for all your hard work and vigilance in keeping the site up and running. Erin, Piper, Samantha, Cat, my eternal thanks for all you do for us. Top Shelf is my home on the net. It means almost as much to me as my real life home.

Huggles and love and gratitude,
Catherine Linda Michel

In years past, when my Dad was still alive, I couldn't quite connect with his feelings when one of his friends passed away. I guess it never really occurred to me that Dad had any lifelong friends...I don't know why. Maybe it was partly because he was always too busy working 2... sometimes 2 and 1/2 jobs to keep his family fed, clothed and sheltered.

I'd like to take this space to wish everyone out there a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a good one and is able to spend it with the ones they hold dear.

I am thankful for:

The Science channel is, right now, running a Firefly marathon, followed by the final two episodes and then a reunion of the entire cast. The reunion is titles "Browncoats Unite" and will show at 10PM.

Catherine Linda Michel

Edit made. My mistake about the SciFi channel. CLM,

if you've missed reading "Susie and Jeffrey", by Jamie Hayworth, you've missed out on one of the most riotous romps of humor I've read in a long, long time.

We are located about 70 miles south of Buffalo and about 20 miles from the lake Erie shore. We got virtually no problems from the storm. Just some rain and light winds. There are some power outages, but very few. Some schools are closed and a few trees are down. We're protected from a lot of weather related stuff, with the exception of lake effect snow, because of the ridges surrounding us, and because all of the wind from this storm came from the north/northeast.

Today is a very special day because it's Piper's Birthday. Piper has done SO much for all of us and she deserves our most profound thanks for all she has done. She's a very special lady and I count her as a friend, and am very humbled to think she might think of me in the same way.

Right now she is having a difficult time in her life, and I know that all of us wish her nothing but the best of luck. She's a talented young lady, and I know that she's gonna come out of this time in her life successfully and continue to be one of the best there is.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!

I've been online for over ten years now. From the very beginning it amazed me that the level of acceptance and compassion was as high as it was, and is.

Two uplifting Youtube videos that highlight us as who we are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwZgCsRSn3Y American Transgender

The leader of our local support group is looking for poetry to use in our Day Of Remembrance meeting/event. I have seen some very poignant verses written by you, the writers here at Top Shelf. If you wouldn't mind having some of your work used for this purpose, please let me know. NO poems or verses published here will be used without permission by the author of same.

If any of you know of some other works, please link me to them? Of course, none of this is being done for profit, and nothing used will be published in any way whatsoever. It's only for our event.

Thanks all.

How especially fitting that, following the recent unpleasantness here at Top Shelf, along comes a day that we all can appreciate, Erin's Birthday!

From a happy, satisfied customer, sometime writer, fan and a friend, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIN!!

May the next year be free from strife and full of the love that pours in from your family, friends, and all who enjoy and appreciate your hard work and dedication.

Birthday huggles, love and respect,
Catherine Linda Michel

Okay. A news story this morning has me wondering, nay, in fact astounded!

It seems that there is a forest fire somewhere in the U.S. Not unusual, right? However! the report stated that some aircraft which were involved in fighting the fire were grounded because of METEORS in the sky, which would have endangered the aircraft!

Is this the beginning of some subtle invasion from "out there" somewhere... the beginning of the raprture again? The harbinger of the forecasted end of the world on Dec 21st?

WTF?!?!?!

METEORS interrupting the battle against a forest fire??

D.C. Comics has announced that one of their major heroes is going to be "coming out of the closet." The main speculation is that it's... are you ready? BATMAN!!!!!

Cathy

First of all. I am better. Whatever evil, mutated virus was attacking me seems to have given up most of the ghost. I say most because I am still having some after effects such as nose constantly running, multiple explosive sneezing, and a vague ache in my head and neck. I have been checked out by a doctor and he says that nothing is seriously wrong, just my general lack of anything resembling a healthy lifestyle, which probably led to the attack of the mutant virus in the first damn place.

I have begun to feel a bit better, but am still down with this whatever-it-is. I've been to the VA health clinic and have gotten some anti-biotics which will, I hope, kick this thing in the ass and get me feeling better.

I thought to post this to update anyone who might have been concerned about me. Thanks for caring.

hugs and love,
Cathy

we'd all like to know how we did with our first real action chapter. Please give it a read and let us know?

Thanks everyone.

Cathy, Erin, Maggie and Grover.

As of 11:10 this evening, our little terrier mix has given birth to two seemingly healthy puppies. I wasn't present at the event, but my housemate, who is the owner of the dog, said everything went smoothly. Don't get me wrong, but I find it relatively easy to not be overly excited about this.

Okay. I guess that's enough for now. Flame me if you like. I am not mean to dogs at all. I just like cats better. Such is life.

Catherine Linda Michel

"Hello Jet Track Dryer. My name is Juan Pablo Montoya. You killed my car. Prepare to die!"

Another great one: How many NASCAR drivers does it take to kill a jet track dryer? Only Juan.

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the veal, tip your waitress.

Cathy

One of the original 5 has decided that, due to issues in her real life, she cannot continue as a contributor to the Reckoning storyline. We will miss her, but we intend to continue. I'm sure we all wish her well as she tries to get her life in order, and we thank her for her participation thus far in the story.

We will continue using her character and powers, but her part will become more like that of an NPC in a role playing game. We all want to thank all of you who are sticking with us to see how this experiments turns out, and we thank you for your comments.

I've been noticing that the counts, comments and kudoes have been decreasing as each story segment goes up, and I'm wondering if the story is moving too slowly for a lot of you. I know there's been a lot of exposition and conversation within the story, but I thought it would be a good thing to let the heroes get to find and begin to know one another, and for you, the readers, to get comfortable with them as well.

and Holy Cow, is she talking to me! In starting this new Epic, in combination with several talented writers, my muse has been literally screaming at me to write, Write, WRITE!

The ideas are flowing like never before, being fed with the wonderful input from Ariel, Grover, Erin, Maggie Finson, I can hardly keep pace with my fingers, with what my brain is putting out, word-wise!