Fuck. My drivers license disappeared somewhere between TSA in Sacramento and the rental car facility in Phoenix. So I could t rent a car. Now I'm in an Uber and hoping I can get my freaking hotel room (which is, of course, 30 minutes away) and then I have to be somewhere at 9am. Fuck.

Glad to see Cindy's electrons, among many others. I keep having this "oh great, so and so has posted!" I guess it is a reassurance reaction that you're all out there.

MM and Aims (and Emily and Val and Debet -- who else was there?), ConFusion was this week, wasn't it? I was thinking of that time we were all there together, and that massive snowstorm hit and all the fliers were stuck. Good times.

Checked the board first thing this morning, as I do most mornings. Over 600 new posts. WTF is going on? WHAT...?

Extremely hard to process. Thought I was holding it together OK until Mr. Fiona (who is away for work) called. I said Hi and he said "is everything OK?" No, everything is most definitely not OK.

I never met ita in person, but I felt that I knew her well, and she made me feel welcome and acknowledged whenever we posted together. Her warmth was so palpable you could feel it over the internet. Lots of people stop posting from time to time, but when ita had breaks, everybody noticed.

One of the great ironies of death is, of course, that it brings the bereaved together. Weirdly comforting to see many long-gone and much-missed people posting again. I've noticed that the number of overnight posts has been on a pretty consistant downward spiral over the past few months and wondering what that meant for the board. We owe it to ita to keep this place, the place she made, alive and humming.

Thank you, David and Nilly, for contacting me.

Thank you Allyson, Kristen, Burrell, and Paula for everything you did for ita.

ConFusion was this week, wasn't it?

Yep, it's this weekend.

It is lovely to see some familiar names again but I wish it were under better circumstances.

And ... someone else who was there delicately fills the (temporary) gap in my memory (hi, P-C). And, so much word.

Hi, all.

I'm skipping to the end of the thread (but will go back and read every damn word of it. Your posts mean so much) to let you know that I'm awake because it's daytime in Israel, and if anyone wants to talk by email or here or by phone then I am here and please, please, please, reach out. I love you and I don't want you to be alone in this.

Profile addy is good.

I'm awake again at the same time as yesterday when I read the news and I feel the need to mark it in some way.

{{Sophia}}

Just checking in to say that I'm so, so sorry to hear about ita. I barely knew her, but, from the Firefly moon to Allyson's book, her light shone out a very long way.

I'm so overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for her. If a life is measured in love, ita's was clearly a full and beautiful one.

Hi, Seska.

Post-catching-up:

Maria, Aims, Joe. I am so sorry.

she felt like the board's sustaining spirit.

Yes, that's how Nilly defined her in text messages yesterday as well. Also, thank you for the funny ita lines post.

{{Buffistas}}