Those of you who have been in Bitches and the Delurker threads recently may have seen that our dear Deena has been having a difficult time of it lately. Her health has gotten much worse and she has had to shut down Drollerie Press and stop working as a result. So, a few of us have evilly conspired to try to do something nice for her to cheer her. I will be collecting funds through paypal at my profile address through November 1st. If anyone wishes to send me a check, please e-mail me for my home address.

Discussion of what exactly we should send will continue in Bitches. Deena, if you're still lurking, don't peek if you want to be surprised.

Whoa! Totally wrong thread. Apologies and moved to Beep Me.

Last Call for Participants in the Gift Exchangamadoodle.

Right now we are at 16 confirmed. I think a few more of you responded to inquiries from me and I may not have gotten you added.

Here is the link if you want in, go and join the merry gang of exchangamadoodlers:

[link]

ALSO! if you are an exchangamadoodler and you want to give me restrictions on who you get, email me. I already have it set so that no one should get who they got last year. ALSO ALSO, you can do the wish lists and the info on all the elfster site, so no one else has to be the keeper of the data on what you like and what you don't and what the what what what what.

DC-, Baltimore-, and other local-istas, mark your calendars for brunch on Sunday, November 6th. We will be sending the vibrant, voluptuous, vivacious, and vital Vortex off to the wilds of suburban Connecticut with three of her favorite things: friends, food, and mimosas.

Discussion to take place in F2F. More details tomorrow....

More details:

Vortex has suggested Masa 14, which has a unlimited prix fixe brunch (including unlimited brunch beverages) for $35/person. Menu here: [link]

We are under no obligation to follow her suggestion, so if anyone has other ideas, make your way to F2F and let's discuss. I would like to finalize location and head count as soon as possible in order to ensure there's adequate space for us.

Time-wise I was thinking around 11 am/12 noon, which gives the suburban DC and Baltimore folks time to get downtown without getting up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday.

Tomorrow evening, I will be pushing the magic button to assign matches on elfster. Find my previous post to click and join, or forever hold your peace (until the slacker exchange is announced). Also this is last call for anyone who would like to submit restrictions on who they get matched with. just FYI, if your request is to not draw me, I will make you draw me twice, but all other requests I will honor.

I am posting this with bonny's permission.

I am taking donations, no matter how small or large, to help bonny deal with the cost of her much-beloved Bartleby's surgery.

It's a tricky surgery, so tricky that her regular vet will not be doing it, and two specialists have been called in. Without it, B's quality of life would spiral quickly down.

The procedures and meds look to be between $3000-$4000

You all know how vital Bartleby is to bonny. I've been doing some backchannel collections, but I KNOW not everyone's in this, because I don't have All The Addresses.

I sent what we've amassed far ($149, due to PayPal fees) to bonny this morning. I'll let her speak for herself regarding her surprise and joy.

If you'd like to contribute, you can use my PayPal at wordslinger@eringriggs.com

Whether it's a little or a lot, whatever you can spare accumulates and is needed.

And if you can't spare anything, no worries. We know you would if you could!

Mille grazie, you wonderful people!

Per my original post in Press last week, the collection for Deena ends today. If anyone wants me to extend it for them, or if you want to e-mail me at my profile address and tell me what you want to send in, I can account for that now and get the money whenever you're able to send it. I'll be sending a mass e-mail out tomorrow so that we can decide what to do with the funds collected. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please post them in Bitches. And thank you all for being so extremely generous!

There was a short discussion in Bureau about making a master e-mail list for b.org special projects here: JenP "Bureaucracy 4: Like Job. No, really, just like Job" Oct 24, 2011 2:39:25 pm PDT.

If you'd like your e-mail address to be included on a master mailing list for b.org special projects, please:

*E-mail me at jenbefore@gmail.com

*Put your user name in the subject line, please!

Answer this question, too, please:

*Give out address? Yes or No (ION, if a buffista asks for your e-mail, can a maintainer give it to him or her... for example, "Bob hasn't posted in a while, can I get his e-mail address to check in with him?")

I'll send out a confirmation e-mail in a week or so, and announce it, just to make sure I didn't miss anyone in compiling addresses.

And then we'll see how it goes. Anyone please feel free to bring up questions, make suggestions on any part... I wanted to get started compiling, but, as I said, I don't need to be the maintainer. (ETA: and there probably should be more than one.)

Thanks!

I have been humbled and made teary-eyed by the support and good wishes I have received from this beautiful community...well, always, but especially...today.

Thank you to Erin and everyone else who has reached out in this scary but determined time in my life.

I got word from the doctor that she has connected with the surgeon who she most respects, and who has the most experience with this kind of surgery. After she explained my situation, he offered to do it for less than $3,000. Some less, anyway, and that is a welcome surprise.

I am posting this in Press because I came up with a potential fund raising scheme that I will be sharing in my blog and elsewhere, but you are hearing it first.

I delivered a workshop last week on 'the perfect apology' in a customer service setting. It was extremely well received and, in the middle of the night, it occurred to me that I could help individuals get hurtful things off their hearts.

Benefiting Bartleby, and reducing the pain in the world at large, feels like a win to me.

If YOU would like something in return for the unbelievably thoughtful and generous support Buffistas have spearheaded, I will gladly work with you via email to craft the right apology letter or script for your situation.

This would, of course, be totally and completely confidential and all records of the work would be destroyed on my end, whether you decide to use the material or simply want the relief of putting it together.

One thing I want everyone to understand is that I am not undertaking this medical procedure to extend a failing life. As much as I love Bartleby, I could never do that to him.

Medical opinion is that his body has managed this particular affliction for the last 5 years. Removing the problem would give him at least another, robust 5 years. He is healthy and strong right now, but NOT doing the surgery could change that fairly quickly.

I want to thank each and every person who is helping me to give him the better outcome. I can never say thank you enough.

eta: my profile addy is good for letter writing inquiries.