Fundraiser Wrap-up

The read-a-thon fundraiser was very successful! We raised $231 through the crowdrise website (which includes some cash donations made directly to me, which I pledged through the website because I’m lazy and it made my life easier), plus a $12 check which I just mailed off this afternoon. So from our $250 goal, we raised $243! I’m very happy about it.

I hope it helps the Capital Area Literacy Coalition in serving their mission.

And now I am off to support my kids’ school by spending way too much money at their book fair.

Yay, books!

 

Read-a-thon 3.0, Final

So, another read-a-thon has drawn to a close. I really liked doing updates every two hours instead of every hour, it felt like a better posting to reading ratio. Next time I need to buy fewer snacks. (Maybe.) I think Jefferson and I both liked having more graphic novels in the mix this time. (I cannot ask Jefferson his opinion on this, as he went to bed about a half hour ago.)

I’m pretty happy with our fundraising. We’re only at 72% right now ($181.00), but there were a couple of people who said they were going to donate, or who I expect would donate that haven’t yet, so I’m still hoping we break $200 before the weekend is over.

So, I finished On Immunity. Just barely. I was fading in those last 20 pages and considered going to bed and finishing it tomorrow, but got a third? fourth? fifth? wind. Somehow, after that, I managed to tackle Rachel Rising, vol. 6. Mostly it seemed a shame to not get to the two books I said that I was most excited about reading.

Rachel Rising, Volume 6: Secrets Kept

Jefferson barely finished Mossflower, but he did! I had to wake him up once, and insist he decide on sticking it out or going up to bed if he wanted to sleep. I didn’t think he’d make it, but he did. He did the math in his head and pronounced that he’d bested his pages read last year, but I don’t think that he actually did. But he read more books? So hopefully he feels good about that in the morning.

Final stats!
Books read: Jen – 6, Jefferson – 7
Pages read: Jen – 935, Jefferson 1153

Last year:
Books read: Jen – 4, Jefferson – 6
Pages read: Jen – 683, Jefferson – 1156

Which means I ended up donating $26.00, as I’d pledged $2 per book. Though maybe that will go up, we’ll see if any more donations settle out.

It’s not too late! Support our fundraiser by making a donation to Capital Area Literacy Coalition!

Thanks to everyone who supported us! Whether it was by making a donation, dropping off whipped cream (yum!), tolerating our anti-social behavior, sharing our fundraising page, liking our posts, or anything else that I’m not thinking of because I am so very, very tired.

Read-a-thon, Hour 16

We are pushing through the eleven o’clock hour! So there will definitely be at least one more update, even if it doesn’t make it all the way ’til 1:00 a.m. We’ll see. Jefferson is fading a bit, but still reading. I’m still in the sweet spot of my last dirty chai “latte,” but that crash has to happen sooner or later.

I’m still working through On Immunity, which is about more than I expected and every bit as lovely as the hype.

Jefferson devoured Princeless, vol. 3, though chafed at the presence of all the ads. (Seriously? Since when have ads been included in TPBs?) Then he went back to Mossflower again. I wonder how many times he had read all those Redwall books. I’d wager it’s at least six times per book. Given we bought most of them used, that’s a pretty solid investment.

Princeless, Vol. 3: The Pirate Princess

Jefferson says his goal for this read-a-thon is to surpass his page count for our last full read-a-thon. Which means he has about 100 pages to go.

Books read: Jen – 4, Jefferson – 6
Pages read: Jen – 741, Jefferson – 1083

Please support our read-a-thon and make a donation to Capital Area Literacy Coalition!

Read-a-thon, Hour 14

This period I read all of Rat Queens, vol. 3, then started On Immunity, both of which are/were very enjoyable.

Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons On Immunity: An Inoculation

Jefferson finished Princeless and read a bit more in Mossflower. Then spent a lot of time playing Agar.io on the computer with Solomon again. I think he’ll refocus for a while when Solomon’s bedtime happens. (Any second now.)

We had a short break for birthday cake for Josh’s birthday.

I have so many snacks, still. Bags and bags of unopened snacks.

Speaking of snacks, the fruit bowls were a little disturbing. They had great big slices of grapefruit in them, and no amount of whipped cream was enough to make it seem like grapefruit belonged in a fruit bowl. The grapefruit also had giant seeds in them, which were a little hazardous. I will probably not be buying these fruit bowls again. Oh, well.

Jefferson really liked the yogurt covered raisins, however. It’s the only snack food we have eaten all of.

Our tallies so far:
Books read: Jen – 4, Jefferson – 5
Pages read: Jen – 667, Jefferson – 842

Support our read-a-thon and make a donation to Capital Area Literacy Coalition!
We are now at 42% of our goal!

Read-a-thon, Hour 10

Naptime?

Neither Jefferson nor I started a new book this period. I only read 42 pages. 42. In two hours. I have no real explanation for what impeded my progress so much. It’s ridiculous. There is a little bit of grinding down. I start to feel the effects of having gotten up too early. I am apparently not drinking enough dirty chai and Diet Coke to counter-act this effect.

Jefferson’s stats are keeping up, however.

Our tallies so far:
Books read: Jen – 2, Jefferson – 4
Pages read: Jen – 431, Jefferson – 705

Support our read-a-thon and donate to Capital Area Literacy Coalition!

Read-a-thon, Hour 8

Jefferson took lots of break this period, to “let me catch up,” he bragged. Well, for once I made more progress than he did, so mission accomplished! Also, Solomon & Andrew have finally departed for their afternoon adventure. Perhaps there will be less distraction for a bit? At least until Josh’s birthday guests arrive?

I finished She-Hulk, and started in on The Murders in the Rue Morgue. The influence this must have had on Sherlock Holmes! I’d never heard of these Poe stories, and found this collection quite randomly at the bookstore.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales

Jefferson finished off Mattimeo, which he’d all but finished before today. (And even that was a re-read, being one of his much read Redwall series.) He then started in on Mossflower.

Mattimeo (Redwall, #3) Mossflower (Redwall, #2)

(He went from book 3 in the series to book 2. See what I mean about being less systematic? It baffles me, sometimes.)

I am still not ever going to catch up, of course.

Our tallies so far:
Books read: Jen – 2, Jefferson – 4
Pages read: Jen – 389, Jefferson – 575

Support our read-a-thon and make a donation to Capital Area Literacy Coalition!