Ferocious cold, a a long hard costly winter ahead. Sales needed; subscribers and shares, too.

Photo copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved.

Yesterday morning. It only got up to 25 yesterday, but the sun shone all day long, which means that all the snow is off the trees. It managed to melt some of it off the ground, too, although all that means is that it's less deep. More snow on tap, they say, for tomorrow and Tuesday, but for now we get the sub-zero deep freeze that invariably follows a snowstorm here. It's a ferocious cold, and a dangerous one, too.

I'm spending most of my time indoors. Any exertion at all in the cold, and my chest rebels, and that's scary as hell, too. What's also scary is what's waiting for me next week, trying to restart this process again: frightening in terms of what might be involved, in terms of what they might find, and unquestionably in terms of how much this is all going to cost. And to be very clear, because I choose my words with precision, but others don't: This is only an appointment. I've been trying to schedule it for three months, and the referral for the testing, too, and could get not so much as a call back. Wings finally called (we both have the same doc at the same practice), and lo and behold, the receptionist set up an appointment on the spot. No, not at all; why would I be angry? [I'm fucking furious.]

And so we also have a new avalanche of medical expenses waiting for us on the other side of the new year, beginning next Thursday, and that's on top of the five figures' worth remaining from the year just past. I posted Wings's newest works the other day, a return to an older series; this grouping consists of six pieces, all collected here. For purposes of sharing, here are all the regular links:

• My new Patreon, The Interstices (Writing Between Worlds) (and if you subscribe today you won't be billed until January 1st for December);
• Wings's site, for sales, with new items posted;
• Wings's direct PayPal link;
• A way to buy me coffee (which actually goes to all of our medical bills, which continue to mount);
• Amazon wishlist, which mostly consists of animal and household stuff;
• Partial registry #1, from Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are new kitchen-y things on it now, stuff that I didn't realize we'd need to replace (either because the RV ruined it or because we gave it away when we had to downsize).

As I've said, our path goes through the snow and the dangerous cold, and we have to make it through a long hard winter now.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2018; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.