A friend in Illinois is selling some amazing furniture pieces on the Chicago Craigslist. I thought I'd post them here in case anyone's interested.

[link]

Hey ya'll, if we could just send some ~ma out to my neighbor across the street. Evidently things are really shaky over there and he took a handful of valium and swallowed a bottle of Everclear. He's got a wife and 2 cute kids that I spent a few hours babysitting tonight. Last I heard they've got him in the hospital. He's a good guy but has some issues to really iron out.

Thanks

Buffistas! My book will be in stores by the end of next week.

(which means if you ordered it from Amazon it might arrive a week from Saturday. or so.)

My publisher has been kind of enough to print up some promotional postcards for me and I need your assistance.

I would like some market penetration by which I mean porn in several big cities such as: New York (Manhattan and Brooklyn in particular), Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Portland, Seattle. And, I don't know, York UK (looks at SA), Cork, Ireland (looks at Jars) and maybe Bangkok? Maybe Kansas City. New Orleans? I don't know. Cities where Tom Waits fans congregate. I know I'm forgetting some obvious places.

Anyway, here's what would be required. People in those places volunteer and I send them ten cards and they go and leave them at bookstores, bars, cafes, comic book shops, record stores and other such cultural nodal points as they deem useful. Just ten. But maybe bringing them to the attention of persons that work there, or getting them in the window or on a bulletin board. It's up to you and your level of comfort with pimpage.

Also, I would like a little more market penetration (see above) with the Starbucks swilling office crowd that doesn't bother to go to record stores anymore because they just download shit off iTunes or buys things from Amazon. So if you have a bulletin board in a common area or a prominently visible cube/desk, I'm asking you to just stick one of the postcards up where it will be seen.

Once the book comes out, marketing is pretty much up to what I can cobble together so I would very much appreciate anything you'd be willing to do my book's behalf.

Any volunteers, please pipe up in Literary. Thank you!

::curtsies low with dirndl sweeping the floor::

I have photos! Wallybee and I spent the Christmas break in Tasmania, at Cradle Mountain and Hobart, having a phenomenal time. Check 'em here: [link]

I usually don't do vibage for people not related to me, but Mr. Jane's coworker and our good friend Kevin had his mother go to the ICU last night. She's a cool lady and even at 70 something can hang with the most hard core of us.

Please, send her some health~ma.

Squee! Happy family news! I just found out that my "little" cousin (she'll be 17 in the spring and is a junior in HS) is going to be able to graduate a year early, this May! Holy crap! And she's getting into a full scholarship program at Northern Arizona University, so no tuition or room/board because of her high GPA. After two years, she'll be able to transfer to the college of her dreams, wherever that may be.

I am SO PROUD! She's as close as I have to a little sister, so this is really big news for me. WHEE!

ETA: The family is having second thoughts. Wee cousin may be graduating in December instead since her parents have observed a sudden onslaught of stress at the way she would have to fill her requirements. Still, early graduation and great college options, so I'm still very happy and proud.

Damn it.

My mom's lung cancer has metastasized. They found it in her hipbone and are planning an MRI to see if it's anywhere else. She's planning to refuse chemo, but is going to have targeted radiation for the spot on her hip.

I don't know how to feel right now, except for hating cancer. That's a constant.

March of Dimes does great things for preemies. And you can donate in Grace's Honor now. If you are looking for a charity that is.

I'm doing 101 Things in 1001 Days. There are a couple of LiveJournal communities for doing it together, but I thought it would be more fun to do the project with Buffistas. Anyone interested in joining me? Email my profile addy. You can see my project blog to see my list.