Lurking and sending love. That's all I can do.

I'm lurking as well. Thanks, Zen, for all you've been doing.

Had four fillings repaired this morning, which wasn't so bad. Being tired at the dentist is a good thing, I think. Then I made an appointment for damage estimate and repairs for my car.

Cosigned, if you will, Miracleman.

Maria, may the socks you pull up be the most sparkly, brilliant, yet professional socks, ever.

Same goes for all of us who must gird up to ... stuff. Whatever stuff needs to be done. There is always stuff to do even when the primary motivation for doing the stuff is getting bread to eat and roof to shelter - and we have to beat back the feeling of futility of doing it when bread tastes like dust and ashes. What good is a roof to us when tears fall like rain? But we do the stuff, and keep doing it, and eventually the bread we get tastes like bread again and the roof over our heads keeps us warm again so it turns out to be worth it.

amyth, much ~ma of the swift and skillful surgery kind.

I...dreamt about a snake that was really a Scandinavian secret agent that I was helping to escape from my handlers who had captured it and entrusted me with its care...

So not really relevant at all, but a step up in intrigue from my typical mundane fare.

Why would he refuse to sign the contracts

The cost of our contracts adds up - by coincidence I'm sure [cough] - to the budget cut the provost is demanding. By not renewing contracts they can keep telling themselves no one has been actually fired.

But seriously, being the only one "saved" would really suck, in its own special way, despite still pulling a paycheck.

I was talking with Ginger in June about whether I could help her with Mr. Peabody then, when he was having seizures, and she was so much more worried about his health than her own.

I'm staying with my aunt and I got to share stories about Ginger with her. Dragoncon and the F2F and how...in awe u was if Ginger . Am in awe.

And then I talked about ita.

And what they both have meant and how creative and interesting they both are in their own right.

It felt right to share who they are and grieve with someine. Even though she doesn't know them she knows grief and the power of talking about those you love and care about

Zen, I don't know how much you're in touch with any of Ginger's Nashville friends, but if there's anything that I can do for them or for her family here, please let me know. I keep thinking there must be some way I can help.

Kate, thank you, I was wondering how to broach that subject. I don't know her Nashville friend well enough to know if she's the "embrace more people" type or if she hermits when she's grieving, but I will let her know that Ginger has other wonderful B'ista friends in Nashville, and that if she ever wants me to, I'll pass along your contact info.

MM, Kate, thank you both for these words.

Echoing.

I dreamt I was with Ginger, and she had a miraculous improvement, and then was shaking her head at all of us for making such a fuss.

I keep imagining she's going to wake up and pop in to the Board and scold me for scaring everyone. I wish she would.

I think y'all will like this, and I hope it makes you smile a bit today.

Last night, I had a dream that I was at a party at school. A big, school-wide party. Also I was living at school in a dorm (and the room was HUGE, and I don't think I was sharing it with anyone).

Well, Robert Downey Jr. was also at the party for some reason, and he was hanging out in my room with a bunch other people, holding court and talking about whatever.

Suddenly, my mom, my stepdad, and my sister and brother in law and their kids, all come wandering through the crowd in my room,and my stepdad sits on the back of the couch, RIGHT ON TOP OF RDJ! and he sort of leans in a little bit, so he's sort of squishing RDJ a little bit, and RDJ is making this face like "What the hell?"

Finally they leave, and RDJ sort of giggles about the whole thing, and was just a really good sport about it all.

Yeah, that was my dream, for some reason.

Came to post hugs and send out a bit of love to people

Ugh Sparky, I hate that kind of bullshit, I'm glad it sounds like you'll be fine, but I sincerely hope everyone on contract gets to hold onto their jobs.

Ugh Amy, hoping for relief and a smooth surgery for you.

Knowing how wise Ginger is, I am sure she has known for a while, and God bless her for fighting so hard to hold onto a little more life. I"m kind of heartbroken right now because in addition to Ginger, I am losing a friend at work, the one who was ill. I've known her for 17 years. She's on hospice too, although in her case she's enrolled in it earlier than many do so that she can have months to prepare. And just ugh, apologies in advance if I seem curt of whatever.

This year, man. Thank you to Zen for being there for Ginger when we couldn't be and to Javachik for letting me know what was going on. I so hoped this day wouldn't ever come. My heart is with you all even if my pixels aren't around very much these days.