The problem, basically, comes down to health and home repairs. I’m still trying to rid my credit cards of debts incurred twelve years ago when I was disabled by staph. And after that…well, I live in an old house that needs constant repair, and I literally don’t have the money to fix it. This is what I’ve been hit with this year:
- A termite infestation.
- A leaking oil tank. This ended up costing me a fortune in repair calls, replacement, and installation, and the repairmen had a devil of a time getting it down the cellar stairs. I gather that the original tank was placed first and the house was built around it. And I have been saddled with a five-year installment loan because that was literally the only way that the oil company would sell me a new tank. I currently owe 3,782.16. I don’t know how I’m going to pay it off.
- Mouse infestation. This led to yet another contract and more debt–as the exterminator wouldn’t come if I didn’t agree to it. And mice and rats terrify me. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat.
Last year I had water coming in through the kitchen ceiling. That required the entire upstairs bathroom to be renovated and repaired. Water still leaks into the boards in the front hall when it rains. And I have two dying trees in my yard that would take out my house or my neighbors’ houses if they ever fell.
This has also been a year for equipment wearing out. My computer wore out and needed to be replaced. After that, my phone died. I’m disabled, and the winter tends to exacerbate my health problems. If I need to call 911, I have to have a functioning phone.
The odds are that my refrigerator will be the next expensive piece of equipment to die. I can’t afford to replace it. I also can’t live without it.
And now it’s getting close to December, which means two things–oil bills (which have to be charged to an already burdened card) and taxes on the house in January. $4,000 worth of taxes. And another $4,000 next July.
I DON’T HAVE THE MONEY. I’ve got about $350.00 in my checking account right now, and another $2200 or so in my Money Market (which is my account for taxes). And with the current tax bill in Congress, I may not have even Social Security or Medicare much longer. I don’t know what I’m going to live on in 2018–or how I’m going to survive without medical care.
I haven’t worked this year, so I don’t have any income beyond Social Security.
And I’m strapped. Worse, I’ve got about $27,000 in debt to pay off. That’s on top of the $8,000 I need for taxes.
A friend of mine who goes by the screen name of ZeldaQueen suggested that I offer to write, to edit, and to review in exchange for donations. I think I could do that. So this is what I’m offering in exchange:
When I reach $8,000, I’ll have enough set aside for taxes–at least for next year, though I desperately need some kind of steady income so that I can pay bills for the foreseeable future–and I’ll post at my Dreamwidth journal a snarky in-depth summary and analysis of “The Castle of Otranto,” which is the first Gothic novel. It is over the top, melodramatic, and gloriously absurd.
If I reach $10,000, I’ll post at my Dreamwidth a snarky in-depth summary and analysis of a play that I genuinely love, “Macbeth.” The analysis will include facts, details and trivia not usually covered. (For example, did you know that Lady Macbeth was based on a real woman? One with a backstory that will make you see Lady Macbeth and her husband through new eyes?)
If I get enough to pay the taxes AND pay off all the credit card debt (because why not shoot for the moon at this point, am I right?), I will do something that I swore I would never do. I’ll review The Brick. That’s right. Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables.” I’ve read the unabridged version (which this will NOT be) and…let’s just say that I think the musical is far better. So if you want to see me being miserable over Les Miz, that’s the goal to aim for.
As you can see, I’m trying to offer something for everyone: thorough analysis for the bibliophiles, help and research for students, and appreciative humor aimed at three stories that I genuinely like. (I’m not fond of The Brick, but I do enjoy the stories of Jean Valjean and of Les Amis.)
If you can’t donate, please at least spread the word and forward the fundraiser around Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. The more people who hear about this, the better the chance that I’ll still have a place to live this winter.
Thank you very much. I hope to God this helps.
P.S. If you can’t donate, please at least spread the word and forward the fundraiser around Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. The more people who hear about this, the better the chance that I’ll still have a place to live this winter.
P.P.S. Depending on the success of the fundraiser and reception the proffered reviews get, I’m considering starting a Patreon project.
Here’s the tentative list of what I’m offering:
Essays on writing. What to do. What not to do. Common problems. Qualities that I wish I saw more in published fiction and/or manuscripts.
Proofreading. Line editing. Substantive editing.
A new review series on Dreamwidth and Tumblr. I’m thinking of calling it Gehayi’s Required Reading List.
And again–please reblog. I need all the help that I can get.
Thank you.
And thank you again.
Omphaloskeptomai 