CHECKING IN

 In case you haven't noticed, April has been a shitty month for me. It all started when I needed to get another toe amputated. That put me on short term disability (which hasn't been approved yet, dammit), so I haven't been working. I can't write, either. Hey, try sitting down to write with your foot elevated above the heart. It's uncomfortable, and any writing I did that way sucked.

The stitches were removed yesterday, and many of my restrictions have been lifted. I can drive again. The foot doesn't need to be elevated, but I need to still stay off it and wear a special shoe. So I could sit down to write today. I got a lot of work done. I made a couple of corrections for a Kindle only book I hope to have out soon. A while back I realized I have more editing to work on for my splatter SF book, and I finished those edits today. I'm pretty sure I'm done with the book. And remember when I threatened to give Benedict Arnold the same treatment I gave Aaron Burr? I finally finished that, too.

Also, it was nice to lose myself in writing so I didn't have to think about what happened a few days ago. My grandmother died. She was the last person on this planet responsible for my existence. My grandparents and parents are all gone. Her last days (hell, months) were sheer misery for her, so I'm glad her pain is over, but I'm going to miss her a lot. The funeral is on Wednesday, and then I'm going to have to deal with yet another horror.

Due to a reverse mortgage that my grandparents got way back when, the bank now owns the house I live in. I don't know how much time I have left here, but the very real possibility of homelessness is upon me. I'm pretty sure I know someone who wouldn't mind giving me a place to stay, but I don't want to be a burden. I want to be self-sufficient, and while the job I have now is good, it's not enough. I'm going to be brainstorming on ways to make considerably more money so I can afford my own place.

There is the matter of my stuff. I have a lot of stuff, and I'm making my peace with the idea that I'm going to lose a lot of it. The one thing I can't live without is my books, comics, movies and music. There are some other things that I can't part with, either. So I'm going to figure out a way to sell a lot of stuff. Also, I'm thinking about another GoFundMe and possibly a Patreon and maybe even returning to working as an editor for others.

To this end, I'm also making next week a Week of Shameless Self Promotion. If ever you wanted to support me and my work, now is the time. That will all start on Monday and run through Friday.

And hey, if anyone knows of any well paying full time writing gigs in the Chicagoland area, up to and including corporate gigs, let me know.

Thank you, everyone, for lending me your ear over the years. I hope I can find a place with enough room for my books. I'm hoping you can help me out.