When I look at my creation rate on this comic since last Christmas, I almost get depressed. It’s frustrating, when I have so much written and ready to go but these horribly big things keep happening to hold me back.
Most recently, the computer that makes Akashik died. My older brother thoughtfully came to the rescue with the gift of an entirely new computer, so unlike the old days with this comic I wasn’t forced to hold a fundraiser to get back going again. The new computer is noticeably slower, but at least it works.
Through the year since, actually, just before my parents passed away the storm clouds have been gathering. We’ve been trying to weather everything in our own way, but the roof is finally being blown off. Currently the electricity at my house has been shut off for months. The bill had somehow gotten to almost $1000 despite me not even being there. We couldn’t do it. I’ve managed to get it down to around $350, and I’ve been staying here at my mother’s house while we get things back together.
The gas is also shut off, which means no heat. Because there was no heat – and I had no idea it had been shut off because I was in Florida for the winter – a pipe burst. This is just one more problem amongst a pile of much needed repair and maintenance.
The neighbors, on the other hand, take offense to my not being there. We’ve got someone reporting the house isn’t occupied (not strictly true). We’ve got citations for grass, citations for this, that… which of course has made it harder to get things back in order.
Here at my mother’s house, we’ve got some real crappy neighbors. My dog has been poisoned. My cats have disappeared or found dead, thrown in our garbage can. I got called choice names today for being outside trying to find my missing indoor cat (she never goes out) rather than allowing her to “remain at large”. (Seriously, there’s an acre and a half between us. This crazy lady needs to grow up, calm down, pop a pill or something.)
My husband lost his job a couple of weeks ago. He did start a new job today, but he has to pay the $70+ it’s going to take to get his license switched to this state. This is on top of our car payments (and mortgage) being behind, and the crazy insane high electric bill we pay in this tiny house. (Seriously, how can a house that’s about 1/3 the size of OUR house cost 3x more to maintain?!?!) The garbage bills, the fact we can’t buy groceries, our new car apparently has a blown motor while our old car needs repair and sits in the grass…. And now that my cars are all gigantic paperweights, I have to let the two fairs I was supposed to go to know that I may not make it.. which means, yes, I’m having to do the fair equivalent of calling into work. It just goes on and on and on.
There’s no way Akashik has enough readers anymore to help alleviate all of this. But perhaps you guys CAN help me with the electric bill so that I can go home for the winter and take care of things (and maybe write a song or two). Besides, if we get the electric turned back on at the house they can’t say it’s unoccupied as easily anymore, and this might help as far as the Big Brother Bullshit goes. I’m supposed to back and forth between houses per season – kind of like a reverse snowbird thing – but how can I do anything with this gigantic mess? I can’t. I need help.
So please consider helping me fix at least part of my mess. I don’t hold fundraisers at all anymore because of how much I had to do it in the past… and I’m proud. I like being self sufficient. I like that the $10 or so I get from Patreon every month was enough to keep me wanting to make more pages without worrying. I don’t like having to ask. But I am.
I am reinstating the donate button, which will be placed below the Patreon link. Please click it and save a comic’s life. Taput ni. (Thank you.)