First nite in Anchorage - the "Draw" meeting

Fed the dogs early enough so we could do the 2-hour drop before 6 and not have to leave the meeting to drop them - on the walk over we saw Lori Chezik and it was good to see a familiar face - then into the very nice Crowne Plaza (if the lobby was any indicator it was a wise move on our part to stay at Motel 6!) - most efficient sign up of any race I have ever been to - handed out the packet of info and had a person to go thru it with you to make sure everything was filled out correctly, paid our entry fee (a mere $698!)and into the banquet area to sit - a veritable "who's who" of sled dogging! Randy picked out the seat and guess who was at the table.....Helen Lundberg and Egil Ellis!! very nice and good senses of humor! Next to us were the Streepers and Cheziks and at the next table Jeff King (for those of you that don't know he is a several time Iditarod winner and is renting a team from Streepers to run in the Rondy for the first time so he is competing against Randy as a rookie - yesterday was his second time running the team!!!) We had very nice hors dourves and were given an actual plactic bucket with all kids of stuff....hat, shirt, tooth brush, pins, calendar.....as they drew numbers. They drew numbers of all the racers that are not rookies (first timers) and then the rookies drew...Randy goes out 21st, the first of the rookies!! As they drew that asked each of the drivers a question on the microphone up front and asked Randy what he was most concerned about and he said it was going out as a rookie after racing for 38 years!!!! Then after the draw a guy from the radio station was interviewing drivers and my husband never ceased to impress me with how well he speaks in public.....smooth, funny, charming! Today we are scheduled to go to a school and have dogs and sled out for the kids, tomorrow breakfast with the media, driver's meeting and Randy is required to go around the trail and Jesse flies in in the morning!!!! Can't wait to see him - wish you all could be here too!!!