This week is fired. Unless our lottery ticket won something last night. I’m not holding my breath. Pardon the mini-rant/whine.

First, Jake pupdate. We’re still waiting on the cancer test outcome. After texting and phone calls on Monday and Tuesday, the vet suggested we bring him home Tuesday afternnoon for several reasons. Shew asn’t having any luck getting him to eat and every time he’d get out of his kennel, he’d go to the room where we normall got to wait when we have an appointment. He was looking for us. We brought him home, got him settled. He was weak and often needed help walking when he’d go out. He’d drink but he wouldn’t eat. We got a chub of Fresh Pet and he ate a few bites of it. He’s taking LOTS of pills. We’ve solved this by putting them down his throat and then squirting whipped cream into his mouth. I’ve started doing that with bites of the food, minus the whip cream. This afternoon, he finally ate a few bites without me “force feeding him.” He’s also able to got out, do his stuff and come back inside without having to lay down to rest in between. This is all good.

Now for the mini-rant. LG is on VA disability. I’m on Social Security. It’s enough to pay our bills and put groceries on the table but there’s not much left for emergencies. Once upon a time, I made enough royalties from my books to get a little cushion in the bank and give us a bit of play money for some fun once in awhile. Then I got sick and ended up in the hospital for almost a month. Getting back into normal life and writing routine has been a bee-yooch. That’s on me. But that steady $1K a month is now more like $25.00 a month. People who think writers are rich and make boucoups amounts of money and Hollywood is panting to buy our books to turn into movies or TV shows don’t have a clue. Anyway. In real life, credit cards get maxed out whenever there is an emergency and we’ve had them: AC/Heat repair; LG’s truck catching fire and having to finance the replacement because insurance didn’t come close to covering the purchase price (and we got a bargain but whatever…); having to replace my desktop computer; new tires. The list goes on. We finally semi-got things back under control. CC debt was cut in half, one almost paid off and then…Jake. I’m not complaining. Jake is mine. I will fight to keep him healthy and with me until there are no options. His cancer surgery was $900. And now this episode, which is $1300 and counting. We were able to finance this latest because I pay off the financing on my computer this monthy. Like I said, Jake is family. We’ll do whatever it takes. But I’m really getting tired of fighting to make ends meet and keep things together..

See, we went to pick up Jake Tuesday afternoon. We did the financing. On the way home. my Highlander started doing a weird thing. I thought maybe LG had put it in 4WD low or something. The “OH SH!T!!! STOP RIGHT NOW!!!” light and message started flashing with all the bells and whistles. Low Oil Pressure. Stop Immediately. Call Dealership. We drove the 3 blocks to our house. We got Jake out and settled then LG drove the vehicle 3 blocks back to a local mechanics shop–that had just done an oil change on Drover back in June. We’d blown an oil line. Yes, they could fix it. We picked it up yesterday afternoon. It was almost $500, but they replaced a plastic seal with a metal one. Drover (yes I name my vehicles) is 18 years old and has 72K miles. This is the first really major mechanical problem so I can’t really complain about the breakdown. It’s just the timing of it.

Yes. While LG was out this afternoon, I sat down and cried. To make money writing books, you have to actually write books. And that’s been a struggle. LG keeps looking at various jobs but his health is such that he really can’t. Getting old sucks. But we aren’t homeless. The house is paid off. Drover is paid off. Jake will hopefully recover. That damn caner test is still hanging out there. But he’s here with me for now. I’m just tired. And I needed to vent so y’all got my thoughts today. I’m trying not to shake my fist at the Universe and yell…well…bad words.

My final whine. If everyone who subscribes to this blog or follows me on social media bought just ONE of my books (any of them over $1.99 that is), in two months, I’d be able to partiall catch up. I’ve sold 16 books so far this month. My estimated royalties are $28.45. That buys one week of dog food.

Okay. Whine over. It is what it is. Life goes on. We do what we can. Damn the torpedoes. All the platitudes. I have coffee. Jake is laying on his bed in my office. Life is okay.