[DUCKIE]

I have fond memories of wearing the original MOE Uppet around nationals in 2001. It was funny to me at the time that our mentors kept telling me to take it off [We built it off/up a backpack frame] and have something to drink in the shade... [which i didn't] But i was probably the most hydrated one there since i filled up my water bottle ~5 times a day. By the time i finally agreed to take it off and sit down to have a powerade, they wanted me/the mascot over with lil'moe for the Good Morning America shoot.

Top Ten Things I Remember as the Mascot
10- 5 years later, you will still be finding new pictures of yourself online.
9-If you are wearing a heavy 9' tall mascot... trying to jumprope [w/ a 10' rope] is impossible [Amusing though... I think i provided quite a laugh for the Leopards.]
8-A full page of detailed size 12 font uppet assembly directions are not enough for someone with no experience to assemble the Uppet.
7-Drink lots of water, even if you are not thirsty, it significantly reduces the number of "you should go get something to drink"s that you get.
6-If the mascot is built by an "artiste" it will invariabley be heavy as heck because they usually use thicker PVC than needed for the job, along with steel straightners to prevent twisting/loss of mascot arms.
5-If the costume shows your face, people will recognize you for years to come. [Someone recognized me crewing in Philly last week... as the 2001 mascot]
4-If the boys who took turns wearing it at the regionals complain about it being heavy, and refuse to wear it for long periods of time... don't expect that to change at The Championships... A girl [me] ended up wearing it for three days straight in the Florida Heat/Sun and refused to take it off.
3-You can sunburn in the most unusual places. [I managed to burn a 4 inch strip across the back of my knees... and nowhere else. Turbulance on flight home was especially fun.]
2-Have a large stash of barter items... My bag was not very big, so i had to get lots of refills. I probably went through more holograms and MOEmints [who wants some melted chocolate!!!] than anyone else on the team. [2 drawers full of buttons & stuff when i got home.]
1-When wearing a tall mascot... with wide dryerhose shoulders... it is really fun getting through doorways.