Sacramento, CA

The 2007 Great Sacramento Duck Race will be held on Saturday, August 18th at Waterfront Park in Old Sacramento. Up to 20,000 rubber ducks will be dumped off of the I Street Bridge into the Sacramento River in support of local Special Olympics programs. They will float down the river to the Tower Bridge, with the first ducks to arrive winning prizes for their adoptive parents. Some of the grand prizes include a hot tub, a home energy makeover, travel packages, and–of course–lots of moola!!! You don’t need to be present to win and it isn’t very expensive to participate so why not adopt at least one? =)

There are different packages available so that everyone can participate. The cheapest is a Lone Duck for $5.00. There are two options for mid-level packages which both cost $25.00. The first is the Quack Pack. It includes five entries into the duck race, a souvenir duck, and coupons for local merchants. The second option is the Six Quack. Choosing this option will earn you six entries in the race, but no souvenir duck. The final package, the Quacker’s Dozen, is only available online. This package gives you thirteen duck adoptions for the price of ten, the souvenir duck, and the coupons. If you don’t like to use your credit card online, you can also adopt a duck at one of our local adoption agencies. If you’re feeling motivated enough, you can even become part of a sales team and earn more chances to win great prizes like a BBQ grill or a cruise vacation!

The ducks are all “dressed” in different costumes from their various sponsors. There is even a contest to vote for the Best Dressed Duck! The only catch is that you have to be 18 or older to participate, but who’s to say that you can’t purchase ducks for your children too…hehehe. Anyway, it is a really fun and creative way to earn money for a really good cause so, if you have the means I fully urge you to participate. Have fun…and may the best duck win!!!

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I can’t believe I almost forgot this, but The Simpsons Movie premiers tonight at midnight!!! I’ve loved the series since it first premiered all those long years ago and I am simply thrilled that they are coming to the big screen. In addition, it looks like it’s actually going to be a pretty funny movie too. Here is the snyopsis per Cinemark.com:

“Homer Simpson must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created. It all begins with Homer, his new pet pig, and a leaky silo full of droppings—a combination that triggers a disaster the likes of which Springfield has never experienced. A vengeful mob descends on the Simpson household. The family makes a narrow escape, but is soon divided by both location and conflict. The Springfield citizenry has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The calamity triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ Cargill. As the fates of Springfield and the world hang in the balance, Homer embarks on a personal odyssey of redemption—seeking forgiveness from Marge, the reunion of his splintered family, and the salvation of his hometown.”

Anyway, it is apparent that it is going to be completely hillarious and (hopefully) true to the spirit of The Simpsons. It is playing at 12:01AM at Century Stadium 14 at 1590 Ethan Way. Tickets are $9.50 per person (standard) and worth every penny since it is actually (miracle of miracles…) playing at the GOOD theater here in town!!! This si reason enough to go in my opinion since most movies don’t play there–especially not big titles. We had to put up with the crappy United Artists theater for Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix so this is definitely a welcome change! =)

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On Sunday, July 29th, Fairytale Town will be transforming into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in honor of the recent publication of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. From 6:00PM to 9:00PM you can immerse yourself in the beloved world of Harry and Co. You can join Dumbeldore’s Army, celebrate Harry birthday, and even participate in classes like potions, herbology, and divination. There will even be people dressed up like the different characters including Harry, Hagrid, and many of the Hogwarts staff members. Tickets are $7.00 per person or $5.00 for members. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Fairytale Town Store or downloaded and mailed or faxed to the park. You can also purchase them in person at 3901 Land Park Drive, across from the Sacramento Zoo. For all of you adult Harry fans, be aware that adults MUST be accompanied by a child due to city ordinances. This makes me sad as it means I shan’t be going…alas, such is the life of an adult! hehehe…

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The newest member of the Sacramento Zoo was born on May 16th but just made his debut in the exhibit on July 12th. He originally had a twin, but the other baby died shortly after birth–an occurrence that is sadly common in this endangered species. His eight-year-old parents also recently gave birth to a set of triplets early last year. Black and White Ruffled Lemurs can have litters of up to six babies, but smaller ones of two or three are much more common.

Plus, if you go on the 20th, they will also have a special showing of Zoovies featuring Charlotte’s Web. Gates open at 6:30PM with the movie starting at 8:30PM. It would be the perfect way to spend the day with your little ones. Ticket prices are $7.00 for adutls and $5.00 for kids from ages 3-12. This is actually not too bad a deal considering they include admission to the zoo itself as well. Also, if you sign up for the VID (Very Important Dog) prgoram, you can receive one free Bar-S hot dog for yourself and up to three guests. Who says dinner and a movie can’t be free?!! hahaha…

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For those of you who didn’t already know this, I am completely and totally obsessed with the Harry Potter books. Thus, I am very much stoked for tonight’s midnight release of the fifth movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I will of course be with all of the other crazies out tonight for the midnight showing. We will be attending the 11:59PM showing at United Artists Market Square at Arden Fair Mall. Sadly, if you haven’t already purchased your tickets then you are pretty much screwed as the theater is completely sold out…

Anyway, I’m hoping they’re going to stick to the book a little more closely than the last two did. In particular, I am hoping for much more of Severus Snape–and that they allow him to be the hero we all know he secretly is!!! I’m madly in love with Alan Rickman and I can’t wait to see his further character development. In addition, Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton will be joining the cast as Bellatrix Lestrange and Dolores Umbridge respectively. It’s going to be fabulous and hopefully I’ll run into a couple of you there. I will of course be dressing up so I shouldn’t be too hard to find. Look for the girl in the black Dumbledore’s Army shirt with slytherin green nails…hehehe…

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This week’s edition will serve the double purpose of reminding everyone that Ozzfest 2007 will be at the SleepTrain Ampitheatre on July 17th and warning people to be very careful where they purchase their tickets. All tickets for the tour were originally free as a means of revolutionizing the music industry. Unfortunately, all of the tickets have also already been given out. Thus, the only way to get in now is to purchase them from someone else. Sadly, people have also turned this into a means of scamming Ozzy-lovers everywhere. Be especially wary of purchasing tickets online at sites like ebay as there is no guarantee that you will be able to gain admission with said ticket. Scammers have been selling multiple copies of the same ticket or selling the barcode numbers of other people’s tickets which they obtained online as well. Each barcode number can only be used once so it is extremely important to be careful. Only the first person to present that barcode number will be allowed entry!!!

On a happier note, it is sure to be an incredible show if you ARE somehow lucky enough to get tickets. The lineup will include Lamb of God, Static X, Lordi, Hatebreed, Behemoth, Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator, Nile, Ankla, Circus Diablo, The Showdown, 3 Inches of Blood, Chthonic, Death, In This Moment, and, of course, Ozzy Osbourne. Doors open at 12:00PM and the shows will begin at 12:30PM. Make sure to leave early though as traffic going out there is an utter NIGHTMARE!!!! Have a good time…oh yeah, I am SOOOOOO jealous of you right now

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Elisa over at The Book Stacks let me know that the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival is now open at the William A. Carroll Ampitheatre at William Land Park. This year they are performing Comedy of Errors and Macbeth so there’s something for everyone. Macbeth is personally my favorite play of Shakespeare’s so I will definitely be going out to see it at some point this summer. Performances are every Friday and Saturday (as well as occasional Thursdays and Sundays) until August 5th. The box office opens at 6:00PM and performances begin at 8:00PM. You can purchase tickets online or reserve them for large groups by calling 916-558-2288. Tickets are also relatively cheap at $15.00 for general admission and $10.00 for students, seniors, SARTA members, and the disabled. Children 12 and under are even free!!! There will be some food available for purchase, but picnics are also welcome. Hopefully I’ll see you there sometime this summer as it is bound to be tons of fun!!!

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It’s that time of year again and there are a TON of places to check out some amazing fireworks displays in and around Sacramento. I think the general idea was to guarantee that you could pretty much go outside and see them anywhere in the area–that way they can try and cut down on all of the fireworks related fires. In any case, there are ten within thirty minutes of downtown Sac alone…and even more in the surrounding areas.

There are a couple in particular that look like they would definitely be worth checking out. Citrus Heights‘ celebration will start at 9:40PM which will act as the grand finale for their Sunfest arts and crafts celebration. They are calling the actual fireworks display a sky concert, featuring live simulcast of 98 Rock. It will be located at Sunrise Mall where Shriners Children’s Carnvial will also be enjoying its final day for the summer.

In Rancho Cordova there will be a huge celebration at Hagan Park. Legendary 70’s rock band America, whose hits include “Sandman” and “Lonely People”, will be onstage from 8:15PM until 9:45PM when the fireworks will begin. Admission will be free with an $8.00 parking charge.

The big one of course will be tonight at 9:30PM at Cal Expo. They are boasting the “largest scale pyrotechnics display in the history of the area” so I’m sure it’s bound to be spectacular! Innersoul will also be performing live at 7:30PM. Admission will be free, but there is a $7.00 charge for parking. If you’re not from around the area–or if you will be drinking!!–I suggest that you consider getting a hotel room somewhere in the area. Best Western Expo Inn wll be offering a fireworks special on our queen suites. The discounted rate will be $110.00 plus tax and will include a view of the back of Cal Expo where the fireworks will be set off.

If you’re willing to drive though, I’d reccommend heading up to South Lake Tahoe for Lights on the Lake. It is ranked as one of the top five displays in America by the American Pyrotechnics Association. It will run for over thirty minutes and features a wide variety of patterns, lights, designs, and shapes that are all synchornized to a soundtrack via computer. The accompnaying music can be heard on KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL-AM 1490. The fireworks themselves will be launched from an off-shore barge creating the illusion that they are coming from the lake itself. Even with the recent fire troubles in the area it is sure to be a stunning display like no other.

Regardless of what you choose to do, remember to be safe. If your county or city has ordinances regarding fireworks it is FOR A REASON!!!! Please do not disregard them as home fires are a devestating tragedy that no one wants to go through. Just please be careful and have a very happy 4th of July!!!!

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Music on Mondays will showcase upcoming concerts and performances in the Sacramento area. For this first week, it is VERY last minute, but there are still tickets available to see Kenny Chesney and Pat Green at the SleepTrain Ampitheatre in Marysville on Tuesday, July 3rd at 7:00PM. Tickets on the lawn begin at $33.00 and reserved tickets start at $77.00. The concert is the last stop in California for his Flip Flop Summer Tour 2007. I’ve seen him before a couple of years ago so I can personally guarantee that it is worth the money. He is fabulously fun in concert and you won’t regret it at all. The only issue is that the ticket price was priginally set because Sugarland was going to be opening for him. However, KNCI released news yesterday evening that they would not be performing tomorrow because the lead singer is having problems with her throat. I was pretty disappointed by this as they are also amazing and I would love to hear them live. However, it is still sure to be one of the hottest concerts of the summer here in Sacramento so if you have nothing to do on Tuesday I reccommend you check it out…

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I’m thinking lately that there needs to be more rhyme and reason to my little blog. Thus, over the next couple of days I will be formulating a plan to make it much more organized. If you have any suggestions as to things I’m missing feel free to let me know and I’ll do my best to throw them in somewhere

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American Idols Live is coming to Arco Arena on July 25th, 2007 at 7:00PM. Tickets have been on sale since May 10th so I didn’t think that there would be any left available…broke my heart too since I really want to go this year. Out of curisoity, I was looking at a list of Sacramento concerts and there are still tickets available!!! The remaining tickets range in price from $97.00 each for Section 224 Row N, Section 203 Row L, and Section 106 Row J to $370 each for FLR 4 Row F with a variety of seats for prices in between depending (obviously) on how close you want to be. There are also still a few nosebleed seats available at ticketmaster. If you are really made of money, you might consider paying $544.00 each for Section 1 Row U at ticket liquidator as well. Anyway, there are a variety of tickets still available out there if you’re willing to spend the money for them. I plan on buying one if they’re still available on Friday when I get paid because it is so going to be worth it to hear Blake Lewis beat box and see Sanjay’s latest hair debacle!!! In the meantime, read all the latest news at Reed-Dunn’s page Watching American Idol and get ready for what is sure to be one of the greatest concerts of the summer!

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Yesterday when I was looking at information on SMUD, I happened to also notice on their page that they are considering a rate increase for 2008. I don’t about everyone else on here, but I happen to be poor so this kind of annoys me In any case, there’s going to be a public hearing on June 7th to discuss this with the citizens of Sacramento. To their credit, they have only had two increases in 17 years–a pretty amazing feat for an electric company!!! They further add that the 7% increase will be used towards replacing old equipment and meeting new state standards for solar power. They also say that it will still be 25% lower than the rates at PG&E. Custoemrs with concerns are invited to come to the hearing to find out more information about how the rate changes will effect them particularly and further details as to how the money will be spent. Questions should be directed to Alan Wilcox at 916-732-6222.

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For those of you who aren’t familiar with the city, Sacramento may seem like just another cow town–the proverbial little farming community that could. However, in recent years it has become so much more than that–morphing itself into the most culturally diverse and ethnically aware city in the nation. I know that must sound pretty ridiculous–I LIVE here and I thought it couldn’t possibly true. And yet, according to Time magazine, we are the number one most diverse city in America. In fact, the article even emphasized that “sprinkled throughout the street are more flavors than you can get at Baskin-Robbins.” I thought that was pretty amazing. =) Now that I’m aware of it though, I’ve been noticing it everywhere that I go. I have seen people from every race and culture imaginable. I’ve also seen a stunning array of representations of different faiths–we even have a Romanian Baptist Churhc, which I didn’t even know existed! The article mentioned an elemtary school located in downtown Sacramento–William Land Elementary–that has so many different cultural holidays that they are considering combining them all into one big cultural celebration day! There are 347 children who attend the school and of them, 189 speak a language other than English at home. In any case, it has created a fascinating situation where there is no majority and there aren’t really any minorities because everyone is different. I’ve also noticed that this has had a really positive effect on the attitudes of people in Sac to members of other cultures. We all live side by side peacefully in a way that most cities only dream of. This isn’t at all to say that we don’t have our own fair share of crime and hatred–it’s impossible to get rid of it completely. It’s just amazing that a city as small as this one is has accomplished so much in so short a time period. In my opinion, it stands as the perfect role model for other American cities to follow and aspire to. What do you all think?

By the way, you can check out the article at:

Time Magazine