Last night the blogging world lost a wonderful blogger when Lisa of Clusterfook passed away after a long three-time battle with cancer. I have followed Lisa’s blog for over a year, reading her stories as she learned her cancer was back, as she began to accept her fate, and as she shared the news with family and friends.

I didn’t know Lisa in real life. But I felt her pain and my heart ached for her in her journey. Lisa had a helluva a year last year, but she battled through and never gave up. Sometimes she was happy and thankful, other times she was angry or sad. But she was always true. And she was never afraid to share her story with us.

Many of her posts brought me to tears. Like when she decided to stop chemo and share her last few months at home with the family she loves. And when she told her daughters she wasn’t going to get any better. How do you do that? How do you tell your children you are going to die? The amount of bravery she had is something I truly admire. And as she liked to say, It is what it is. You learn to deal with and accept that with which you cannot change.

Thank you Lisa for being such a great part of this blogging world and teaching us all these important lessons about life. You will be greatly missed.

As you know, we celebrated the first of several big birthdays last weekend. My high school friends and I are all turning 35. Like we did for our 30th birthdays, we are celebrating each birthday with a big celebration.

For some reason I haven’t quite figured out yet, every time us girls get together the subject of boobs always comes up. I guess it’s because we all have them. Although some of us more than others.

Unfortunately I’m a member of the itty bitty tittie committee. And most of my friend…well aren’t. At one point in the conversation we were talking about Victoria Secret bras. One girl said she can’t fit in to any of their bras. Apparently they only go up to a size DD and she’s a DDD. Sadly I never have a problem finding a bra at Victoria Secret. They always have plenty of size A. *sigh*

Then another girl mentioned she thinks Victoria Secret’s bras always run small. So when it says it’s a C it’s really more of a B. Talk about breaking my heart. Seriously? If I wear an A at Victoria Secret then what size am I really? I don’t even want to discuss it.

School sucks. There I said it. I don’t know how 18- and 20-year-olds do it. They go out drinking, stay up late, and still somehow make it to our 8am class. I go to bed by midnight, can’t drag my ass out of bed, end up being late to class, and a total bitch because I haven’t had my morning OJ yet.

There are so many things wrong with an 8am class. Let me count the ways.

• I’m not a morning person. I have never been a morning person. I will never be a morning person. If one more person tells me “you should just go to bed earlier” I am pretty sure I will strangle them with my scarf. I’m just sayin’.
• On Mondays and Wednesdays (class days) I set my alarm 2 full hours earlier than Tuesdays and Thursdays. Every Sunday and Tuesday night I literally curse out my alarm clock as I’m setting the alarm for the next day.
• I have to battle the teens to get a shower with luke warm water (as opposed to my very hot, turn my skin pink shower I normally enjoy).
• Do you know how hard it is to find matching socks in the sock basket when you’re eyes are still puffy and glued shut with eye boogers?
• It’s a graphic design class and we often have to spend an hour drawing thumbnails. Who can draw thumbnails at 8am? I should be sleeping at 8am. This week we are drawing motion. This week’s assignment is to draw a toothbrush from rest to flight. Seriously?!? A toothbrush? I spent the whole class period staring at my blank piece of paper imagining a toothbrush with a big red cape and a “T” on his chest.
• My instructor is a very nice guy, but every. single. sentence ends with “and stuff.” Balance can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical…and stuff. The elements of emphasis include size, shape, placement, repetition, direction, and color…and stuff. For the love of God, just say “um” like everybody else.
• And the worst thing of all? The thing that should be an outright crime? We have a midterm on March 18th. The day after St. Patrick’s Day. At 8am. Really?!? Who does that?

I can’t wait for May.

I need your help. My friends need your help. A year ago I asked you to support me in a Walk For a Cure for my friend’s little girl who lives with diabetes every day. This year I am asking for your support in three separate causes. And, like last year, I will donate $1 to EACH cause for every comment left on this post from now until next Saturday, February 28th. So comment away.

What are the causes that need your help?

Unfortunately I can’t make it to the JDRF Walk For a Cure this year, but I still want to help out my friend, Carrie, and her beautiful daughter, Payton. In the two years since 7-year-old Payton was diagnosed with diabetes she has become quite a role model. This last year, when her friend Brookelyn was also diagnosed with diabetes, Payton comforted her and told her it would be ok while Carrie helped Brookelyn’s parents deal with the shock and learn to take care of their daughter’s needs. And earlier this month Payton was chosen to attend JDRF’s Children’s Congress in June in Washington D.C.! Out of 1,500 applicants, Payton was one of only 150 children chosen to meet with members of congress to tell her story and hopefully encourage more funding for research to find a cure for diabetes. She is such a brave little girl.

If you would like to donate to Payton’s Promise (her team name for the walk) please visit Carrie’s walk page. Their team goal is $4000. Last year they raised $5000 and I would love to see them blow last year away. Please help if you can.

My friend, Nicole, is walking in the Walk MS fundraiser for Multiple Sclerosis. She is walking for her dear friend, Jen’s team. Sadly Jen just lost her mom who suffered with MS for many years. A donation to the National MS Society is used to fund important research for a cure and also provides programs and services to those currently affected by MS.

If you would like to donate to Felicia’s Fighters (their team named after Jen’s mom) please visit Nicole’s walk page. Nicole’s goal is $188 and the team goal is $1500. Please help them reach their goal.

Fellow blogger, Matthew at Child’s Play X2, is holding an online auction to raise money for the Border View YMCA. Your bids go directly towards supporting programs in a community where 1 in 4 live in poverty and many more work multiple jobs just make ends meet. And you can bid on some pretty great prizes including a custom blog design, a pass to this summer’s BlogHer conference, a Flip Video camera, tickets for 2 on a cruise and much, much more.

Head over to the online auction site to put in your bids. Bid to win some really great items and help those in need at the same time.

Thank you so much for your support. And don’t forget to leave a comment below.