The Story of "Hi Kate!"

If you've followed me on Twitter or friended me on Facebook, you may have noticed I don't use a picture of myself as my avatar. Instead, I use a rotating set of photos of hot guys holding a sign that says "Hi Kate".

And I've started getting questions about it - who are those guys? And how did you get those pictures, anyway?

The guys are soap actors from the US and Germany. Yes, all the pictures are real - no photoshopping required. And it all started with the Gays of our Lives fan event in NYC last spring. Though I wanted to go, it conflicted with a family vacation that had been in the works for a couple of years. Several online friends attended, though, including redcouchaddict.

So the event is in full swing, and I'm living vicariously through Twitter as the attendees post about what's happening. Suddenly, redcouchaddict has posted a link to a picture for me. I click on it, and there's Igor Dolgatschew, actor on Alles Was Zaehlt, a German soap, smiling and holding a sign with my name on it.

I may have flailed a bit.

By the end of the weekend, I had several pics, both of the actors in attendance and of my friends, most of whom I was 'seeing' for the first time through these pictures.

Since then, the "Hi Kate" photo collection has grown, both with actors (Eric Sheffer Stevens, Van Hansis, Jake Silbermann) and friends. But I'm always on the lookout for more. So here's the scoop:

If you want to be added to my "Hi Kate" gallery on my website, all you need to do is send me a picture of yourself with a "Hi Kate" sign. I'll add it in. Help make this the largest "Hi Kate!" collection around!