It's suffocating in here, in more ways than one. Shares badly needed.

Photo copyright Aji, 2017;
all rights reserved.

It's hard to tell, but that's two walls and the ceiling of the downstairs bath, newly-plastered. Miguel has other commitments all week, but Sherm is coming back tomorrow, along with Tony and Reynaldo, to try to make some more progress. Meanwhile, the truck no longer shimmies (tie-rods replaced), but it still bounces, because the tires are shot. That has to wait; they're enormous things, with a price tag to match. We still have vehicle insurance to pay, along with all the construction costs.

And we're obviously not going to make our late-July deadline for moving in. I spent yesterday mourning it, and today dealing with it. But we've got to move forward, and that means raising a lot more in the ways of funds to cover it all. I'm disheartened and depressed and dejected, and none of that matters, because we have no choice but to get out of this tin can. Right now? It's ninety, and that's still more than ten degrees cooler than it is inside. And I've spent most of the week cooped up in it to avoid the worst of the wildfire smoke, but we have to have the windows and doors open, so it's a minimal improvement, and the trade-off is the monstrous heat. I'm suffocating, figuratively and literally; I haven't breathed normally for a week.

We need shares. I can't emphasize it enough. We've got enough to pay the crew this week (probably not enough, however, to cover insurance, but there's a nearly-two-week window on that, at least), and then we're back to laying them ALL off again, instead of just the regular crew. Believe me when I say you're not one one-thousandth as tired of seeing it as I am of saying it, but we've got to boost shares. Our health literally depends on getting out of this thing, and I can't rest until I've made it happen. $2,500 mini-goal ($70 down), and here's the cut-and-paste:

I'm going back to setting mini-goals. We have SO much ahead of us that needs to be crammed into a very short time frame for completion, and it's going to be so hideously expensive, that I'm going to shoot for specific amounts rather than the ad hoc way I've been approaching it lately. We'll have $4K to shell out on July 1st for the exterior plaster, and between now and then, the upstairs balcony needs to be done, and we have to get the stucco. I'm estimating (and this is conservative) $2,500. That's the current mini-goal. So please, please, PLEASE share all the links below, because I really need to push us through this last ungodly phase. We both need it, for our health above all else. Here are the links:

• First, to donate, the PayPal link is here. 

• Second, for sales (which we really need to make, and I'll be highlighting some of his high-end stuff on the site this week), the link to Wings's site (preferably with a testimonial, if you have some of his work), because sales are gonna keep this thing rolling. 

• And finally, the link to our wishlist (which badly needs updating), with an emphasis on the Lowe's gift cards, because those are what will help us pay for all the stuff that will make this place liveable, like a water heater and flooring and so forth. [Shout-out also to the generous person (tm, maybe?) who bought the molasses, which is how we medicate the horses, and to the three folks who sent Lowe's gift cards.] A note here: To tile the downstairs, we'll need to go to Home Depot, which doesn't sell gift cards through Amazon; they can be purchased through the company's Web site here.

Many thanks and much love to everyone. I have to get back to work now.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.