Souvenirs from Nashville: On the Road with Waffles & Katie Wrap Up

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss! Check out all the COOL loot we got to bring home from the big BlogPaws conference! I thought this was a feather, but Glogirly says it's called swag. 

KATIE:  Swag is the cool free stuff we get at conferences. Like bags and t-shirts and treats –

WAFFLES:  – and TOYS!!! 

KATIE:  What makes the swag we're showing everyone today really special is that all of it was given to us from our friends at the conference. Every year a number of cat bloggers that attend bring gifts for each other. Sure, we still get swag bags from the conference filled with some pretty great stuff. 

WAFFLES:  But the primo stuff is from our friends, right? 

KATIE:  Right. And that's really the best part of the conference too. Friends. And chocolate. For Glogirly, that is.

WAFFLES:  Uh, about Ashton's Chicken Emporium... do they deliver?

Thanks for the LOOT!

If Glogirly had been organized and on top of things, she would have written down notes about all the cool stuff we received and who gave it to us. But she's giving us some lame excuse about having her paws full with us. So if we've left anyone out... please accept our apologies!

Stunning Keisha

Broken TeePee

Tails from the Foster Kittens

BoSox Amy & HarveyMonster

The Island Cats

The Cat On My Head

Sometimes Cats Herd You

KittyCat Chronicles

Random Felines

Lola the Rescued Cat

Pawsome Cats... (all the way from AUSTRALIA!!!)

♥︎

BUT WAIT!  THERE'S MORE!

Another highlight of BlogPaws is the big awards banquet that's held on the last night of the conference. It's particularly fun because many of the cat bloggers have a tradition of sitting all together to cheer each other on. Cats may be outnumbered by dogs when it comes to bloggers and conference attendees... but the Cat Ladies definitely know how to make some noise!

Remember a few months ago when we announced that we'd been selected as finalists in the Best Cat Blog category of the Nose to Nose Awards?  Well we got to bring home a pretty cool souvenir!!!

This was our fourth BlogPaws conference and our fifth Nose to Nose award. To say we feel honored and blessed is an understatement.

Congrats to All the Best Cat Blog Finalists

We'd be remiss if we didn't give a warm shout out to the other talented bloggers that were also finalists for Best Cat Blog. We're a small and close knit community of bloggers. Many of us have become dear friends through our blogs, so it's very special when we have an opportunity to spend time together face-to-face or even face-to-fur. That also makes it hard when friends find themselves up for the same award. We adore our fellow finalists and have the utmost respect for the work they do to entertain us, inform us and help cats and their guardians.

• Deb Barnes from The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey

• Sue Doute from The Island Cats

• Alana Grelyak from Cat In The Fridge (pssst! Congrats to Alana who won the best video award!)

WAFFLES:  So who's this Debbie Glo-something person? And how come it doesn't say Waffles?

KATIE:  Waffles, not everything is about you.

WAFFLES:  It's not? Are you sure??

Thank YOU!
If it weren't for all of our wonderful friends, readers and fellow bloggers there wouldn't be a GLOGIRLY cat blog. It's you who make everything possible and inspire us to share our stories and antics. You mean the world to us. Being recognized with an award like the Nose to Nose is very special and meaningful to us. We're nominated by friends and peers, then a panel of industry experts does all of the judging. There's no begging for votes, no popularity contest.


Shelters Win
Best of all, each award winner is given the opportunity to select a shelter to receive a $500 cash donation, sponsored by Mars PetCare, that the shelter can use however they wish. Whether it's keeping the lights on, making repairs or buying supplies... the shelter gets to choose.

So congratulations to the real winner: Our hometown, no-kill, all-volunteer cat shelter, Minnesota's Feline Rescue.

Thanks for joining us!
On the Road with Waffles & Katie
We had a BLAST at the BlogPaws conference and loved taking you with us! 

In case you're still catching up -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville
Day Four:  Do You Smell Something?
Day Five:  A Public Katie Sighting???
Day Six: Love & KFC
Day Seven: Waffle House Pit Stop
Day Eight: The Last Leg

The Last Leg: On the Road with Waffles & Katie

WAFFLES:  So Boss, do we really have to ride in the car AGAIN?

KATIE:  At least it's the last leg of our trip.

WAFFLES:  Did all the other legs get worn out? 

That's a lotta-lotta miles!

Waffles is right. With all these legs of our road trip, we're ALL pretty worn out. We're writing this just a couple of hours after arriving home safe and sound. Nothing is unpacked yet, other than the essentials. Food, treats, pillows... and a special trophy we're pretty excited to tell you about! ...but that will have to wait until tomorrow.  

Katie needs her beauty sleep.

Waffles needs some Gloman time.

And Glogirly needs a whole lot of BOTH!

We Made It!
We sure hope you enjoyed our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series. We had a GREAT time at the BlogPaws conference and loved taking you with us! 

In case you're just tuning in and want to catch up -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville
Day Four:  Do You Smell Something?
Day Five:  A Public Katie Sighting???
Day Six: Love & KFC
Day Seven: Waffle House Pit Stop

Waffle House Pit Stop: On the Road with Waffles & Katie

Photo by Lisa Richman

WAFFLES:  They're going WHERE without us???

KATIE:  The Waffle House. For breakfast. Pretty sure they're going to eat WAFFLES too. 

WAFFLES:  That's just wrong.

KATIE:  Maybe even CHICKEN & waffles.

One last stop before the long ride home...
Glogirly loves breakfast. She's ALWAYS wanted to go to the Waffle House. But sadly, there's not a single one in our home state of Minnesota. As luck would have it, just a couple blocks from our hotel in Nashville...

Of course, Glogirly had to make a special stop. And there were plenty of takers who were up for a ride-along.  

The Ride-Along Cat Girls

left to right
• Sonia, our Waffle House Server
• Stephanie, Adventures of Snotface Critter
• Glogirly
• Lisa, A Tonk's Tail
• Connie, Tails from the Foster Kittens

• Amy, @bosoxamy_n_harvey

What's the Waffle House without Waffles? 

The highlight of breakfast was Sonia, our super sweet server with a smile as big as Texas. ... or in this case, Nashville. She made our Waffle House adventure complete. And even sent us on our way with Waffle House hats, mugs and plenty of caffeine for the road.

Homeward Bound Tomorrow
As we're writing this, we're bunking in with the cats from A Tonk's Tail and Snotface the ferret. It's a regular menagerie here in Kansas City. Tomorrow morning, we'll be packing up and heading home. We hear Gloman's been wandering aimlessly through the Townhouse, gazing longingly out the windows... not a cat or girl to be found.  *wink*

Stay tuned...we're not done yet! We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.

In case you're just tuning in and don't want to miss a beat in our road trip series -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville
Day Four:  Do You Smell Something?
Day Five:  A Public Katie Sighting???
Day Six: Love & KFC

Love and KFC: On the Road with Waffles & Katie

WAFFLES:  *inaudible chortling*

KATIE:  Don't look now, but you-know-who has found himself a bucket of you-know-what.

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss, this isn't you-know-what, it's you-know-chicken.

KATIE:  Waffles, don't you know you should never eat anything bigger than your head?

WAFFLES:  But what if it's extra crispy? Does extra crispy count?

KATIE:  Yes, extra crispy counts.

WAFFLES:  Ok, then I'll have the original recipe. 

KATIE:  Looks like you already did.

DAY 5: On the Road with Waffles & Katie
Waffles' reputation as a ladies' man is undisputed. But we bet you didn't know he's also a poodle's man. He and the well known service dog, Carma Poodale, share a secret. A secret passion that is. Chicken. Fried. From the Colonel.

When a bucket appeared outside our hotel room door last night, it had Carma written all over it. Well... that and KFC.

Conference Update
Saturday was the last day of the BlogPaws conference. Waffles spent the better part of the day entertaining his girlfriends as they popped by his hotel room and charmed him with treats and toys. Katie made another public appearance in the KatieWAGON. Lots of ooooh's and aaaah's as we all gathered in the lobby for some quality schmoozing time.

As we're writing this, everyone is getting all fancied up for the big Nose-to-Nose awards banquet. We're very honored to be named finalists among so many talented friends and fellow bloggers. Our paws are crossed for a win, but honestly it's so thrilling and humbling to even be nominated.

After the awards, we'll be packing up all of our cool kitty swag and getting ready for the long ride home. It's been such a fun conference and we can't believe it's almost over.

Stay tuned...we're not done yet! We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.

In case you're just tuning in and don't want to miss a beat in our road trip series -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville
Day Four:  Do You Smell Something?
Day Five:  A Public Katie Sighting???

A Public Katie-Sighting??? On the Road With Waffles & Katie

KATIE:  Are you sitting down? You really should sit down. Ok, ready?

I made my first public appearance today.

KATIE:  There were audible gasps as Glogirly and I spun through the conference in the Waffle Wagon.

"Is that? ...could it be?  Really??? ... KATIE?!?"

KATIE:  Don't tell Waffles, but this wagon is a pretty sweet ride. 

KATIE:  Except of course for the fact that it's orange. And has a WAFFLES license plate.

WAFFLES GIRLFRIEND #364:  Don't worry Waffles. You'll get your wagon back tomorrow.

DAY 5: On the Road with Waffles & Katie
No, you're not seeing things. We're not pulling your furry legs. For the first time in the history of GLOGIRLY, Katie gracefully stepped outside her comfort zone and greeted her adoring public. That is after they picked up their jaws from the floor.

Decked out in her sparkling harness with pink suede fringe, she spun through the conference areas turning heads at every corner. She even allowed a select few to pet her silky tuxedo fur.

So what's next... the apocalypse?

Truth be told, Katie had done SO well at the conference and Glogirly is one proud cat girl. Tomorrow, Waffles will take the reigns of his Waffle Wagon again. But who knows... maybe Katie feels like another ride!

Stay tuned! We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.

In case you're just tuning in and don't want to miss a beat in our road trip series -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville
Day Four:  Do You Smell Something?

On the Road With Waffles & Katie: Do You Smell Something?

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss? Is that... uh... is that Ceiling Cat???

KATIE:  No Waffles, there's a DOG in the room above us. 

WAFFLES:  Sounds more like an elephant. 

KATIE:  Doing aerobics. 

WAFFLES:  Do you think he's coming to our party tonight? 

KATIE:  Well, did you invite him?

WAFFLES:  Glogirly said everyone is invited. Does that mean the dogs and the elephants too? 

KATIE:  Someone's at the door!

WAFFLES:  The dogs and the elephants???

KATIE:  No, something smells really good. I think it's room service.  Do you smell it?

WAFFLES:  Yeah, Boss. I smell it!

TONIGHT!!!   TONIGHT!!!   TONIGHT!!! 

DAY 4: On the Road with Waffles & Katie
Today was the first official day of the BlogPaws conference. While Glogirly was off schmoozing with pet food brands and scoring free samples, Katie and Waffles enjoyed some R&R back in the hotel room. Preparations have begun for our exclusive Kitty Cocktail Hour we're hosting tonight. Cat Ladies, Cat Men and even a few dog aficionados will be descending on our hotel room to get a glimpse of the celebrity cats and enjoy Glogirly's secret-recipe Kitty Cocktails.

Katie and Waffles will be sporting some serious bling in their rhinestone studded harnesses and the paparazzi will be on the scene, cameras at the ready. We'll be sure to share ALL the highlights with you! ... and even Glogirly's secret recipe.

Stay tuned! We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.

In case you're just tuning in and don't want to miss a beat in our road trip series -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL
Day Three: The Long Ride to Nashville

On the Road with Waffles & Katie: The LONG Ride to Nashville

 WAFFLES:  Boss!!! We're stopping for treats! TREATS, Boss!

KATIE:   Jeez Waffles, you look like you haven't eaten in a –

WAFFLES:  – whole TWENTY MINUTES!  Boss, we could STARVE on this road trip. 

KATIE:  Considering how you're devouring our treats, I'd say starvation is definitely a possibility. For me that is.

Special Thanks: Today's treat photos were taken by our ride-a-long, Lisa Richman or A Tonk's Tail. What? You thought Glogirly could unzip a Sleepypod, dole out treats and take beautiful photos all at the same time???

DAY 3: On the Road with Waffles & Katie
It was Nashville or bust today. Nearly 600 miles, 2 stops for gas and at last count about 6 stops for snacks. We made it! But we know you're all wondering: Did Waffles sing the song of his people in the car???

*DRUM ROLL*

Not unless he was singing in his dreams. Waffles slept almost the whole way...and when he wasn't sleeping he (and Katie) were just quietly hanging out in their Sleepypods. As far as road trip cats, they've officially earned the status of Rock Star Travelers.


Oh Bellman, My Bellman
When we arrived at the hotel, a very kind bellman didn't even blink an eye when he loaded up bag after bag after bag onto the luggage cart for us. He carried it all... litter box, cat stroller, water fountain, pillows and beds and coolers. We even brought our kitty walk enclosure. (pictures to come.)

Everyone is settling in nicely to the hotel room. Katie is the lead investigator on the scene. Waffles is the resident flirt, already scoring points with the ladies.

Tomorrow (or rather today by the time you read this) will official start of the conference. We're so excited to share with you what we just know will be a super exciting day!

Stay tuned! We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.

In case you're just tuning in and don't want to miss a beat in our road trip series -
Day One: Nashville or Bust
Day Two: B&B FAIL

On the Road with Waffles & Katie: B&B FAIL

KATIE:  Someone needs to tell the management at this B&B that I've already taken over the world.

WAFFLES:  Yeah, and we need to talk to the manager about room service. Where's my fried chicken? I was told there would be chicken.

KATIE:  And did you see the size of that litter box? It's not fit for a ferret. 

WAFFLES:  Ferret? 

KATIE:  That's it. Where's the manager?

WAFFLES:  Uh, Boss? I see the manager. He's kind of .... uh, scary?

FARADAY:  Alright, who called for the manager?

On the Road with Waffles & Katie
The first day of our road trip landed us in Leawood, Kansas at the Tonk's Tail B&B. We know you're all wondering what Waffles sang in the car. And for how long. Would you believe he didn't make a meow the WHOLE way to Kansas??? Katie was so shocked, she was speechless too. And Glogirly was in heaven.

The cats of A Tonk's Tail welcomed us with open paws... word is there was chicken, but only for those with two legs. Can you believe it?

Special thanks to Miss Lisa, Faraday, Maxwell and Allie for putting us up for the evening. Tomorrow it's off to NASHVILLE!!!

Stay tuned for more. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest in our On the Road with Waffles & Katie: Nashville series.