This limo is ready for action

Anthony Mullane is itching for the limo job that requires a tough- as-nails SUV. He's ready for the prom at the top of a really steep driveway. He's poised to deliver well-dressed passengers to a place no limo has gone before.

Mullane owns Anthony's Limo. His vehicle is a black-as-night stretch 1996 Humvee that holds 12. It's a four-wheel-drive party on wheels ... really durable wheels.

Mullane, a respiratory therapist on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, gets behind the wheel of his muscle-y limo Thursdays through Sundays.

The vehicle - he says it's the only one like it in town - appeals to people looking for something different. "After the second wedding I did, when Grandma was poking her face into the Hummer instead of watching the bride, I knew it would catch on."

The Hummer is pricier than a more traditional limo - a new one costs nearly $200,000. He charges passengers $125 an hour. (Call 520- LIMO.)

Everything old is new

Starsmore Discovery Center, the visitor center at the mouth of North Cheyenne Canyon, is closed until April. The center is a stone house built in 1922. Nearly 10 years ago, it was moved to its current location, and the inside was renovated to include nature exhibits.

Now, those exhibits are being revamped. When Starsmore reopens, it will feature new exhibits and more space for meetings and programs.

What, no smell-o-vision?

Just sitting around, wishing you could be watching a cat use a litter box? Well, you're in luck. At www.litterboxcam.com, you can watch not one, but two litter boxes, 24-7.

This amazing diversion comes directly from a cat- obsessedhouseholdin Lawrence, Kan., where a camera continually records the bodily functions of five cats. The Web site also offers pithy cat haiku. (You never feed me. Perhaps I'll sleep on your face. That will sure show you.)

This is a family-friendly site, so the litter boxes are discreetly covered.

Give Fido a quiet dry-off

While we're on the subject of pets, here's a product no dog owner should be without: a canine-friendly hair dryer.

The concept behind the CraZy Dog Pet Dryer is to make bathtime less traumatic for dogs by cutting down on dryer noise. As the press release for the CraZy Dog notes, "Life is stressful enough for dogs, without being scared by noisy hair dryers."

The dryer's motor is in the handle, instead of the blower section, which supposedly makes it 90 percent quieter than dryers made for humans.