My old diabetic kitty Swifty is not doing well. He's had a couple of bad seizures today and is at the vet. It looks like there is some sort of general neurological something going on. We're seeing how he does for the next few hours. We are in making a hard decision territory I'm pretty sure. He's 16 1/2 and his health isn't great but he's still a bundle of personality. Good thoughts our way and his would really be appreciated.

How long can you leave a dog in the car in 27 degree weather? Can you respond ASAP in natter? I am trying to determine if I should go into the store and ask them to call the cops. The weather here is 27 degrees.

Edited: Thanks all. The group talked me off a cliff. I decided it wasn't an emergency.

Help!

So many of you know that my district has been doing this crazy grant with Donors Choose. Many of you have given and have helped by using our gift cards. Now I've encountered a problem.

DC has decided that a teacher can only have 50 gift cards redeemed IN TOTAL and not for each project as we were told.

K has been working her butt off getting the projects at her school funded, but she can't have any more gift cards donated to her, so even though we have another $15,000 in cards, none of them can be used on her projects and she is worried she will lose the matching funds in February.

Can you help fund her project, especially the eligible for the match? Her Donors Choose Page is here: [link] I know I ask all the time for me, but this would make her day to get this funded. Even if you give a $1 it will help because she will move up to the front and be more likely to be funded.

Please please please help.

Could I get a little -ma, and maybe a little help?

I'm trying to win a contest from The Girl's Guide to Web Design: I need it, really. PLEASE vote for my entry at [link]

I'm there under my super-secret pseudonym of...Erin G. Just click on my entry at the above link and "Like" it. Of course, you are MORE THAN WELCOME to Tweet it, too, so that more people can vote for me, and I can win.

Please...don't make me quote "I coulda been a contender..." My site needs help! And I like me some learnin'.

Thanks!

Odd thing for Beep Me, but it seems the best place:

Mac would like a GameBoy Advanced, yes, the old GameBoy. If anyone has one in a back drawer and would want to sell it. holler at me.

Similarly, we have a version 2 of the iPod Shuffle with charger cord that works great. Would be happy to sell that to anyone interested. $20.

Bad day. We heard from the IRS about our audit (DH is self-employed) and we owe 8k. Then we took our doggie, Layla, to the vet and she has terminal cancer. We have a week, maybe a bit more, with her. She is the first dog I ever had and is a sweet, joyous soul.

It went fast--we had Layla put to sleep this morning. She was in so much discomfort that it seemed selfish to keep her here. Several of the people who loved her the most came by this morning because they wanted to say goodbye, which shows you what a loved doggie she was. Thank you all for your kind words yesterday, they really helped.

Thanks for the continuing ~ma. My sister got to hold her son for the very first time today! The hemorrhaging in his brain appears to have stopped and the heart murmur is getting fainter--which means it should be closing. If it continues, they will be able to start feeding him the breastmilk Lori has been pumping.

All in all, a good day for the family!

OK, y'all, I need Buffista magic here.

Please vote for my entry, Erin G., at [link]

I'm 35 votes behind the top contenda, and I want to win this web design course. I need it BADLY and cannot afford it, although I've been eyeballing it for about 6 months. (It burns me that some of the entrants with more votes ALREADY HAVE COOL SITES! WTF?!)

Thanks to everyone who has voted already, and if you vote, thank you, thank you!

I just got back from having to put Perkins the cat to sleep.

He may not have been the smartest cat around, but he was pretty fucking awesome all the same and I'll miss him, a lot.