Today I made someone smile and reminded them they were not alone.

Felt good - the feeling reminds me why I fight the darkness that life and reality can be.

I lost a great friend late last night.

She was something else...we took turns being there for each other.

She attacked life like it was to be ridden like a Harley, not as a passenger in a minivan.

She had lived a life that was filled with stories...we should all be so lucky.

Last time I saw her she was heading out the door with L in a corset, boots and a desire to dance all night. Which she did...

She had been ill for sometime but she kept living (excuse me: LIVING!). As a good friend put it: "Her body simply wasn't strong enough to contain such a fiery spirit."

Since she'd kick my butt for being too maudlin, I've gone to the bar and taken down the Crown Royal Reserve and will be celebrating her life with each sip.

I think she'd approve.

It is with a heavy heart that I pass on the following news that we have lost a friend.

irana passed away overnight.

I don't have many details to give but she had been fighting a long fight with several illnesses for a while now.

I saw her two weeks ago and she was living her life with a wink and a smile...heading to the club to dance the night away.

I will miss her very much but I will keep her smile and laughter in my heart.

Make a miracle happen: Become an organ donor

Not gonna tell you what to do, but if you think you are an organ donor - make sure.

Has not been a good weekend for some friends of mine. One friend and her boyfriend were assaulted walking in a suburb of Chicago last night. He was beaten up - she was beaten, mugged and they tried to do more. Still waiting to hear how they are.

Another friend has had a bad element contact her - defying court orders.

A great friend of felishathekitty is in the hospital - she is in much pain and continues to swell up. So far the doctors have no idea the cause.

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If you have a spare moment, will you send some hope, protection or just a good thought their way? And look out for you and yours - it seems to be getting ugly out here in several different ways.

You know you have your priorities straight when you give up Double XP weekend on City of Heroes to spend time with good friends, family and your grandson. :)

Excerpts from mermaidblue:

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First of all, many thanks to those of you who have donated various amounts to help irana and her family in their time of need....

...In terms of how she is doing, irana is in good spirits, but is still in the ICU on a drip to control her blood pressure. It will take some time (a few days) to wean down the drip and find a combination of medications that will work well to control her blood pressure. Her heart rate and breathing rate are also still high, but these should improve as her body gets rid of the extra fluid off her lungs. In possibly the best news yet, she has already noticed an improvement in her energy level and is actually eating! Eventually, she will be moved into a regular room until she is on the right cocktail of meds and from there she can go home. At that point, she'll be under the care of her primary care doc and a cardiologist.

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Those who wish to visit, send flowers, monies, cards, etc..., please contact mermaidblue or zorathenne so that they can organize things so that they are not overwhelmed.

zorathenne has a recap and the latest here

All help, thoughts and prayers are appreciated

( Some of the info I have... )

Thank you again for all your help. I will pass more along as information becomes available.