The automotive aid package failed to get through the Senate. Unless the White House steps up and uses the TARP funds, I may be well and truly screwed. GM has already hired bankruptcy attorneys and advisors.

I'll take whatever extra job~ma you can spare, please.

We had to take our dog Zoe to the emergency vet clinic tonight because she was acting really strangely, like she was in GI distress. They took x-rays and determined that she has a very large abdominal mass that has likely been growing for some time. They admitted her to the hospital and will be doing blood tests and a detailed ultrasound tomorrow to determine if the mass is operable or if the cancer has spread too much for it to be so. As you can imagine, so soon after Byron was diagnosed with cancer and had to has his leg amputated (not to mention the horrific experience Drew went through with his father's cancer this summer, which is so far beyond this), it's been a very difficult night. I don't know if this is something treatable, but it is serious either way. I may have to make the decision to put her to sleep this weekend if they determine she is suffering and unable to recover.

I've only had her back in my life for three months. They gave us the news in the same room I was in when they told me they needed to amputate Byron's leg.

Coping~ma and health~ma would be appreciated.

Well, the news is mixed. The good news is that they were able to remove the mass, which was attached to her spleen. They also had to remove a piece of her liver (the surgeon said it was probably benign, but she didn't want to take the chance), which means the surgery was extensive. They're going to keep her through Monday, and then she can come home. The bad news is that there's a decent chance we're going to find out at the end of next week that the tumor was malignant, in which case we've spent a lot of money to buy her a month or two. I don't know how to feel, honestly. I never wanted to be a person who would keep a pet alive for herself, and I never would have put her through this (not to mention spent so much money we don't have) if there wasn't a good chance that she would recover. But the choice came down to surgery or euthanasia, and there was no way to know which way to go. So we took the chance. I just hope the next month doesn't turn out to be a long, painful goodbye.

Sorry to be so bleak. I'm just really worn down and worried. Thanks for listening.

Please send whatever "easy passing"~ma you have to my grandfather in Eugene. It seems he's in the end stages - nothing specific, everything's just shutting down, and my uncle doesn't think he'll last the weekend.

Also, if you could send some decision~ma to me, so I can figure out when I want to go up, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you for the ~ma, guys. Otto Jerome Moravec passed away peacefully this morning after a short decline. He is survived by his loving wife, Dorothea, his children, Diane, Jerry, and Richard, and his grandchildren, Juliana, Justin, Noah, Laura, and Kristina. He was much loved and will be much missed.

The Drollerie Press gang (that looks wrong somehow) needed a break from shopping, so we're taking one. We're chatting in the chatroom tonight, starting at 10PM EST. Pour a little nog, put on some carols, and come talk about books with us. We'll be giving away an advance copy of the trade paperback The Revenant Road by Michael Boatman, and Deborah Grabien's And Then Put Out the Light. We'll be giving away a copy of some of our favorite ebooks, and some of the authors have stuff to give away as well. Hope you can stop by!

As has been said before, Buffista -ma is powerful stuff. I just got a call from the vet and learned that the histology came back negative for cancer--Zoe is going to be okay! Thanks, everyone. I know she's just a dog, but I really needed a little good news, and this was unlikely and wonderful news to get.

I'd like to ask for some weather-ma for my brother and his wife. They are heading to Florida on Sunday out of Maine (or NH - can't remember which) and we're supposed to get Snowpocalypse 2: Electric Boogaloo on Sunday as well. I know they are heading out early, which might get them ahead of the crappy weather, but if anything some Buffista-ma pushed it back that would be lovely.

This may be the last time my sister-in-law gets to see her brother, given the prognosis, so the less hassles for their travel would be for the better.

Am going to be dark for the next week. I may get to check e-mail, if we go someplace with Wi-Fi, but that's about it.

DH's mom is in the hospital with congestive heart failure. She is improving , but a little ma~~~ to keep her health improving would be appreciated.