If it ain't one thing, it's a dozen...

[Iggy]

I know I tend to come and go a bit, but I was really active up until a week ago.

Several things happened:

The car I get around in was hit(while parked), and totaled. That evening, my freakin' desktop died. My laptop doesn't work worth a shit, so I'm limited to FB on my iPad.

Using my wife's laptop for a moment, but I really dislike this thing. Hopefully, my desktop will be back working sometime next week.

[WiFiDi]

that sucks good luck.

[Iggy]

It's been a crazy year. My grandmother(the one that raised me) died back in April... she was 92. Because of the reverse mortgage on the house, we had to move out. At least we had somewhere to go(long story there, too)... so there was the long drawn out move, and the car gets totaled the day before the bank takes possession of the other house. Anyhow, we ended up getting all the important stuff out, even if we had to leave some stuff behind.

Change is inevitable.

[AirTrek]

At least you weren't in the car when that happened. Hope you and your wife stay healthy.

[Deadly Furby]

After reading your post I simply had to try and express myself. I still come to visit here but haven't posted anything in a long time. Tonight, I'm changing that:

Wow Iggy. Sounds like you guys have really had it bad.
I know that it doesn't do any good for me to say I'm sorry for you and yours but, I'm going to say it anyway.

I really wish the best for you and yours soon. Life isn't fair and it doesn't care what it deals you. So, take your cards shuffle them around and get on with doing what's best for you and those you care about.

Best wishes

[Iggy]

I've been in worse situations, and come out of it. I bounce back like a rubber ball. Some say I resemble one, too.

My wife is awesome, plain and simple. She has been supporting the household financially for a year now. I'm no longer able to work, and am going through the process with Disability, and her 20 year old son is straight lazy. I did the bulk of the move myself, and had to make the boxes very light because of my back and joints. That's why it took months to do. For the heavy stuff, we had friends help out.

I had known my grandmother wasn't going to live forever, and mentally prepared for her "departure". I took as good care of her as I could. She was still mentally in good shape, and that was better on all of us. Her passing was sudden, but not completely unexpected. She was 92, after all.

I'm fortunate, as we had time to plan for it all. The reverse mortgage was a blessing in disguise, really. The house still needed a lot of work, and we sure couldn't afford 2 mortgages on 1 paycheck. We were able to "walk away", and be free of the burden.

The house my wife owns, needs some remodeling, but we can take our time on that. It's a lot cheaper to maintain than the other one. The major problem was getting the tenants we had out. They ran up the electric bill(to $1600), and didn't pay rent but once. We didn't have the money to take legal action, so we had to wait for them to gtfo. They did, and at least left the house in livable condition. It was another financial hit we didn't need, but we're working through it.

Losing the car actually helps us. We've decided not to replace it, so insurance will be cheaper. I'll just be without wheels while my wife is at work. The money we got from the settlement will help us out of the hole we're in. We looked at the whole picture, and decided on the best course of action for us as a family. Had it not been totaled, we'd have never gotten that much out of it.

The parts to fix my computer are in, and my guy should have it running either today or tomorrow. If it had to choose a time to take a shit(it's 8 years old, after all), it picked the right time. We could actually afford to fix it.

Despite the problems, hassles, etc... we're maintaining a positive attitude about it all.

[homie in reboks']

Sorry to hear about the hard times, but glad to hear you're bouncing back! Hopefully the holidays will bring good things your way.

[GeoKill----->]

Hey iggy!

Sorry for your lost, I know that feeling.

Happy you are still on your feet regardless on everything else going on.

Keep at it and things will fall into place.

[Iggy]

Yay! I get my computer back today! =D

2 weeks without my desktop.... enough is enough!

On the other hand, I've had time to get my "retro tech center"(computer room) mostly sorted out. I still have a boatload of boxes to go through throughout the house, but things are shaping up very nicely. Come spring, I'll be painting several rooms.

I have 14 old computers to test out, all Commodore's. I told my wife I would recycle what couldn't be fixed, fix what could, and I'm keeping no more than 2 of each model(1 to use, 1 for a spare). Extras will be sold off to make room. I also want to get my poker machine fully working again. That won't be easy, or fun... as there are 2 other arcade games in the dining room, and there's no room to work. Plus, those cabinets were made to make internal access difficult(poker machines were large money makers BitD) to prevent theft.

Yeah, yeah..... first world problems.

[AirTrek]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Yeah, yeah..... first world problems.

rofl

[traxamillion]

While your at it Iggy ditch FB. Happy Holidays

[Iggy]

I can't ditch FB.... it's pretty much the only way I can promote my writings. Since I don't have a marketing machine like that cunt that stole my name, I have to do it all myself, and social media is about the only way I can afford to get word out. I'm only on a few websites(here, D2F, AtariAge, and KLOV), so my exposure is very limited. With FB, I can reach hundreds of people I know, and they can share my stuff to others, increasing my outreach to several thousand people.

The market for writers is very competitive, and nothing like the music industry. They won't take a chance on a "no name", and try to make them known.... you have to prove yourself a few times, THEN you might get the marketing machine to work with you.

Sucks, but it's the reality of the situation.

Writing is about the only work I can do anymore, because I'm not on a clock. I can take rest breaks when I need to, and with the condition of my back, neck and joints, I'm really limited.

I did have 2 short stories published this year, as part of a compilation. I haven't made shit off of them, but at least they are out there.

[Iggy]

A few bumps in the road, and a couple days later than I expected, but I've got my computer back!

Still have to reset a few things, re-install a few more, and do some reconfiguring..... but shit happens. At least I'm back with a keyboard I can type fast on again!