I am deeply ashamed to admit it, dear friends, but admit it I must: I dropped the ball on Blogathon this year. I had planned, of course, to be right there, just as I have been for the past two years, a supply of Red Bull and chocolate-covered espresso beans at the ready, giddy at the start of it all, a bit worn out by hour 7, nearly delirious by hour 17, exhausted yet ecstatic at the close of it all, all for the charity of my choice. This year, though, I blew it. I had thought that I had a schedule conflict that would keep me from participating in Blogathon; by the time I discovered that I’d got the date wrong on the schedule conflict, I didn’t think I would be able to get the following Monday off from the box factory (because recovering from Blogathon requires at least 36 hours); by the time I learned that getting the day off would not be outside the realm of possibility, it was too late: too late to set up a Blogathon account, too late to select a charity, too late to begin fundraising, too late for all of it. It’s probably just as well to give it a rest this year, as I do have that pesky LSAT on the horizon, and I’m probably not doing myself any favors by staying up all night. Nevertheless, I’ve found myself enjoying all the madness, the making of new friends, the plugging along for a good cause, knowing that Bunni was plugging along with me, hour by hour, and I feel just plain terrible that I will not be a part of it this year.
Fortunately, Bunni is made of both more-scrupulous and better-organized stuff than I am, and she will be appearing at Blogathon this year, on behalf of the Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society. Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer of the sympathetic nervous system that generally develops in infants and young children. It is the cancer with which Bunni was diagnosed, the one that paralyzed her from the shoulders down as an infant and left her with mobility issues that dog her to this day—although, as she mentions in her superb call-to-action post, she has achieved a level of mobility that many neuroblastoma survivors do not. (As one who has seen her dance, as well as received her phone call when a freak Metrocard accident necessitated that she walk home over a distance of 75 city blocks, I can vouch for her extremely impressive mobility.)
So while I won’t be fighting the good fight directly this year, I will be there for my dear, dear friend as she fights it. But I won’t just be there because I adore Bunni (although I do), or because she is blogging for a good cause (although she is); I will also be there because Bunni knows how to have a good time at Blogathon, and this year will be no different. For the past two years, she has hosted a Blogathon horror movie trivia contest, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Bunni’s horror movie trivia contests are about as much fun you can have while sitting still. Outrageous scenaria are described, execrable dialogue is quoted, candy is eaten, a good time is had by all—even by Bunni, who actually has to watch this stuff. Believe you me, it’s a good time.
Say, Jen, I can hear you say now, that does sound like fun. How can I be a part of it? Why, I’m glad you asked. 
1. Give our girl a pledge. Bunni has set a fundraising goal of $1,000. As of tonight (Tuesday, July 24), she is $230.00 short of her goal. Following the link—that would be this link—will take you to Bunni’s Blogathon page, once you set up a Blogathon account. (Yes, you do have to create a Blogathon account, but as one who has set up an account every year, I promise that it is free, quick and painless. Should you have any trouble setting up your account and/or making your pledge, the Blogathon elves will be happy to help you with troubleshooting.
2. Tell your friends. I know I have. (Thanks, everyone.)
3. Come visit Bunniblog between 9 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, July 28 and 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 29. Play the trivia game. Maybe watch a horror movie or seven if you want to really get into the swing of things. Most of all, cheer our girl on. Tell her what a brilliant job she’s doing. Remind her, particularly during the wee small hours of the morning, that she’s done this before and she can do it again, no matter how tired she feels. (Australian and New Zealander friends, your bright, sunny faces will be particularly welcome during those hours!) If you know someone else who is participating in Blogathon, send them a little love, too.
4. Repeat after me: Go, Bunni, go. Go, Bunni, go.
See you on Saturday night, dear friends. You know where to find me.