Charity Auction

I knew I was being a flake today, but I totally forgot something very important.

Author Julie Kenner is holding a big eBay auction to raise money for Love Without Borders, an organization devoted to getting medical care for children in Chinese orphanages. These kids have problems like cleft palate or heart defects that are treated routinely in the United States but that often go untreated in these orphanages, which can affect a child's chance of getting adopted.

Lots of authors have contributed goodies like autographed books and critiques. You could, for example, bid on a personally autographed set of my series to-date. I'm also doing something very, very rare. For the highest bidder, I'll critique a synopsis and three chapters of your novel. I very seldom do critiques, so this is your one chance. There's other cool stuff, like Harry Potter movie posters signed by Chris Columbus.

For more info, check out Julie's web site, and be prepared to have your heart broken by all the pictures of babies in need of help.

In other news, I made a quick Target excursion and will be trying the minimum dose of children's Benadryl. I figure I might get more effect with fewer side effects by taking a tiny amount more often. I still doubt I'd be able to drive, which means missing choir practice, but it's not as though I could sing, anyway. I also discovered that all the Claritin stuff is 24-hour, not 12-hour, which is even worse. That's a big commitment to make to an antihistamine, a whole entire day! Even the kids stuff is like that.

I also might have stocked up on the Honey Wheat Thins, which are on sale and are my new addiction. The real trigger for the trip was when I ran out of Kleenex. That was a crisis worthy of taking action.

However, I violated one of the major rules of the universe: I went out in my work clothes instead of my going-out clothes, with no makeup at all, my glasses and with my hair just pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, and I didn't run into a single person I knew (or anyone I really wanted to know). The fabric of the universe may be fraying. Usually, it seems like the worse you look, the more likely you are to run into people you don't want to see you like that.