I bring you updates.

Izzy the Cat has, according to the animal hospital receptionist, survived her spaying. I told Henry that she was having an operation to keep her from having babies, and from the look on his face, I might as well have told him that we were having her paws lopped off. "But… but she needs to have babies," he whimpered. What, kid, you think the only thing girls are good for is baby-making, IS THAT IT? Go fix Mommy a drink. Just pour it into a glass, it's already pre-mixed in that jug. The one with the blue label. Now scoot!

They say she's doing fine, but then, how do I know they're telling me the truth? As a friend of mine pointed out, they could stuff any old cat back into her carrier, and I might wonder for a little while how my cat changed into a tabby, but then I'd forget, as I always do. What was I talking about, again?

While I was calling, I got the idea that I should ask if I could talk to her. The receptionist put me on hold and then I was giggling through hours of hold music, imagining the look on her face. "I just want to hear her sweet voice," I would say. But then, they probably get this all the time, don't you think? I bet they have a recording of a cat meowing that they play, just for their crazier clients. I lost my nerve when she returned to give me the update. But I was snickering the whole time, so I'm sure she thinks I'm nuts anyway. My cat's okay, you say? That's hilarious! Did you put wheels on her, where her paws were?

In other news, I just made out with my antibiotics. It was a little awkward, but I felt it was the right thing to do. So yes, my ear is better. Thank you for your concern, and for not fleeing my site in disgust and horror.

I have an essay in the latest issue of Wellesley magazine, so if you're coming from there, welcome, fellow alumnae! Remember that time, on that hill, near the lake? I'm sorry about that. I didn't know those were your good pants. And that they'd be so flammable.

The presence of esteemed, successful, immaculately dressed alumnae makes my next news item a little…awkward for me, but I think we all know I've learned to embrace my awkward side, so here goes.

You might have noticed I have a donate button now. Right up there, in the left-hand-column, above the big honking ad. Huh!

I debated whether or not to add a donation button. On the one hand, I already have ads, but on the other hand, the ads do not pay as I had dreamed they would. I know there are people who are against ads and anti-blogging-for-any-reason-besides-love, but I come from the land where writers get paid for their writing, and I don't see a problem with that. But then, I don’t like to feel like I'm begging. But then, I am! I debated until I felt a little sick, but in the end, I decided to leave it up to you, the reader. If you wish to donate, I thank you from the bottom of my scrappy freelancer's heart. If you can't, you're probably struggling like me, and I raise my chipped mug of re-heated coffee to you in solidarity. May we all make more money doing what we love to do.

My final piece of news is probably insane, but here goes: I have enjoyed NaBloPoMo so much that I want to keep it up. Almost. I pledge to you, dear readers, that I will write an entry for every weekday, excepting holidays and extreme cases of illness, from now until my hands fall off. And I have to get wheels to match Izzy's.

Comments

[Melissa]

extending nablopomo?!? even though i think you's crazy, that's great news for us alice! looking forward to it!

[Marcy]

Forgive me, this is my grandmother's training showing in me, but isn't the plural of alumnus "alumni"? I might be wrong though.

Keep up the blogging! I've been loving your posts. =)

[braine]

Just don't start inventing or intentionally causing disgusting emissions to fill out your daily quota.

[Tammy]

Alumni, unless it's an all-ladies school. Then, it's alumnae and you get to savor the memories of dating Harvard men!

So happy about your nablopomofoeva pact!

[Twice Five Miles]

Hooray, more Finslippy! I have enjoyed your NaBloPoMo almost as much as you have.

[John LeJeune]

Alice u cwazee. I'm doin' NaBloPoMo and I can't wait until Saturday (on the 31st day he rested.)

Swellsley. . . I was the photographer guy who always shot parties at TZE and ZA. Ever been to those Joints? Pearls and a LBD required.

John - Party Pic guy

[Cindy]

Yay! More posts!

[Jodi]

Since you were writing about the cat. I was reading this as "In other mews..."

[Sparkling Red]

Awesome! I'm now officially addicted to posting daily on my own site.

I'm glad that your ear is better. I seriously almost passed out from reading that last post.

[Ree]

I'm all for extending it, too. Without the pressure. So, I'm not pledging, but I'll be grateful for the continuing Finslippy updates.

[Laura]

I approached NaBloPoMo with a good deal of dread, but I have actually found it to be a really good writing practice. I'm hoping to keep up daily posts too.

[Laura]

Not insane at all. Or rather if you're insane you're in good company (saying so myself).

I've made the same pledge myself!

[Jen in CT]

As I recall, Wellesley is a women's college, so alumnae is correct.

I look forward to more finslippy posts--yay!

[The Mom Bomb]

On the bright side, on the off-chance the vet did replace kitty's paws with wheels, she'll make a fantabulous pull toy for the kid.

[Rachel]

A women's college, Alice? I thought I was the only person in the world who went to a women's college (Chatham U). Well, besides the classmates I occasionally see.

I love it. Quite.

[lulu]

Hello fellow alum!Making money is GOOD.I think I have heard of you, John. You take great pics!

Glad to hear we'll get more finslippy :)Gotta run, I think baby's gotten into the trash can and is having a big ol' party.

[Sonja]

Donate button: just fineWriting every day, Monday - Friday: super, duper cool!

[She Likes Purple]

Good! I've enjoyed your daily posts a lot!

[Kristabella]

Yay for keeping it up. I'm all for the weekday posts. I have a hard time on the weekends. Plus, I don't like the PRESSURE of writing every day. I think that didn't help me.

[saucygrrl]

I've also found NaBloPoMo more enjoyable than I first thought. I've been considering keeping it up as well.

So glad to hear that your ear is better! YAY! Hearing is good, and so are ears that aren't leaking anything. I'll raise my glass to that, but then again, I'll raise my glass to just about anything. ;)

[Karen Vogel]

There's gotta be a better way. Why don't you just give us the first half of each post, and make us pay to read the rest? There must be some mechanism to do that. And, um, I expect freebies because I suggested it.

You're welcome. Love your blog.

[witchypoo]

It's your site. The button is there. I hope you get lots of hits on it. A blogger has to pay for their bandwidth requirements, yes?I don't think it is anything like begging;it only makes sense to me when you consider the amount of time and thought that goes into blogging regularly.I started blogging a half hour too late to sign up for NaBloPoMo, but decided I would take on the challenge of posting each day.The last two days have been tricky, but I was sidetracked by CSS wrangling.Hey, a poor excuse is better than none.

[Brooke]

Yay! GOOD FOR YOU on the donate button; "alumnae" is clearly more smarty-pants than the pedestrian "alumni"; and daily finslippy! I'm so excited, I think I have the vapors. Yay!

[Candy]

And I raise my chipped mug back atcha, for while I'd happily donate if I could, I can not. So consider this a cosmic donation. Don't spend it all in one place.

[Tina]

Doooooooooooooooooood. Sweeeet!

Like I've said before, Finslippy is my first stop on the blog trails. That you will have a new...bowl of...trail mix left out for us Monday-Friday is so grand.

I'm doing NaBloPoMo, too, and dang if I'm not attached to the daily posting myself. I think I'm going to be a looneytune and keep it up, too.

OHMYGODIKNOWYOUMUSTBESOEXCITED.

I'm gonna donate something, but this is only going to expand your budget by about the size of a Kit Kat. I'm closer to the chipped coffee mug end of the spectrum than I am to the gilded Medici end. But I like you. Enjoy the candy bar or can of baked beans!