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Wed, 19 Jul 2006
Elsa/Animals Project

Welcome to Elsa's journal. We hope you enjoy reading about her journey. Please do not post comments or questions here. They should be directed to our Guest Book or in an email to travelingpez@hotmail.com . Thank you! -TPD Staff
Posted 11:39

14 comments


Let The Journey Begin!
7/9/06---Wow! This is exciting! I'm off to travel around the world! Chris put a special sticker on my side that shows everyone I;m working hard for TPD. I;m pretty amazed they chose little old me to represent Elsa's Ark. There are so many animals PEZ has made over the years. It was great to see so many of them wish me luck on my journey. Chris says I'm helping spread awareness for Spaying & Neutering and that's it's very important. I couldn't agree with him more. Us animals just don't know when to stop mating and so many of our offspring suffer because of it.------I met Susie and Dylan a few weeks ago and they told me how much fun they've been having meeting all their hosts along the journeys they're on.------I hope to raise some money for Elsa's Ark too. Pat Lillis works so hard to help all my furry and feathered friends. I'm so glad I can help! Can you tell I'm excited?------My first stop is in Minnesota where one of Chris' favorite PEZ collectors lives. I can't wait to see him!
Posted by Chris


My very first visit!
Hello. I’m Elsa, a K-9 Pez dispenser traveling on behalf of TPD’s animal welfare project. Here’s a record of my visit to Stillwater, MN. Stillwater hosts were John Loperfido, wife Bonnie, son Nick and Nick’s fiancé Kim. Friday the 14th was a fun day. I met a few of the gnomes who live under John’s property and I went to a Minnesota Twins ball game.------Did you know that just as we walk through air and fish swim through water, gnomes travel through earth? Amazing! Most of their time is spent mining for gems and precious metals. Socializing is mostly done above ground, when the coast is clear, that is. Assured I wasn’t a threat, I was welcomed warmly. The gnomes had some great ideas about animal welfare. Feral cats and dogs, it turns out, are a big-time problem for rural gnomes. They gave me amethyst and gold coins for the Elsa fund. Unfortunately, gnome gifts are like gifts from leprechauns. When the gnomes leave, the gifts vanish! LOLOL Gnomes sure are a quirky lot.------Friday evening found me at a Minnesota Twins baseball game with Nick and Kim. What a game. The Twins beat the Cleveland Indians, three to two, in ten innings. I’m a fan now.------Saturday was sweltering. The temperature rose to a humid 101. Everyone was worn out by early afternoon. So, we just lolled around – until the power went out! Within two hours John, Bonnie and I were in an air conditioned theatre in another town enjoying Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a good movie but there weren’t very many animals in it – unless you count seadogs. Sorry. Someone’s sense of humor is catching. Not good, but catching.------ Clouds moved in Sunday and kept the temperature down to a mere 90. That was cool enough for a tour of Stillwater before visiting grandchildren in St Paul.------Stillwater, a very old town, claims the title of “Birthplace of Minnesota.” It was founded in 1843 on the St Croix River and was already a thriving community by the time Minnesota was admitted to the Union in 1858. Lumber and river trade served the town well into the 20th century. Today, Stillwater has a modest population of 15,000 and its quaint old-town character is the basis of a robust tourist trade.- -----One of Stillwater’s more notable structures is its lift bridge. It was built in 1931 and spans the St Croix River between Stillwater and Houlton WI. Only three lift bridges remain in MN and WI. The Stillwater lift bridge is listed on the national register of historic places and is recognized as one of the most endangered. On the upside, recent repairs should buy it a little more time.------Grandkids were next on the list. They’re all cute, of course, and really love their two dogs. Getting the kids to pose with me was NOT a problem. LOL------Monday. Where did the time go? With many fond memories and unburdened by gnome gold, I’m off to visit Karen in Pennsylvania.


Elsa, Sadie and P.J.
7.19.06 - Arrived at Karen's house and spent the rest of the day relaxing. Sadie (Karen's four legged furball) let me sleep in her bed. Then, we played with some of the many toys P. J. and Sadie have. Before retiring for the night, we had a snack from the treat container!------ 7.20.06 - Helped Karen with some scrapbook projects and made my own dog card that can travel with me! It was my first attempt at this and I think it came out nicely! The weather was nasty at times, but we finally had enough sun to get outside and I visited Karen's pond. She says she wishes she could spay her snails! I could see the egg clutches that the snails just laid. We lounged around the swimming pool for a while and then the weather turned bad again, so we went inside.------7.21.06 - Went to a flea market! That was really scary at first, until Karen told me there isn't really fleas there. We looked for Pez and antiques, but didn't find anything. But it was a nice time anyway. During the evening, she told me to patrol the hallways for suspicious characters and here I was watching the webcam from the Cleveland Pez Convention! I did spot some characters!------7.22.06 - Visited the corporate offices for Mack Trucks today. I got to meet the Mack Bulldog, sure is a big dog! He showed me some of the huge trucks Mack makes and they are really, really huge and shiny!------ 7.23.06 - We just relaxed again today and did some bird watching. Karen gets a lot of birds to her feeders. We got to see hummingbirds, woodpeckers and finches! Now I'm getting ready to head out for a visit with Cindy first thing in the morning!
Posted by Karen Freed


Elsa in Oxford, NY
7/26/06---I arrived in Oxford, NY at Cindy 's (PEZscrappper) house. I looked at the Altered Book she is making and I posed by one of the pages with kitty cats on it. Cindy has all sorts of paints, inks, ribbon fibers, and rubberstamps. I made a bottlecap embellishment from her stuff to put in my souvenir bag. I posed for pictures with Tommy PEZ..Cindy's traveling PEZ Dispenser on the birdhouse..No birds were home. LOL------I sat out in the sun on the deck and had my picture taken some more with a Big Yellow M&M and Cindy's blue M&M suitcase. They should make some PEZ Suitcases!!--- ---7/27/06---We went to Sienna's house and I had my picture taken with Sienna and her pet parakeet, Sapphire, he is a pretty blue color and Sienna showed me her PEZ, and her collection of Wizard Of OZ stuff.------7/28/06---Sienna spent the night and we took more pictures of me and Cindy's 2 cats, Miss Kitty and Little Miss.------ 7/29/06--- I helped Sienna dust some of Cindy's collectibles of M&M's and Coca-Cola, Whew that was a lot of work, after we were done I got my picture taken some more so everyone can see my visit to PEZscrappers Toy Store, I mean house..LOL------I'm glad I'm getting to travel and tell everyone about My Friends at Elsa's Ark, INC. Both of Cindy's cats were abandoned and now they have a fun place to live. Miss Kitty gave me her vaccination tag so I will remember my visit to Chenango County.------7/30/06---I slepted all day..LOL------7/31/06---I'm getting ready to leave today, as I'm going to visit Joe and his family in Indiana next. He has hosted the TPD before me and I heard they had lots of fun with them.------Signing off Now..Take Care, Elsa and Cindy


The Goo Goo Dolls & The Counting Crows!
Wow! Chris took me to a concert tonight! We were invited by Robby Takac to see his band, The Goo Goo Dolls. He's the bass player. They were playing at the Jones Beach Theater in NY. They opened for the Counting Crows.------He left us 2 tickets at the gate! They were amazing seats. Chris was given a pass that allowed him to take pictures from right in front of the stage! While he was doing that, I was wandering around the stage and I ran into Dylan and Susie! They were being escorted by Peter Pez! We met some great people in the audience too. Everyone was so excited for the music to begin------The sun was setting and the band came out. Wow! The energy in the place was amazing! Everyone was up and dancing! When John Rzeznik, the lead singer, sang Give A Little Bit, he was looking right at me!!!-- - ---After their set, we went to get some water and we stumbled upon a great charity organization. You can visit them on our links page. They collect canned foods and give them to different shelters around the country. They are at every show on this tour. So far they've collected over 500, 000 thosand cans of food. This fod feeds homeless people, displaced families due to disasters and domestic violence, abandoned children and more! I really like what they do. Their name is Rock and Wrap It Up Inc., They also collect all the unused food used for the band and crew and bring it to local shelters so people have meals that night.------After meeting more people, I made my way back to the seats just in time to see the Counting Crows perform. Their band is amazing too! Adam Duritz puts on an amazing performance.------On the way home, Chris told me he is arranging for me to be at another show on this tour where I'll actually go back stage and meet Robby! I can't wait! Robby has a great PEZ Collection too. He must miss it when he's on the road, because on one of his amps on the stage are 2 Giant dispensers! Homer and Bart Simpson. Well, time for me to rush to Indianna where I'll meet Chris' friend and fellow PEZ Collector, Joe Gaydos!
Posted by Chris


The Gaydos Family
I finally arrived in Carmel, IN where I stayed with the Gaydos family. I was greeted by Bear and Sioux, the Labradors of the house. They were eager to express how happy they were about my awareness program (especially since they have both already done their part). That afternoon I gave a speech to many cats and dogs on the importance of getting spayed and neutered. Besides the many squeamish looks I received, I think I really got through to them. We finished the evening with an exciting game of poker. We played for Pez-and let’s just say I didn’t go hungry. That’s right; yours truly took the lot with an amazing flush.------I woke up looking forward to a tour of Indianapolis, but my pounding head told me it was a no go. Indy saw a horrible storm that flooded the main roads. So instead I did what dogs do best-laid around all day. It was great just hanging with Sioux and Bear. They have a giant pillow in the kitchen (due to Bear’s arthritis) with plenty of room for the three of us. We enjoyed some home cooking and watched movies all night with the Gaydos family. Since I was the guest they said they wanted me to pick, so we watched my favorite, “Homeward Bound,” the first and second.- -----Today was another exciting day. It started off sad, though, because I had to say goodbye to Brenda early as she left on a business trip. I was cheered up with a truck ride all around the Carmel area. Joe has a huge red truck which is great for catching some wind. We stopped at the park to play Frisbee and enjoy the weather. Poor Bear was having trouble keeping up in his old age. So we mingled with the local dogs for awhile instead. I was surprised to find many didn’t know how bad the homeless issue had become and actually wanted to help spread the word. I was so happy to get this new support.------I just experienced another great day. I’m so lucky to have been in Indiana for the Brickyard 400 at the famous Speed Way. I actually don’t know very much about NASCAR but it was still a lot of fun to watch. Jimmy Johnson ran an exciting race, first falling way behind because of tire issues, than catching up to win the race. Bear and Sioux were sad to see their homeboy, Jeff Gordon, only take 16th place. Overall I had a great stay. I’m really looking forward to heading out west to California next. There’s no time to stop and rest when I have such an important message to deliver.
Posted by Joe Gaydos


The Lutsko's!!!
Well, I finally made it over to Tina & Dwight's house and am pretty well pooped out! They live in Adrian, Michigan, it's not a real big town either.------I really had a good time meeting Tina's 3 dogs. Button's is black but I don't know what she is. She was really afraid of me at first but I found out she's like that all the time with anything new. I felt better after that and we eventually became friends. Then there's Jack, a pure white Shi-Tzu, who's eyes go in every direction imaginable and Ty is a Terrier mix who has no clue what's going on around him. It was neat to hear their stories and how they found their way to Tina's. I cried when I heard their sad stories because they were all babies at the time and they were going to be "put down" because the odds were against them. They are now 7, 3 and 1 years old and are very much loved.----- -We all started playing and running fuul-force through the house, everybody got out of the way. We celebrated Tina's Birthday with cake and presents. She got some Scooby Snacks from the dogs, a big gigantic numbered remote control for the TV, a Polish Doll and a CD. The remote control was wrapped up in newspaper with lots and lots of duct tape, it was really funny. The cake was good! They found me the next morning surrounded by cake crumbs! I didn't eat it! But those Scooby Snacks were goooooood!!!------Tina said I looked a bit "green" so we went to the Adrian Animal Clinic, that's her Vet, and I got checked out by Karen. She's a funny lady. I got a clean bill of health, but I need to lay off the treats.------We then went to visit the Lenewee Humane Society, but for some reason it was closed. But we did meet a nice man by the name of John Cambell. When he asked Tina about me, he reached in his pocket and gave her a $5.00 donation to help us out. He said this was from his dog Jack, who is old and has some hip problems. Thank you John!!!------We took a ride over to Adrian College as they just built a new stadium. It's really pretty but the gates were locked. I did get to see the "Bulldog".------We took a ride over to Walgreen's and I got my new ID tag. It was neat watching it being made. We walked around trying to find new PEZ for Halloween but no luck!------We had fun just playing around outside and in the house too! I found a really neat place to play, inside Tina & Dwight's bedroom! They have a fuzzy bear rug with trees all over and it looks like a forest! I was playing on the bear rug with some toys and Ty came over. The next thing I know, I'm being carried away in Ty's mouth and I see my life going by! I thought I was a goner, but all he did was pick me up, walk a few steps and put me down. He just wanted the toy I was sitting on. Go figure!!! That was cool! I was hoping he'd do it again.------It was a lot of fun visiting and seeing some sights but every good time needs to come to an end. So it looks like I'll be leaving for Milford, DE tomorrow to visit with Christine Burger. It's hard to say "Good-Bye" but there's work to be done and a cause to work for.------God Bless, Elsa
Posted by The Lutskos


The Burger Family!
Wow. What a warm welcome I got when I arrived in M ilford, DE. Christine, her husband Bob and their t hree dogs Wolfie, Bear and Hunter all seemed h appy to see me. Bear and Hunter are Jack R ussell’s and Wolfie is a Bischon. Boy! Their d ogs have a lot of energy. We played the entire t ime I was here. I had a lot of fun running a round the yard with them.------I got to go to t he beach and watch everyone swim in the ocean. T here were a lot of people at the beach. We w alked for quite awhile along the ocean and I e ven got to pick up seashells. It was also e xciting because I saw dolphins swimming not far f rom where we were standing. I’m told the water w as warm but I was careful not to get wet. In the a fternoon, we went to all the shops in Rehoboth B each. Afterwards, it was time to relax. We went h ome to watch a movie and everyone had a treat. Y um!------Well, as like when anyone who goes to t he beach, I got a lot of rest and relaxation t ime. The weather was great and I had lots of f un. It’s now time for me to pack my bags and get r eady to go to Kutztown, Pa and enjoy my fill of q uality meats and potato chips.


Kutztown, PA!
Arrived in Kutztown today, just in time to celebrate Casey's 6th birthday. His Mom, Laura, is a TPD volunteer. When Casey got home from Kindergarten we headed to the Q-Mart (Quakertown Farmers Market). Saw a lot of meat stands that Christine told me about. Casey wanted to race slot cars. I couldn't believe there was a vendor at a farmers market that had a race track set up. I got to hold Casey's new remote & run some cars. Whew, they are fast!------Then we went to visit Doug at the Candy Barn. He has TONS of candy, including many PEZ. I told him about my mission and he was so impressed that he made a donation to TPD!! What a great guy. When we got home, Casey opened a few presents for his birthday and I just sat back and relaxed.------ Saturday was a very busy day. Went to Renninger's Farmers Market in Kutztown first. Met Ralph and Jerry at the Purple Cow. They sell PEZ, milk bottles and comic books-quite a combo!! Then it was rush home to get ready for Casey's big party.------We went on a hay-ride. It was so much fun. All the kids loved me, even the ones that didn't know what spay & neuter meant. It was a long day but we had a lot of fun!------Sunday was R&R day. Isat by the pond and chatted with the fish & got to witness a beautiful lilly. They only open 3 days before they die. They are so gorgeous, it hardly seems fair to have only 3 days to see them. Later we took a trip toone of the neighboring farms. Whew - they don't spay & Neuter the barn cats and there were TONS of cats. I wanted to be near dogs but was surrounded by cats & cows!! Laura made me feel better later and placed me with my own kind - 35 K-9 PEZ dispensers just like me!! She was packing them up to donate to another collector who needs them to raise $ so their Police Deparetment can get a Police Dog. Laura LOVES charity work!------I'm heading off to the BIG E!!! It's a large multi-state, state fair in Massechusetts. I hope to see some folks I know as PEZ Candy Inc. will be there!!------We made a pit-stop in Easton. PA and visited the Easton Museum of PEZ. Susie was there previously and they knew all about TPD. They have a cool display of many vintage and fantasy pieces. It was fun!
Posted by Laura Adams


THE BIG E!!!
Well, there was so much to see at the http://www.thebige.com/fair/index.html Big E. It’s a huge event. It was a beautiful day so the drive was nice. It took us 4 hours to drive from PA to MA, then 1 ¾ hrs to get a parking space that was ½ mile from the event!! They had record breaking attendance that day—over 157,000 people. Of course, all I wanted to do was find the Pez booth. I was very anxious to get there too and see all my pez buddies. They have replica’s of each New England state’s capital on the Avenue of States. Inside each of these buildings are many exhibitors from that particular state so I was on a mission to find the CT building.------Along the way, we saw a statue made from 600 lbs of butter! It was amazing. There were tons of food vendors with delights from the region. I remember seeing a sign for Maine Lobsters but never did get back there to get one.------Found the CT building but the PEZ booth was 4 people deep to get to the counter. People were going wild for pez !! (can you blame them?). Finally fought my way to the front to check out all the deals. On the one end was candy and current dispensers –Over the Hedge, Princesses, Cars, Hello Kitty, Ice Age 2, Nascar Helmets, Madagascar, Bratz.. All for MIB for $1. In the middle they had the LE Walmart Star Wars sets,psychedelic hand remakes, misfits, Nascar Pull & Go, Planet Earth, Body parts, USA hearts, retro classic sets, and crystal sets. The people working the booth were so nice.------ While I stayed at the pez booth with Laura, her hubby and Casey wondered around to the Lego Booth. I never knew lego sets were assembled in CT. They had an incredible lifesize and Bionicle with glowing eyes. It was hard to pull Casey away from the building tables but finally got him to one of the parades. Wandered around to the many outside vendors before we went to Funland for the rides. Didn’t get back to our hotel until almost midnight and we were exhausted !!------Sunday was raining in the morning. Hung out at the PEZ Market and visited a few more booths in the CT Building. DJ Mark from the local radio stations was thrilled to meet us. Went to a horse show and saw these beautiful horses. Despite their enormous stature, they were so graceful. Visited a bunch of indoor exhibits including a town made out of playing cards. Thank goodness it was behind glass because one sneeze could have ended it all —there was no glue or tape holding them together. Amazing ! Visited the circus museum. Then headed to the Big E bakery to get a cream puff. They make them on site. They were so yummy !!------Casey went on a few more rides before we headed home. There wasn’t much room in the car after we packed up all the pez boxes but we managed to squeeze in a few cases of OCC pez we found along the way home!


My new friend Missy!
Hello again! I'm reporting from Bingo where I was handed off to my next friend Missy. She was kind enough to let me sit with her and her boyfriend Carlos during Bingo at the PEZ In The Sun Gathering in Myrtle Beach. So many PEZ, so many people, so much fun! Missy & Carlos didn't seem to win anything, but they sure were having fun.------After Bingo we had a special performance from The Juliet Dagger. Erin was great. She sang a few songs for us live and then afterwards she was signing autographs and taking pictures. Carlos was able to get a CD signed and Missy was able to have Erin take a picture with her and me. Afterwards Carlos was nice enough to let me show off his CD's.------After Erin sang, the unveiling of the PCN chopper was done and I was able to have my picture taken riding on the handle bars. What a cool ride! Now if only they would make a basket for me to ride in.------That was the end of a great day of fun. I wanted to take a walk on the beach but Sunny Myrtle Beach turned cold. So, inside to a comfy bed where I fell asleep.
Posted by Missy Kish


I GOT SPAYED!!!
11/5/06---Well, today is my return trip home with Missy. I was told that when I get to her house she is going to be taking me to work with her so I can get spayed. Usually around 5-6 months of age is when puppies and kittens can get spayed at a vet clinic. You can get spayed at a younger age (shelters do it all the time) but at vet clinics they like to make sure we are healthy and current on shots. I am nervous and excited all at the same time.------I am enjoying my car trip home because Missy let me sit in the back seat where I had it all to myself. I was told my surgery is on Tuesday ao I am going to be enjoying the next two days playing around in the backyard and pool that Missy told me she has. She also told me that there was also many other fuxxy friends to play with. There was two dogs - Madelyn and Dude and four cats - Dice, Pacey, Bobby and Jack. What a crazy time! The weather was much warmer here in Florida than in Myrtle Beach and I enjoyed my day laying in the sun getting ready for my surgery.------11/7/06--- Well, today is my big day. All this promoting that I do for Spaying & Neutering and today it is my turn. Missy was kind enough to get me spayed at her clinic - Coastal Vet Hospital. What a great hospital. I got to meet all her friends & co-workers and Dr. Boyarin (and boy was he cute!) was kind enough to spay me.------I don't remember much of the day, but I remember the hours before the surgery and only the stories that Missy told me about afyterwards.------Before the surgery I was given an exam to make sure my heart and lungs sounded great. I also had my weight & Temp taken - Sheesh! A girl should never tell you what she weighs! Then I was taken to have some X- Rays done to make sure everything looked good on the inside. Missy showed me my pictures and it looks like my spine might be a little crooked. I should have seen a chiropractor while I was there, but Tuesdays are her day off. Maybe if it gets worse I will have the chance to see one on one of my other travels.------After the X-Rays I was given a sedative and quickly settled down for a nap in my cage. Next thing I remember was laying in my cage feeling a bit groggy from pain meds. I was filled in by Missy at this point. I was told that after I settled down, Missy got me ready for the surgery. She was there the whole time with me by my side, making sure I was doing well under anesthesia. Dr B spayed me and after ward Missy gave me plenty of pain meds and I was placed back in my cage to recover.------The next few days are kind of fuzzy. I was in a little bit of discomfort - yes, I was given pain meds - but well worth it knowing that I won't be spreading around more babies & making even more of a problem for the pet population. Also, getting spayed helped my health in the long run. Now that I am fully recovered I am ready to carry on my journey to my next friends' house. See ya then!
Posted by Missy Kish


Back with Chris!!!
12/4/06---Wow! I'm here in New York again after a brief distraction which halted my journey for a little bit. I'm at Chris' house and this weekend he;s going to take me to The Elsa's Ark Thrift Shop. It's a thrift shop where everything is donated to raise money for Elsa's Ark Inc. and that's who I'm raising money for! I can't wait to go!------12/9/06---Well, today Chris took me to visit his mother and later they're going to take me to Elsa's Ark Thrift Shop. Before we go I need to meet her cats and dogs.---She has 3 dogs named Hoover, Cookie and Megan. Hoover is some sort of Terrier mix, Cokkie is a Bassett Hound and Megan is a Golden Retriever. They're very affectionate. Hoover os very old and doesn't move around as fast as he used to but he sure tries hard! His spirit is very high.------ His Mom has a million cats! Actually about ten. You'd never know it though. They have a room in the basement all to themselves and they have access to the outside through a window that Chris put a doggy door in. The outside leads under the deck and is closed off so that they don't get lost. They like getting their fresh air.------ Feeding time is crazy! All the animals here have been rescued. She even has a cat named Stumpy because he has 3 legs! Chris' Mom, Dorothe, found him on the street. They think he was attacked by another animal. Everyone thought he was going to die but that was 7 years ago!------ Well, I'm off now to help at the Thrift Shop! See you there!
Posted by Chris


ELSA'S ARK THRIFT SHOP!!!
Chris took me for a ride to Eastern Long Island today. To the Hamptons! Out here is where the organization I am helping has a Thrift Shop. It's called Elsa's Ark. The stroe is located above a health food store called Second Nature. The owner of that store gives the space upstairs to Elsa's Ark for free! People bring their donated items here and the people who volunteer their time, price the items and put them on display throughout the store. Then people come here and buy the stuff! Some of the stuff is really nice! Antique collectors come to this store all the time. All the money from the sales of these items goes to Elsa's Ark , Inc. which we know helps animals! I helped Dorothe, Chris' mom behind the register today while Chris made some repairs around the shop.----- Well, it's time to go visit someone new! I can't wait to see where I'm headed next!
Posted by chris


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