OK--there's no easy way to do this, other than to just blurt it out. Betcha was killed in an auto accident last Thursday, Jan. 4th. I could give you details, if I had any, but would it make a difference? Not really. I cannot describe the hurt I feel. I am numb, I am emotionally worn down, and I am incredibly, incredibly sad. There is a slim chance that this is a hoax, but that would require some sick, cruel people to be involved, and I just don't see that happening. We still haven't seen a real confirmation of proof yet, but it seems to be true. There's nothing to prove that it's not, either.

Needless to say, we'll be suspending all HNT activities this week. Maybe not what she would have wanted, but I just can't do it. I have no energy to deal with it. If you came here to say "I'm up", I hope that you might take it down this week and bring it back next week.

For those of you who were close blogger pals with her (and I was fortunate enough to be one), you know that she kept her private life very private. Out of respect for that privacy, I'm not going to give you her name, town or even a link to her site. You'll just have to trust me that I'm not yanking your chain. Her husband knows nothing about her site, and that's the way it should be. No condolences, no flowers, no cards. He doesn't know we exist.

That makes it a little more difficult for some of you, I know. Many of you keep your sites secret from your spouses, and it's going to be difficult to explain to them why you're sad and crying. I'm keeping this post up through the end of the week. Feel free to leave comments here for each other. It may be the only way to console each other.

Those who had the pleasure of chatting/emailing/talking with her know that she was a little bit naughty, always fun-loving, and a woman who loved her husband dearly. She was an avid fan of HNT, MG, and the anon site, participating multiple times in each. She made dozens of friends online, and I think was truly liked by all. For those of you who didn't know her closely, she and her husband just celebrated their first wedding anniversary just before Christmas. Many of you didn't know she was married--you just didn't ask her. He had just changed his job so that he could spend the nights at home instead of away. They were talking about having kids. They had just leveled ground for the new home they were about to build. These were two people whose life together was still in the "new" stage.

The "we" I mention above was her best online friend, No One In Particular, who was originally emailed the news on Monday. Presumably by the person Betcha entrusted with destroying her hard drive in the event of a moment like this (remember those posts?). No One immediately got ahold of me in disbelief, and we both spent the better part of the day looking for proof. Please don't contact either of us for more information, because you're getting as much as either of us know. And frankly, we're both drained. You can read her account on her site. If more becomes available, I'll add it here as an edit.

I struggled with the idea of posting a picture of her face. But dammit, she was an attractive lady. She came close with bits and pieces, but never posted the full picture herself. We decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea. So here she is, the girl we'll never get to see again, with a quote that she left on another site at the end of 2006.

Betchacantguesswho - 1982-2007"Left foot ahead of the right, now the right foot ahead of the left, repeat.
If you're looking back, you're likely to miss something ahead of you."
And that's the way she really was. Always looking ahead. Betcha--I hope you're looking down, smiling on all of us! You were a great friend and a wonderful chat buddy. I'm going to miss you like crazy... Goodbye, my dear friend...