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.

Speaking of health~ma for relatives, if you have any to spare, could you send some to my Uncle Ray? He had surgery for a ruptured colon on Thursday and should be out of intensive care in a day or two.

Yep. 2008 isn't done yet. S woke up seizing and vomiting brown liquid. We're about to head to the ER.

Some it's-nothing -ma for my grandmother would be appreciated. She's with my mom visiting San Diego at the moment, and she's having a disturbing symptom that my mom and I are a bit worried about.

Do not taunt happy fun 2008. It still has a few days left.

I'd like to shift my house-sale~ma request to some get-through-escrow-with-no-surprises~ma. Yes, escrow opened today and should close in 30 days.

Thanks to all for their good thoughts since the house went on the market last May.