Latest purchase: bought on a Lark

Feeding both my collection of celebrity autographs and my love for a certain TV show, "Saved By The Bell," I just had to make this recent eBay purchase.

Yes, that is a "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" trading card signed by ... wait for it ... wait ... former "Saved By The Bell" star Lark Voorhies!!! Apparently in 1995, the former "Lisa Turtle" of "SBTB" fame guest-starred on exactly one episode of the "Star Trek" spin-off, and more than a decade later, she was subsequently immortalized with this autographed card inserted into packs of the "DS9" cards. A huge "Star Wars" geek fan, I've never been into "Star Trek" — let alone any of its later incarnations — but I've got no problem adding this card of Lark, the only certified autograph of hers on the market, if it means adding to my collection of all things "Saved By The Bell."

Ironically, "Lisa" here will find company in my collection alongside someone she couldn't stand on the show.

Yup, frequent visitors here to the "Space" are well aware that I met "Screech" himself, the one-and-only Dustin Diamond, a few years back when he brought his stand-up comedy to Poughkeepsie. While he might seem like a jerk to some now, given his recent reality TV gigs, Dustin was very nice to fans following that stand-up gig, posing for pictures and signing one of my "SBTB" Season 1 DVDs.

For now, "Lisa" and "Screech" are the only "SBTB" autographs in my possession ... and it's only taken 20 years to get those! (That's — what? — an average of one autograph per decade?!) But it's alright, 'cause I've got patience and until then, I'm saved by the bell!