Caption: Al Edlund with a novel idea.

Caption: Al introduced himself as "being adopted by John Marshall" (fellow Visio MVPs).

Caption: Nestor Portillo explains the evolution of the MVP program.

Caption: Connie Rennie introducing the next speaker and showing a few photos from the 2005 MVP summit.

Caption: April Dalke finishing up her MVP Lead "who we are and what we do for you" talk with a list of her typical daily routine (lots of MVP emails, along with lots of caffeine and LOTS of chocolate!

Caption: Mark Edulijee (HOPE I spelled it right???)...is the 'man behind the curtain' who LISTENS to what we complain about and attempts to fix it on the MVP site and other places (like the surveys).

Caption: "Eduljee" - you were close! He's a great guy, as you likely found out.

Caption: Yeah...he was really nice...and fun. And he didn't even complain when I dumped a frozen Pina Colada in his lap! [g]

Caption:

Caption: Glad to see Susan Ramlet was able to make it this year!

Caption: Ben, Beth, Susan and Echo

Caption: Ben Schorr, Beth Melton, Susan Ramlet (in spirit) and Echo Swinford

Caption: Marshall Barton, Access, far right w/baseball hat

Caption: Al Edlund, Visio, white shirt up front

Caption: Marsh in a rare picture without a beret!

Caption: Kevin Royalty, SBS MVP, in light blue shirt Mathew W. (MSN Hotmail MVP?) in front of Kevin with earpiece Papa John (center, behind Kevin) with two name badges Mark Eduljee, Official MVP Listener, behind Papa John Robert (between Mark and Marshall)

Caption: Marsh, missing his chance to show off his MVP beret,

Caption: April and Connie (in far back) lead MVPs in a "what can the regional offices do better to help you locally" discussion.

Caption: So tell us Echo...how do you like the MS Passport system?

Caption: Are you goading me into an "it sucks" moment?

Caption: Susan Ramlet...paying close attention to the discussions. Amazing that she doesn't have much to say this summit.

Caption: Group shot!

Caption: Dian Chapman, center on the floor

Caption: Nestor Portillo, MS, front/left w/blue shirt

Caption: Connie Rennie, blue shirt, behind Nestor

Caption: Gary Woodruff, yellow shirt

Caption: Echo Swinford, right, covering her face

Caption: Marshall Barton, black shirt, right of Echo

Caption: Beth Melton, long brown hair, center

Caption: April Dalke, MS, left of Beth

Caption: Ben Schorr, sneaking his head in between April & Beth

Caption: Phillip Windell, blue shirt left of April

Caption: Susan Ramlet, hanging on the wall

Caption: Al Edlund, white shirt, barely peaking over the back of Echo's head

Caption: Eric Frost, orangish shirt, behind Beth

Caption: No, that's someone else, Eric Frost was not in this picture.

Caption: Oh...sorry! Hard to see back there! (g)

Caption: Roger Carlson, back, between Phillip and April

Caption: Woodrow Wilson, brown shirt, behind Dian

Caption: Dave Bost, Developer Evangelist, far right side of the picture in the greenish/yellow shirt.

Caption: After the meeting, we hang out to enjoy munchies and beer/wine. (Nice to see Ramlet enjoying the festivities.

Caption: That was quick! congrats. I didn't see Elizabeth (our daughter) anywhere in there, nor did I see my self though I may be blind. I should post some shots sometime.

Caption: Ramlet: "Hey, guys...how about a beer? Hello? Guys?"

Caption: Trying to figure out dinner plans.

Caption: Greg Chapman amazed...and Beth happy...to see that Ramlet made the trip.

Caption: Greg alerts the media

Caption: The "Moo's Brothers" Part Deux

Caption: (The night before...Greg and Jeff drove/flew up to Wisconsin to get Mike Sampson his cheese...which April came THAT CLOSE to forgetting in the MS fridge!)

Caption: We all head to dinner at "Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders" (http://www.chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com), which is across the street from the site of the St. Valentine's Massacre. Note the building with the pillars on the porch and the empty lot next door.

Caption: In this original photo after the massacre, note the building with the pillars on the porch and the cartage garage where everyone is standing. The garage was the site...which is now the empty lot in the previous photo.

Caption: Ben Schorr just flew in from Hawaii...and BOY are his arms tired!

Caption: Ben and Connie, at the restaurant...waiting for everyone to arrive and our table to be set up.

Caption: See, haven't dropped anything yet, Dian...I'll leave it to YOU to throw the drinks all over the table this year.

Caption: Retired MVP and commercial pilot (who just built his own plane), Jeff Struyk, just happened to be in town and is able to join up with old friends for dinner.

Caption: So who's having what?

Caption: That's an awful large martini, Beth.

Caption: Nope, all the napkins are MINE. MINE, you hear me!

Caption: The "Ghost Buster" tour bus arrives at the massacre site with a bus load of visitors to learn about the site.

Caption: Whoa! Looks like "people" aren't the only "things" that got off the bus! The spirits are among us!!

Caption: So is Dian's cigarette smoke!

Caption: Ben likes things in "threes"

Caption: (Everytime he asked for a napkin or fork, they always brought him 3 of everything.) Jeff told him...next time YOU order the drinks!

Caption: Pizza "Pies" are served hot from the crock bowls at the table...LOTS OF THEM!

Caption: Big thanks to "Uncle Bill" (and Connie/Microsoft) for dinner!!

Caption: And to Dian for the restaurant suggestion! Yummmmmmm.....

Caption: Good stuff!

Caption: And GREAT drinks

Caption: Dian & Greg Chapman (one of the first "mvp couples" who met at the 1996 summit).

Caption: These are our pilots for the evening. (Would YOU get in a plane with one of these clowns flying it?)

Caption: And since Jeff flew planes for TWA and American, maybe you did. Scary, huh?

Caption: Scary? Is that why you wouldn't let me fly your Cessna, Greg?

Caption: Mark enjoying his CHEESE...Greg just taking a little time to smell the roses (ahem, carnations)...Dian, being Dian.

Caption: Connie, Beth, Ben, Mark

Caption: After dinner, we all head across the street to the massacre site. Unfortunately, a new, locked fence prevents these silly tourists from entering the (parking) lot...the site. So we all jam up on the sidewalk for a photo where the garage once stood.

Caption: Betsy Weber, from TechSmith, has a blog. Recently, she posted a link to a TechTrax article in it and also posted a photo of Betsy, her hubby and Greg Chapman all standing INSIDE the parking lot area...which we were unable to get into in the above photo. I guess Betsy was one of the last Chicago visitors I get to take in there to FEEL the spooks tickle the hairs on the back of your neck! (As you can see in the photo at this link, Betsy was scared! (g) http://www.techsmith.com/community/blogcomments.asp?thread=110

Caption: They SAY the spirit of Al Capone is still seen near the lot...but, of course, MVPs are too sensible to believe in ghosts!

Caption: Cool camera work, Dian! Now if that were only Sean O'Driscoll's face... :-)

Caption: (Just graphics adjustments...love my pen tablet!) RATS! Wish I'd thought of the SEAN image. I'll have to work on that one for a future event! (wink)