real high quality material.
• 60 points for Tricia because I loved the "b*tches" captions
• 40 points for Rob because he has a poodle/fancy dog and was willing to admit it. 

So, the tension builds. We have two more scoring rounds. Now is not the time to let your guard down. The LENTERTAINMENT grand finale is just four short days away.  Press on, Dear Readers, press on. 

Names	Total	Quantity	Quality	Voting	EC	Total
Judy	513	20	10	40		583
john	523	20	10	30		583
Joann	421	1	10	10		442
Linda	433	17	10	20		480
Rob	500	20	10	10	40	580
Jessica	406	3	10	10		429
Stacy	326	1	10	10		347
Sue R.	160					160
Brian K	50					50
Sue E	372	1				373
Michelle	106	4				110
Nate	105					105
Chris	99					99
Mr. DelFava	122					122
Joe Laken	2					2
Kim W.	2					2
Tricia	284	3	10	10	60	367
Kim P.	2					2
Ginny	58					58
Becky	114					114
Brifry	51					51
Kiki	173	1	10	10	100	294
Marie	243	4	10	10	100	367
Jan	72			10	200	282