Thanks everyone. I was so excited to finally be able to post high quality versions of my videos. I sent the link to kennel Vern Halter. During the week I will post other short videos I created during that trip. Jasdip: the dogs, at least at Vern's kennel are well socialized right from birth and very friendly. They do scrap among each other because each dog has its own hierarchy not only in the canine world but also when pulling sleds. There is always a lead dog with anywhere from 5-15 dogs behind him. The lead dog is an exceptional decision maker and will steer the sled away from thin ice, and other dangers of the trail. The other dogs often struggle to get to a higher rank in the pull line and will jump over each other to the point that all of the harnesses are terribly tangled and it takes several people to get it all straightened out. Nicole: someday I may actually put together a video of live footage I took at the official start of the race. You can feel and hear the excitement in the dogs. Nanny: you're probably referring to Jeff King, he's well known in the Iditarod world as a racer, inventor and writer. Cabellas Sporting Goods store carries Jeff King designs. I've read his book Cold Hands, Warm Heart. He is a better musher than writer, but it's still interesting. I have several photos of him and his dogs as they took off from the block at the official start. Ellie: yes, the dogs are incredibly psyched! While waiting to start the race there is a handler for each of the 16 dogs so that they won't take off down the trail without anyone on the sled. Alaska huskies are not a breed per say but a list of attributes that suit the race mentality. They are generally medium size, a good eater (important on the trail to not be finicky), powerful and smart with a drive to run. They come in many colors and points but all have that incredible drive to run in them. Murraysmom: three people are really not that difficult for the dogs. The sled usually has to be weighted down by something to stay solid on the ground as the dogs go wild flying down the trail. The sled I rode on had a basket in front for someone to sit in, a middle area for the kennel's driver and a back area for another rider. I sat in the basket for about an hour when the other person riding with me (who had done this before) offered me her spot on the back rails for the ride of my life. Go back and take a look at how thin the sled rails are. I was amazed, especially because Vern had given me a pair of his cold weather boots (along with his Iditarod jumpsuit and gloves). The boots were big enough for me to wear over my own cold weather boots. Meaning the boots were several times wider than the rails. If anyone wants to get a personal and humorous view of what it's like to train for and race in the Iditarod, I highly recommend Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. He's best known for children's books like Hatchet, but took some time off writing to race the Iditarod. I laughed so hard in parts and was amazed in others by what these racers go through, and particularly Gary who kind of took bonding with his dog to the extreme (and paid for it :-) Jodi-

AB, I wish I could've witnessed the guy in the red suit as he first tried to get into da plane. That would've been just as amusing. Poor guy, getting himself into a dither in front of an entire town. And talk about horse power. Those elegant creatures added an element of beauty and magic to the occasion. But, my favorite picture is the one where Bud's built-up anticipation finally becomes reality. I hope Santa gave him a great big, reassuring hug. Sol

Mclarke, Really? Mine has problems with rug fringe. I got it for X-mas last year and now I wish I could buy the new one that can handle tassels. I have to either pick up my rugs or tuck the fringe under (doesn't always work). My rugs are pretty light weight, though, resembling kilims and thank god I only have two (I was pretty disappointed when my mother got me the second one, because of the implications). I feel my roomba is actually better on hard surfaces than on rugs. It doesn't fall down the stairs. I have the scheduler and the walls, but never used them. When I want it to stay somewhere, I just put some chairs to cover the opening (this is because I never got batteries for the walls, this is how lazy I am). The scheduler is a different problem. I basically want to clear the floors of clothes and other random items before I run the roomba, so i don't put it on the scheduler You will to some extra work with this. Like clean the corners and baseboards, but I feel like if you run it often, it keeps the overall dust level low, so stuff doesn't get dirty as fast. I love my roomba, but wish it could love my fringe. Pinar

Roomba is vacuuming for me right now. I love it. You do have to keep the bin emptied and do the maintenance on schedule. I would recommend getting a good warranty with one, as they can be a bit fussy and things can go wrong with them occasionally. Overall, I really think it's worth it, though. I want another, so I can have one for upstairs and one for downstairs. Mine is one of the wifi ones that maps out your home. It vacuums in straight lines vs zigzagging all over. If you get a Roomba, make sure you get a model that suits your home and what you want it to do. Some are not designed to vacuum your whole house and are best for just a couple of rooms. Some can be connected to lighthouses that direct them to the different rooms of your house. Others map out your entire house and vacuum it without lighthouses. Some are better for hardwood floors (soft rollers vs brushes), imo. Some are designed to do a better job if they have to clean carpeted areas. Overall, my Roomba does a good job with my hardwood floors. I do still occasionally vacuum rugs and, on the rare occasion, I'll dust mop. I don't have the one robot that mops. I read that they don't mop very much area before they need their pad changed. Not sure what others have experienced so far as the mopping robots.