Announcer: & now, to represent the Rookie of the Year award, is last year’s recipient.... Pupspals!

::The audience applauds as pupspals walks out on stage in a pink & white polka dotted party dress – since it was either that or her band uniform again...::

Pupspals: Thank you. This year the Café has seen a lot of changes. The most major of these is the move from the old layout to the new phpbb format. This, along with the release of the CDRR vol. 1 DVD....

::The audience breaks out in applause::

Pupspals: ... The move with the DVD has helped many new people to find and join our little community. These people are of course newbies – our beloved rookies. Oh! ... By the way, Ray, you don’t have to worry! I left Comic Book Guy back at Film Roman this year! Although I supposed Campisi’s evil pocket Gadget would have more to worry about this year anyway...

::Those around for lat year’s awards laugh at joke. Campisi & other new folk shrug::

Pupspals: Although he probably wouldn’t have gotten that reference... & that’s one of the things that comes with being a rookie. They don’t always know what’s going on, but good rookies learn to work past this or catch up in no time. Rookies have to learn how to blend in with the new environment and people, they have to learn the ropes, contribute where they can, and find out where they fit in. Some who find us fade away into the abyss of the ‘net. Other make it seem like there was never a time they weren’t here! It is these whom we honor now.

Will the nominees please stand! Stainless Steel Rat! Toni! and Jeff Pierce!!

::Audience applauds::

Pupspals: Thank you. Please sit. It’s time for these Rookie acorns to be planted, to grow into saplings, and ultimately turn into those mighty oaks ... Like my analogy? I tired... Anyway...

::The audience laughs, and Pupspals continues::

Pupspals: The one who wins this award tonight stands out above the rest. This person has fit in here like a glove. And the artistic contributions have been amazing. Not only this, but one contribution can be used by all of us, and this item has even been an inspiration and spurred others to create as well! I love those sprites & emoticons!

::Pupspals takes the envelope, grinning::

Pupspals: Can you guess that I wheedled the winner out of Indy?

::The audience laughs again, Indy giving Pupspals a mock glare::

Pupspals: So I don’t even have to look at the envelope. Indeed, TONI deserves this title, that I gladly pass onto you!

::Toni walks up on stage, appearing to be in shock::

Toni: Wow! Well, this left me speechless for a while. I mean... me? Rookie of the

Year? ...just wow!

::Toni looks a bit uneasily at the audience with a shy grin yet again::

Toni: I guess this is the point where it's tradition that I have to bore you with the tale how I became a member of the Acorn Cafe. Fortunately, I don't remember much of it so this'll be very short. I mean, it all started with me posting a pic of Gadget and a talking piece of cheese, and I was immediately welcomed into this community.

I've been a member of many forums, but rarely have I been in one with so nice people and such a warm and friendly atmosphere (most of the time, at least) *grins*. So I stayed. And now I'm still here and I'm still enjoying it. So if I'm here getting this award, it was made possible only because you guys made my stay so enjoyable. Many thanks for that!

::The audience applauds in kind as Toni waves at the crowd with a grin, award in his hand, and then leaves the stage. Pupspals waves too, heading off::