...And the winner is!

This was a vary vary hard kontest to judje. Thare were so many grate entreez, and after I red evry wun of them, I was reddy to vote that one as the winner. Qwite a few made my eyes leek, and they made the Food Lady's eyes leek, and Mr Tasty Face's, too. Make shur yoo all show yer entreez to yer Food Ladeez/Doods/Peepul so they can see just how grate they are!

I got the ideyuh for this kontest win I red abowt Lewis the Cat's Food Lady, Ruth Cisero. She's the wun hoo was reddy to go to jale to keep Lewis frum being condemmed to deth. She was vary brave (and qwite frankly, the Avon Lady dezervd to be attakt for coming into Lewis' yard uninvitid). Anyway, I was thinking of giving Ruth Cisero an award bak win I red abowt Lewis, but then I thot that all of my frends have GRATE Food Ladeez, and thare's probly a Ruth Cisero in thare sumware. So that's how this kontest startid.

This yeer, the nominayshuns razed $180 to be given to Libby Marie's Mom, Brandi's Mom and Oreo's Mom. They eech got $60 --- not a hole lot, but we wunted to let them know that they have frends in the blogosfeer hoo care abowt them.

Finulists were selektid by populer vote, and then a committey of me, my big bruther Mao, Rocky and Trip choze the Grand Prize Winner.

Anyway, to git to the winners.....!

FINULISTS
We ended up with SIX finulists insted of five frum over three hundred votes cast. Three of the finulists had the same number of votes. The six finulists are:

1. Libby Marie's Riley's Mommy
2. Merlin's Daddy
3. Kimo & Sabi's Mommakitty
4. Luxor's Fuddy Duddy Food Dude
5. Deb Taylor
6. One-eyed Stevie's Daddy

Eech of theeze finulists gits thare choice of a Skeezix the Cat Wall Kalinder OR a morfing Skeezix mug.


WILD CARD WINNER
Next, thare was a wild card winner. This entrey was chozin at randum frum the non-finulists, and wins:

• Sponsership of a Best Frends Cat in yoo or yer Food Lady/Dude's name AND
• Choice of eether a Skeezix the Cat Morfing Mug or 2007 Skeezix the Cat Kalinder

And the wildcard winner is: Dragonheart's Hyoomans!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Choozing frum the finulists was reely reely tuff. Eech of theeze Food Peepul was extrodinery in thare own ways. One-eyed Stevie's Dad is owt to save the werld, one cat or Santa at a time. He's amazing, and a reely wunderful persun. Lux's Fuddy Duddy Food Dude reeminds me so much of Mr Tasty Face, it's unkanny. Deb Taylor is an amazing saver of cats, inclooding helping to save owr best frend, the intrepid reeporter, KC. Kimo and Sabi submitted the best nominayshun --- it was reely nicely done, with lots of good pikchurs, and it told evrything abowt thare Mommakitty hoo is anuther wunderful persun with a huge hart. Merlin's Daddy is a superstar for letting Merlin git a baby bruther (LT, hoo was heroikly reskyood by Bubbles' and Mrs B's ladey), and of korse Libby Marie Riley's mom hoo werked so hard to save Libby's life and to let her know in her last days how much she was loved.

In the end, we choze the winner as the nominee hoo got twice as many (yes, twice as many) votes as the 2nd place finisher. Aside frum the fakt that we wunted the winner to reflekt the voters' wishes, the winner was sumwun we'd love to have as a persun, and hoo imbodeez the very best of Food Lady/Dudehood. This nominee got votes frum all over the blogosfeer (not just like ten votes frum all the cats in his howse), many times more comments than any other nominayshun, and the cat hoo nominaytid him took the time to comment on neerly evry singul nominayshun (wich I haven't even bin abul to do yet). And ultimitly, the thing that deesided it for us was the foto in the nominayshun: it was just the sweetist thing, and also providid inkontrovertibul proof that this food dude has a vary tasty face, wich is an importunt part of being a good Food Dude.

So as yoo may have gest by now, Skeezix the Cat's Food Dude of the Yeer Award goze to Luxor's Fuddy Duddy Food Dude. Congratulayshuns! He wins:

• A "Food Lady/Food Dude of the Yeer Award" Trofeey
• $50 Amazon Gift Sertifikit
• Sponsership of a Best Frends Cat in yoo or yer Food Lady/Dude's name
• Whirly-bird Cat Toy for the cat hoo nominaytid yoo

I'd also like to aknolidje One-Eyed Stevie's Dad as the runnerup. We'll send Stevie a Whirly-bird Cat Toy.

HONERUBUL MENSHUNS
Two nominees came vary vary close to being finulists and shood by salooted, too: Jeter Harris' Dad and Danielle, hoo saved the Rode Ilund Kitteez (inclooding Kismet's new sister, Sophie). Sorry, yoo don't git prizes but, as a Yankee fan, Jete' shood know -- thare's always next yeer!

Thanks to evrywun hoo partisipaytid! I wish I cood have givin owt big prizes to evry single persun!