Signal Boosting

And likely I'll toss this out on Twitter as well.

From popelizbet:

I have this friend; his name is Dave.

Dave is one of the best people that I know.

Dave is going to lose his house this winter, because of a story that's probably so familiar to you by now that you can sing the words.

Dave bought the business he worked for, which was thriving, before the events of last year crashed the economy like a bumper car. (He runs a courier service, the kind that mostly big corporate clients need...and a lot of those were gone, last year, and a lot more were cutting expenses until they figured out what was going to happen.)


Dave - like someone I am sure nearly every American knows at this point - is one of those people who was driving along doing the speed limit when the people driving the economy started turning up the radio and getting drunk at the wheel. It took a year of working himself nearly to death, but the business is back on track. It's doing well enough that Dave can again afford to hire another person coming up soon.

But in the process of keeping the business afloat, Dave has gotten behind on the mortgage. The house and the land are not in foreclosure yet, but it's coming.

Let me tell you about Dave's house.

Dave has a house on top of a bluff with seven-plus acres down below. Over the past 10+ years, Dave and his ex-wife and me and a whole host of our friends have turned the field into one of my favorite places on earth. Dave's field has a bar. Dave's field has a stage. Dave's field has twelve campsites cut into the perimeter, so people can camp down by the creek.

Abe the blind dog lives at Dave's house. In the field he can run around like he can see; there's nothing there to hurt him.

Used to be, the last Saturday of every month we had a party out at Dave's. The recession didn't kill that, but it put it into recess. We were all hopeful. And then we get the word from Dave. The house isn't foreclosed upon yet, but it's coming; the last Last Saturday Party on Dave's land is set for Halloween.

***

Dave would never ask you, the Internet, or us, his friends on and off the web, for help. It took his ex-wife and other friends of the party to tell us what we lacked to save the house and the land.

Seven thousand dollars.

***

Dave is not a traveling bard. Dave is not a master wordsmith. But Dave is one of the good people. One who held on and tried to keep making it work in circumstances beyond his control. Dave's the kind of guy who will give and give and give and give and never ask, ever.

So we, his friends, are asking for him. Not just for Dave, but for all of us. Dave's land is a sacred place, in the usage that means "set apart." We have all made it that way. The thought that this might all get buried and sold off at auction for want of so little - for want of seven hundred good-hearted people with ten dollars to spare - makes me sick.

But Internet, I have faith in you.

***

Can you help us?

save_dave is open. There will be auctions; local friends as well as friends online are getting items together.

For now: boost signal. And if you can, donate.

A CPA friend of Dave's is taking the donations, which should go via paypal to sabrina.k.swafford in the direction of gmail dot com. Use the header "Save Dave's House", & send it as a gift donation. Sabrina will be keeping us posted on our progress.

Here is my promise to you: any of you who help here and, in future, are passing through my part of the world on the last Saturday of the month will be my guest...and I will tip your bartender for you. And you will see how it is that we have all created this place of beauty and joy and respite out in rural Tennessee, and you will see that it is good.

Tell your friends, friends of mine. Ask them if they'll help us save Dave's house. I'll have five Snake God's Preferred raspberry cakes in the auction, come time. If you'd like to donate items, tell me. If you know an eccentric millionaire who keeps seven grand in her bathrobe pocket, please advise. Whatever you can do, I ask that you do - for my friend, who to you is an anonymous stranger, who does not deserve to lose it all for such a little thing.

In love, gratitude and never-ending hope,
popelizbet

Jim's family is in Tennessee - heck, he was born in Knoxville, and I never saw a prettier place. And I just got back from managing my teensy account over at Modest Needs and see small miracles there daily.

My household budget for the three of us in California isn't that seven grand - but it's not far from it, either. The fact he can do so much with that figure, where he is, makes it all the more appealing.

We can't save him all by ourselves, but damn if we can't help.

I think I have some of that cider donut mix I can auction off. That, and some See's. At least.

Signal Boosting

And likely I'll toss this out on Twitter as well.

From popelizbet:

I have this friend; his name is Dave.

Dave is one of the best people that I know.

Dave is going to lose his house this winter, because of a story that's probably so familiar to you by now that you can sing the words.

Dave bought the business he worked for, which was thriving, before the events of last year crashed the economy like a bumper car. (He runs a courier service, the kind that mostly big corporate clients need...and a lot of those were gone, last year, and a lot more were cutting expenses until they figured out what was going to happen.)


Dave - like someone I am sure nearly every American knows at this point - is one of those people who was driving along doing the speed limit when the people driving the economy started turning up the radio and getting drunk at the wheel. It took a year of working himself nearly to death, but the business is back on track. It's doing well enough that Dave can again afford to hire another person coming up soon.

But in the process of keeping the business afloat, Dave has gotten behind on the mortgage. The house and the land are not in foreclosure yet, but it's coming.

Let me tell you about Dave's house.

Dave has a house on top of a bluff with seven-plus acres down below. Over the past 10+ years, Dave and his ex-wife and me and a whole host of our friends have turned the field into one of my favorite places on earth. Dave's field has a bar. Dave's field has a stage. Dave's field has twelve campsites cut into the perimeter, so people can camp down by the creek.

Abe the blind dog lives at Dave's house. In the field he can run around like he can see; there's nothing there to hurt him.

Used to be, the last Saturday of every month we had a party out at Dave's. The recession didn't kill that, but it put it into recess. We were all hopeful. And then we get the word from Dave. The house isn't foreclosed upon yet, but it's coming; the last Last Saturday Party on Dave's land is set for Halloween.

***

Dave would never ask you, the Internet, or us, his friends on and off the web, for help. It took his ex-wife and other friends of the party to tell us what we lacked to save the house and the land.

Seven thousand dollars.

***

Dave is not a traveling bard. Dave is not a master wordsmith. But Dave is one of the good people. One who held on and tried to keep making it work in circumstances beyond his control. Dave's the kind of guy who will give and give and give and give and never ask, ever.

So we, his friends, are asking for him. Not just for Dave, but for all of us. Dave's land is a sacred place, in the usage that means "set apart." We have all made it that way. The thought that this might all get buried and sold off at auction for want of so little - for want of seven hundred good-hearted people with ten dollars to spare - makes me sick.

But Internet, I have faith in you.

***

Can you help us?

save_dave is open. There will be auctions; local friends as well as friends online are getting items together.

For now: boost signal. And if you can, donate.

A CPA friend of Dave's is taking the donations, which should go via paypal to sabrina.k.swafford in the direction of gmail dot com. Use the header "Save Dave's House", & send it as a gift donation. Sabrina will be keeping us posted on our progress.

Here is my promise to you: any of you who help here and, in future, are passing through my part of the world on the last Saturday of the month will be my guest...and I will tip your bartender for you. And you will see how it is that we have all created this place of beauty and joy and respite out in rural Tennessee, and you will see that it is good.

Tell your friends, friends of mine. Ask them if they'll help us save Dave's house. I'll have five Snake God's Preferred raspberry cakes in the auction, come time. If you'd like to donate items, tell me. If you know an eccentric millionaire who keeps seven grand in her bathrobe pocket, please advise. Whatever you can do, I ask that you do - for my friend, who to you is an anonymous stranger, who does not deserve to lose it all for such a little thing.

In love, gratitude and never-ending hope,
popelizbet

Jim's family is in Tennessee - heck, he was born in Knoxville, and I never saw a prettier place. And I just got back from managing my teensy account over at Modest Needs and see small miracles there daily.

My household budget for the three of us in California isn't that seven grand - but it's not far from it, either. The fact he can do so much with that figure, where he is, makes it all the more appealing.

We can't save him all by ourselves, but damn if we can't help.

I think I have some of that cider donut mix I can auction off. That, and some See's. At least.

Signal Boosting

And likely I'll toss this out on Twitter as well.

From popelizbet:

I have this friend; his name is Dave.

Dave is one of the best people that I know.

Dave is going to lose his house this winter, because of a story that's probably so familiar to you by now that you can sing the words.

Dave bought the business he worked for, which was thriving, before the events of last year crashed the economy like a bumper car. (He runs a courier service, the kind that mostly big corporate clients need...and a lot of those were gone, last year, and a lot more were cutting expenses until they figured out what was going to happen.)


Dave - like someone I am sure nearly every American knows at this point - is one of those people who was driving along doing the speed limit when the people driving the economy started turning up the radio and getting drunk at the wheel. It took a year of working himself nearly to death, but the business is back on track. It's doing well enough that Dave can again afford to hire another person coming up soon.

But in the process of keeping the business afloat, Dave has gotten behind on the mortgage. The house and the land are not in foreclosure yet, but it's coming.

Let me tell you about Dave's house.

Dave has a house on top of a bluff with seven-plus acres down below. Over the past 10+ years, Dave and his ex-wife and me and a whole host of our friends have turned the field into one of my favorite places on earth. Dave's field has a bar. Dave's field has a stage. Dave's field has twelve campsites cut into the perimeter, so people can camp down by the creek.

Abe the blind dog lives at Dave's house. In the field he can run around like he can see; there's nothing there to hurt him.

Used to be, the last Saturday of every month we had a party out at Dave's. The recession didn't kill that, but it put it into recess. We were all hopeful. And then we get the word from Dave. The house isn't foreclosed upon yet, but it's coming; the last Last Saturday Party on Dave's land is set for Halloween.

***

Dave would never ask you, the Internet, or us, his friends on and off the web, for help. It took his ex-wife and other friends of the party to tell us what we lacked to save the house and the land.

Seven thousand dollars.

***

Dave is not a traveling bard. Dave is not a master wordsmith. But Dave is one of the good people. One who held on and tried to keep making it work in circumstances beyond his control. Dave's the kind of guy who will give and give and give and give and never ask, ever.

So we, his friends, are asking for him. Not just for Dave, but for all of us. Dave's land is a sacred place, in the usage that means "set apart." We have all made it that way. The thought that this might all get buried and sold off at auction for want of so little - for want of seven hundred good-hearted people with ten dollars to spare - makes me sick.

But Internet, I have faith in you.

***

Can you help us?

save_dave is open. There will be auctions; local friends as well as friends online are getting items together.

For now: boost signal. And if you can, donate.

A CPA friend of Dave's is taking the donations, which should go via paypal to sabrina.k.swafford in the direction of gmail dot com. Use the header "Save Dave's House", & send it as a gift donation. Sabrina will be keeping us posted on our progress.

Here is my promise to you: any of you who help here and, in future, are passing through my part of the world on the last Saturday of the month will be my guest...and I will tip your bartender for you. And you will see how it is that we have all created this place of beauty and joy and respite out in rural Tennessee, and you will see that it is good.

Tell your friends, friends of mine. Ask them if they'll help us save Dave's house. I'll have five Snake God's Preferred raspberry cakes in the auction, come time. If you'd like to donate items, tell me. If you know an eccentric millionaire who keeps seven grand in her bathrobe pocket, please advise. Whatever you can do, I ask that you do - for my friend, who to you is an anonymous stranger, who does not deserve to lose it all for such a little thing.

In love, gratitude and never-ending hope,
popelizbet

Jim's family is in Tennessee - heck, he was born in Knoxville, and I never saw a prettier place. And I just got back from managing my teensy account over at Modest Needs and see small miracles there daily.

My household budget for the three of us in California isn't that seven grand - but it's not far from it, either. The fact he can do so much with that figure, where he is, makes it all the more appealing.

We can't save him all by ourselves, but damn if we can't help.

I think I have some of that cider donut mix I can auction off. That, and some See's. At least.

Something else I've always known to be true -

The biggest fights are over the smallest amounts of money.

Think about it. When have you struggled the most? When you were rolling pennies for gas money...am I right? When you wondered if you could get enough out of the recycling to pay for groceries that week.

When there's enough, and you know you have enough to cover everything...you work hard, sure - but the absolute FIGHT is missing from the equation.

People who ask me to toss a few bucks into a pot along with others (and have shown ability to take it from there) are far more likely to get my ear than someone who demands hundreds entirely from me with little hope it'll save them.

Just an observation.

Something else I've always known to be true -

The biggest fights are over the smallest amounts of money.

Think about it. When have you struggled the most? When you were rolling pennies for gas money...am I right? When you wondered if you could get enough out of the recycling to pay for groceries that week.

When there's enough, and you know you have enough to cover everything...you work hard, sure - but the absolute FIGHT is missing from the equation.

People who ask me to toss a few bucks into a pot along with others (and have shown ability to take it from there) are far more likely to get my ear than someone who demands hundreds entirely from me with little hope it'll save them.

Just an observation.

Something else I've always known to be true -

The biggest fights are over the smallest amounts of money.

Think about it. When have you struggled the most? When you were rolling pennies for gas money...am I right? When you wondered if you could get enough out of the recycling to pay for groceries that week.

When there's enough, and you know you have enough to cover everything...you work hard, sure - but the absolute FIGHT is missing from the equation.

People who ask me to toss a few bucks into a pot along with others (and have shown ability to take it from there) are far more likely to get my ear than someone who demands hundreds entirely from me with little hope it'll save them.

Just an observation.

Another milestone -

Kid eats better when I vary the menu. Before, I kept it narrow so it stayed familiar and less scary.

Now, if I give the same thing for breakfast twice in a row? Compliance is not guaranteed.

Yesterday, it was rice krispy treats and chocolate milk (shush - there's no nutrition at all if the kid won't eat it). As it was the day before.

Yeah, he ate it. Meh.

This morning was muffin tops and Yakult. OM NOM NOM GONE.

Neither foods are preferred - I'll take it.

In other news, the best estimate on when his sister could come home is in 2012. *sighs*

Another milestone -

Kid eats better when I vary the menu. Before, I kept it narrow so it stayed familiar and less scary.

Now, if I give the same thing for breakfast twice in a row? Compliance is not guaranteed.

Yesterday, it was rice krispy treats and chocolate milk (shush - there's no nutrition at all if the kid won't eat it). As it was the day before.

Yeah, he ate it. Meh.

This morning was muffin tops and Yakult. OM NOM NOM GONE.

Neither foods are preferred - I'll take it.

In other news, the best estimate on when his sister could come home is in 2012. *sighs*

Another milestone -

Kid eats better when I vary the menu. Before, I kept it narrow so it stayed familiar and less scary.

Now, if I give the same thing for breakfast twice in a row? Compliance is not guaranteed.

Yesterday, it was rice krispy treats and chocolate milk (shush - there's no nutrition at all if the kid won't eat it). As it was the day before.

Yeah, he ate it. Meh.

This morning was muffin tops and Yakult. OM NOM NOM GONE.

Neither foods are preferred - I'll take it.

In other news, the best estimate on when his sister could come home is in 2012. *sighs*

Another thing worth mentioning....

If you want the Christmas list for the three of us, I made up a .doc file I can email you. (I was completely shameless.)

Also, Christmas Eve may be falling on a Thursday, but I'm still planning on opening the house up all day, starting at 10:00 (angling to get the day off). Kid is going to preschool until 5:00 PM (unless I hear otherwise) - so make some plans to come by during daylight hours and let's be adults together until it's time for dinner.

After dinner, it may be the amazing staggering four year old - but I have no plans to try to get him to sleep unless he asks for it. (Planning on closing the house by 11:00 PM, though.)

(And so help me, if you bring something - or brought something last year - you're taking it home with you!)

Ug, I have spoken.

Another thing worth mentioning....

If you want the Christmas list for the three of us, I made up a .doc file I can email you. (I was completely shameless.)

Also, Christmas Eve may be falling on a Thursday, but I'm still planning on opening the house up all day, starting at 10:00 (angling to get the day off). Kid is going to preschool until 5:00 PM (unless I hear otherwise) - so make some plans to come by during daylight hours and let's be adults together until it's time for dinner.

After dinner, it may be the amazing staggering four year old - but I have no plans to try to get him to sleep unless he asks for it. (Planning on closing the house by 11:00 PM, though.)

(And so help me, if you bring something - or brought something last year - you're taking it home with you!)

Ug, I have spoken.

Another thing worth mentioning....

If you want the Christmas list for the three of us, I made up a .doc file I can email you. (I was completely shameless.)

Also, Christmas Eve may be falling on a Thursday, but I'm still planning on opening the house up all day, starting at 10:00 (angling to get the day off). Kid is going to preschool until 5:00 PM (unless I hear otherwise) - so make some plans to come by during daylight hours and let's be adults together until it's time for dinner.

After dinner, it may be the amazing staggering four year old - but I have no plans to try to get him to sleep unless he asks for it. (Planning on closing the house by 11:00 PM, though.)

(And so help me, if you bring something - or brought something last year - you're taking it home with you!)

Ug, I have spoken.