One bright note is that we did have a very enjoyable time on Saturday, June 1 at the annual Big Brothers and Sisters of Arlington's "Hoedown and Barbecue." This is the third year in a row that we've been fortunate enough to attend. I say fortunate enough because this is a major fund raiser for BB&S (Big Brothers and Sisters) and tickets are a pretty penny, but quite a value for the money spent. And of course, it all goes for a very good cause. We had a better time this year than in all year's past and we want to thank Val and Linda Gibson, owners of Zap Copy Center, where I work, for their generosity in buying our tickets! Terry and I thank the two of you again. We had a great time!

To set the scene, picture a tent, a very large tent, that holds around 800 to 1000 people dressed in their best "casual" western. I think of jeans as casual, not so, some of those folks. They looked marvelous, dressed to the "nines!" As we jumped down from the hay ride that brought us from the parking lot, we were directed straight into the barbecue buffet line. Spring Creek BBQ and the volunteer cooks took care of the eating end while Big Daddy's Paackage Stores took care of the beverage side of the evening. A casino with play money was located in the back. Such a deal, you could buy $2000 in chips for only a $20 donation to BB&S. We had a fun time on $20 worth of chips. We played blackjack for over 2 hours.

There were also raffles and silent auctions going on all evening with the big live auction to take place later on in the evening. One of the raffle items that Terry really had her eye on was a gift certificate to a local jeweler. She wanted that REAL bad, but, sorry to say, our number wasn't drawn. And during the live auction the "main attraction" was the ultimate "Cowboy" evening. A limo would pick you and 3 of your friends up and deliver you to a local airport for a ride in the Goodyear blimp. Then you would head to dinner at a wonderful Dallas restaurant and cap off the evening attending a Cowboy game sitting in prime seats. Wow! What an evening! I believe the bidding started at $1500 - $2000. I don't remember what that item ended up bringing, but it was a bunch. As we walked through the auction area, Terry told me to not even think about scratching my head. The Hoedown will be an evening to remember for a long time! What a fun relaxing evening we had!

Don't forget about the SIG meeting this Saturday at InfoMart in Dallas! Due to scheduling conflicts, it looks like I'm going to have to miss another meeting. (I promise, I do plan on getting back to attending regularly sometime soon.) I really wanted to make a day out of it. Netscape is coming to do a presentation late in the afternoon. Terry and I are trying to wrap up some business about some improvements on the house and we have to head to the bank either Friday evening or Saturday morning.

On a final note, we are all happy that Dennis Brand has gotten his old job back at the ole aircraft plant, but we are sadden to see him leave the customer service department at StarText. He has always been a driving force on StarText Classic as well as on the NET version. We all wish you the best in the future and we know that you'll be as active as ever in the forums. You've been a good friend and Terry and I wish you the best. Your help has been invaluable to all of us on StarText.

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