In these celebrity-obsessed times, it seems that everyone wants to be famous. Pets are no exception; they even have their own parade.  The third annual AnimaloCity 2006 Pet Parade & Auction filled Tacoma's Opera Alley today with proud pets and pet owners.  Led by Ruby Chambers of The Ruby Collection, more than 30 entrants paraded their pooch down the confetti-filled Tacoma alley including Arlene Knight and Buster, Petra Patterson and Itsy Bitsy, Dan Zahnow and Jazzy, Buddy and Kiwi, Marilyn Wong and Goldy, Kris Blondin and Odin Blondin.   
Kris Blondin, owner of Vin Grotto wine bistro, described 6-year-old Odin as her spoiled dog-son. Odin is the Norse God of War, but she believes her Odin should be the God of Cupcakes.  Kris also announced Odin is running for president with a political platform that all dogs should have Doggy Kibble in every bowl and a big pond in every yard.
Pet beds created by local artisans and businesses were auctioned off from $25 up to $200 to raise money for the Dugan Foundation, a public non-profit dedicated to ending euthanasia as a form of population control in Pierce County. 
The following are a few captured moments from today's AnimaloCity celebration. â€" Suzy Stump

They had no idea they were “competing,” though I told Travis at Fire and Water Sundries that I was doing a story on psychics, so he had an idea of my identity and my occupation.  Not so with Shirlee Teabo, whose reading came up with much of what Travis’ did.
Travis uses a new Osho Zen deck, which has beautiful full-color illustrations that are more artistically rendered than the Ryder deck I had been accustomed to my last go-round with tarot readings. 
Shirlee’s deck is an old, well-worn Egyptian deck.  Only she touches hers, whereas I touch Travis’ deck, breathe three times and shuffle them.
Shirlee is 73, walks gingerly with a cane, and has a cynical sense of humor, bright eyes and no bullshit about her.  She’s former Navy during the Korean War.
Travis appears to not even have been conceived  in the '50s. He’s a tall and well-built African American man who wears a Nautica fleece.
Neither of the psychics look like you’d expect, dressed in flowy scarves and with amulets dangling.  They both look pretty normal, really. 
Surprising to me: though their approaches, spreads, and methods were different, their readings had the same content.  Apparently, I’m engaged in a change, my work is creative, and though there’s some disharmony, there isn't a bad outcome.
I could go into more depth, but I won’t because the readings were mine, all mine.  Get your own.
Travis reads out of Fire and Water Sundries on Thursdays, whereas Shirlee reads the last Saturday of every month at Vin Grotto. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

With all due respect to your Celebrity Low Carb Diet Two Day Juice Fast you repeatedly nab at Walgreen's, when it comes to carbs, the more gratuitous, the better. The Weekly Volcano can’t imagine a single dietary scenario in which the Tempest Lounge's chocolate chip cookies would ever rank as a necessity â€" though it sure is fun to try. But the Weekly Volcano can picture clearly the circumstances under which we’d inhale multiple orders of the things in one sitting â€" we eat them enthusiastically all the time. After 15 minutes, three awesome chocolate chip cookies come out all soft and warm from the oven for us to mold into Mr. Bill and pretend we are Sluggo biting Mr. Bill's head off and filling the lounge's back patio with evil laughter. Or, if you prefer, you can just keep stabbing irritably at the Tempest's delicious Cobb salad of yours while we gobble your cookies. (Hey, the Weekly Volcano said " with all due respect " â€" we didn’t say that amounted to much.) â€" Suzy Stump

Symphonic music isn’t all about morose Scandinavians and cerebral Russians. There are also playful Italians, resolute Germans, and tinkly, impressionistic French composers. Why yawn through two Bartoks and a Prokofiev when you can dance to Mozart. â€" Suzy Stump

• Tacoma Symphony reports: The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra’s 2006 gala, “Sixty in the City,” will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center from 6 p.m. to midnight.  This year’s gala also celebrates the Tacoma Symphony’s 60th anniversary and will include dinner, silent and live auctions, special musical entertainment by members of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and after-dinner dancing.  Auction offerings include a week in Mazatlan, a trip to the top of the Narrows Bridge, the opportunity to conduct the Tacoma Symphony and many other unique items and experiences.  Tickets for “Sixty in the City” are $125 person.  Corporate tables are also available.  For more information or to purchase tickets or tables, contact Lisa Brown at (253) 272-7264.  Those interested in donating items for the auction can call the same number.

Jessica Geiger wrote this in response to my column. â€" Alec Clayton

• I’m responding to Alec Clayton’s review of the Woolworth Windows display (on 11th and Commerce in downtown Tacoma) that appeared in last week’s issue.  He wondered if I’m poking fun of or being sympathetic towards the subjects of my outsider sculptures.  I like my sculptures to be a little provocative; in real life, I’m soft-spoken , which sometimes leaves me feeling ignored.  This is partially why I try to bring these often-ignored characters to the foreground.  I’m naturally drawn to observing the down and outers of society with their unfulfilled dreams, rejection, and social issues.  The exaggeration of hands and heads adds emphasis and provides a humorous contrast to their sometimes tragic lives. I’m fascinated with those features that define a person’s character such as the angularity or softness of a face or body, roughness, and scarsâ€"these clues can tell you a lot about a person’s life.  Much of the process is intuitive for me and is a distillation of the people observed in the urban environment.  â€" Jessica Geiger

Rich Wetzel will remember his mentor and friend the late Maynard Ferguson with a special jazz night Oct. 7 at The Factory on South Tacoma Way.  "Maynard Ferguson Remembered" memorial tribute will be a dinner show, 6-8 p.m., with no cover.
If things don't change course after Oct. 7, Wetzel and his 13-piece Groovin Higher Jazz Orchestra will play play twice a month Saturday dinner shows at The Factory before the new venue kicks it rock and dance style later in the evening. â€" Suzy Stump

Because the Monorail is busted, King Country Metro Transit has scheduled a special downtown Seattle Bumbershoot Shuttle so if, by miracle, you find parking by Westlake Center, you can celebrate your achievement by getting loaded at P.F. Chang's China Bistro then riding the bus to the massive Labor Day weekend music and arts festival. â€" Brad Allen

• King County Metro reports: Non-stop service will run approximately every 10 minutes during the event hours 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. 3rd Avenue and Pike Street downtown in Seattle, and 5th Avenue North and Broad Street at the Seattle Center. The fare is $1.25 for northbound trips with free return.
  

Time to pull out the white shoes for one last wearing before summer officially fades away and the kiddies go back to school.
Labor Day weekend is, well, this weekend.  What are you going to do?
The Weekly Volcano suggests:

Head north to Seattle
Though we're generally advocates of staying home, this might just be the perfect time to venture out to the Emerald City, with Bumbershoot, the universe's largest music/arts/theater/literary/human mass festival, heating up the end of summer in Seattle.  Most intriguing to me, Saturday will showcase Blondie early on the main stage (2:15 to 3:30 p.m.) Sunday will have the New Pornographers and Spoon on the main stage. The New Pornographers hit the stage at 1 p.m. Monday, another blast from the past, the English Beat, will play the Bumbrella stage at 9:30 p.m. 
There is also an interesting-sounding flat track roller derby at the Key Arena, and two stages of comedy.  Asssscat with Upright Citizens Brigade sounds fun on Sunday and Monday at Charlotte Martin Theater, 3 to 4 p.m.
The beautiful thing about Bumbershoot: one purchase price gets you into all the events you can imagine.  A one day pass is $30, while a 3 day pass (September 2-4) is $80.  Go to their Web site for complete schedule, tickets and directions.

Seattle, part deux
Are you ready for some football?  Seahawks play Sept. 2 at 6 p.m., and the University of Washington Huskies plays on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 12:30 p.m.

Yeehaw!
Not into football, but you want some hard-charging action? Head east to the Wild West, rodeo style!  The Roy Rodeo is happening on Sept. 2, 3 and 4, and the Ellensburg Rodeo, even further east (over the mountains!) is hitting the town of Ellensburg from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5.

Folk festival
Not into a long drive, but you want music, music, music? Just over the Narrows Bridge in Gig Harbor, at Skansie Park, the Gig Harbor Folk Festival will showcase 19 artists Sept. 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Stay put
What's that? You really really don't want to leave the South Sound? Some notable events over the weekend in town:
urbanXchange hosts Don't Tell Sophie on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.,
The town of Ruston is having a festival, and perennial favorite Point Defiance is a good place to hang out and act as if you drove a long distance.
Also, this weekend is your last chance to see the "Roy Lichtenstiein: American Indian Encounters" exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

SCENE OF THE CRIME by Natasha
There's a certain morsel of truth that I've come to understand about the South Puget Sound: It pays to have friends who live on Salmon Beach.
Parking your car at the top and dropping down a steep, sandy hill to get to Salmon Beach may seem like a chore to most, but for the people who live there, it's a small price to pay to get to the pot of gold. As you get close, you'll start to see the gorgeous stretch of beach homes built on pilings over the water.  Salmon Beach is just south of Point Defiance and has the most spectacular views of the twin Narrows Bridge towers.
I know I sound like some lame episode of "Evening Magazine" right now, but give me another second and I'll whisk you away to the scene. Sorry, that totally sounded like John Curley.
Most of the Salmon Beach cottages are equipped with big decks (great for margaritas all day and barbecues) and a chain hoist that lowers boats into Commencement Bay.
My friend Emmalee is lucky enough to live there.  When she's not clam digging, fishing, cutting wood for her stove or swimming, she's often kind enough to take me on water tours in her boat.
Where do we always end up? The Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor.
There's nothing like tying up to the Tides' dock and scurrying up the ramp to settle in for the perfect mix of microbrews and some of the best tavern food anywhere.
The Harmon Pub and Brewery brews the Tides' microbrews: the Tides Full Scale Ale, ESB Best Barrel Bitter and the Tides Peninsula Porter. It also has staples like Alaskan Amber and Fat Tire.
What cracks me up about the Tides is that most of the Gig Harbor locals in there could probably afford five-star meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but they all end up at the Tides regardless.
I think what brings people back is the comfortable nautical ambiance, the huge deck and menu items such as legendary burgers, pizza and fish and chips. The fact that it's been in business since 1973 probably doesn't hurt either.
Personally, I like to high-five my fun friend Tom who works there.  We went to college together.  You'd be hard pressed to find someone who has a better sense of humor than Tom.
If you're lacking in the boat department, don't worry; the Tides is just as easily accessible off Highway 16. I'd give you directions, but I've been there only once by land (I know, I'm spoiled rotten).
Relaxing at the Tides is a mission critical adventure to have in this Washington state experience, so hop on board already.
Ahoy, my sexy pirates!
Tides Tavern, 2925 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, (253) 858-3982.

Tell me where you like to party here.

Permanent Lipstick by Ginger Knoxx
Coming up on my birthday weekend again this year, Sea Jayne Trip will play Sept. 2 at Hell's Kitchen. Surfing off the Oregon coast, dining on freshly caught crab and beach bonfires are hard to pass up, so unfortunately I'll miss the show.
I have to say WTF to the Bumbershoot lineup. Is anyone else disappointed this year? Why is Kanye West the main headliner? That guy rubs me the wrong way. Something's so wrong about West's name being before Blondie. Deborah Harry is one of the only acts I'd wade through thousands of people to see Saturday afternoon. After all, her record was the first record I owned. On Monday at 1 p.m. Macklemore's hip-hop lyrical stylings will be intelligent and well planned. Daylight Basement, which is the newest project of BreEllen Loughlin most recently of Seattle's goth-rock-pop band Kuma, will perform a very girlie version of Kuma's sound Saturday afternoon. While I like her general vocal style, I have to say "eh" to this offering. I'm not going this year, so that's the end of the blah blah blah about that.

Thursday, Aug. 24
Not something you see all the time or exactly expect from Jazzbones, hip-hop funk-rock jazz act Pyrx, who had just played Seattle's Hempest, rolled into town around 1 p.m. to quickly unload and take over the Boneyard. My source there tells me the guys were pretty cool as, like, 12 of them plus their girls filed out of the sponsor slogan covered tour bus.  They held traffic while trying to coax the full-size bus onto Anderson Street right in front of a cop car. Ballsy. Apparently the fuzz didn't see them as a threat and rolled on by. Later in the evening, the guys of Pyrx set up a glassblowing station near the stage and set about creating some beautiful pieces for sale. The live stage show wasn't as interesting as the warm-up involving a lot of sweet brass action. This show being at that club definitely stirred things up a bit as regulars started coming by, but it was a welcome divergence from the usual. At the bar The Italian and I gobbled down scrumptious dill salmon and an avocado burger prepared by Chef Nolan. The drunk guy next to us kept trying to give me his money and talking about his awesome Goldwing (what?).

2005 birthday flashback
Can I top my last year's birthday celebration?  Doubtful.
("Wayne's World" flashback music) Spent all day slugging back vodka straight to the dome with Handsome roaming around The Palace and halfheartedly offering fashion assistance as I tried on everything I owned while dipping out to the patio to smoke between wardrobe changes. Vodka gone and finally dressed, we headed for the Seattle Center to meet up with Smooth. Sick to death of the crowd before we even got inside, we talked Smooth into abandoning Bumbershoot after a brief tour and began what would become a six- or seven-hour spin through bars all over Seattle. The receipts in my handbag told the tale of three visits to the ATM inside Medusa in 37 minutes for $60 a pop. What was I doing, buying snow in the bathroom? Nope, just rounds and rounds of shots. I wished death on a suit-wearing mutha sucka at Tini Bigs, fell in love with Asian band Hi-Vox, breathlessly ran from the Funhouse after trying to work a harmless, funny scam on a guy with crutches, called my new flame a million times, dumped my entire purse on the floor of a convenience store, cursed my friends for not letting me drive (God bless you both).  Needless to say, I did not drive back to T-town that night, which made for a very painful morning trying to con someone into ferrying my hungover booty back to Seattle to get my car. Oh yeah, much fun.

DJ Jason LeMaitre
Last Monday marked the beginning of DJ Jason LeMaitre's solo residency
at The Factory in Tacoma. This night sounds like a new hang for bartenders and servers on their night off, and you know what that means - serious craziness because nobody throws it back like the folks who serve it up. LeMaitre spins trance, groove, a splash of jungle, mixing current favs with nostalgic hits and keeping it fresh. He works the crowd, pumping adrenaline into your face even if you don't want it - and want it you will. He delivers all of this without train-wrecking (train-wrecking being a term coined by former Shoboat nightclub proprietor Joe Rosati to explain the painful noise and sensation that occurs when a DJ does not fluidly shift or mix from one record to another). Every Monday, 9 p.m., The Factory, 5602 S. Washington, Tacoma.

Give me a wink and a kiss here.  Knoxx knows.