The only extra thing.

Photo copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved.

New mask. His N95 mask lost a component the other day, so he's been making do with others. I finished that one yesterday. Four layers: 100% premium cotton outer layer; antimicrobial cotton canvas and flannel liner and inner panel; premium cotton pocket; plus pipe-cleaner top wire, velcro closures on the pocket sides, and a carbon filter inserted into the pocket. All machine washable/dryable. A Nish artist designed the fabric.

And it's about the only extra thing I got done yesterday. Yeah, I know; "extra" in both senses of the word.

I spent the whole day yesterday thinking it was Saturday, and as I said then, my to-do list seems to get longer by the second. I'm increasingly frustrated by my inability to catch up even a little, and by the technological and sociopolitical issues currently besetting me. I desperately need those sim cards (and Wings just as desperately needs the KT tape), but Bezos won't do the right thing, so I can't even order them (and I'm trying to limit my forays into the outside world here, and the local expense). For that matter, I desperately need a functional laptop a functional camera both, but all I can do right now is pamper these two, and pray. As I said before, I'm at the end of my rope on it, and I cannot be without a computer (or a camera). It's our whole livelihood, wrapped up in this little metal envelope-type thing (and the digital camera).

And I still have to chase sales. I've set $3,300 as a sales goal for this week. [No, I haven't sold jack, why do you ask? ]We paid off 2019's taxes five nights ago. Meeting the goal will cover that balance for 2019 and the first two quarters of 2020. If I can just sell one or two of Wings's big pieces, we've got it handled until October's payment comes due. None of that allows, of course, for all the costs coming shortly, and they are legion. 

We basically shot our whole monthly donation budget on the first day of the month, and then some, but it was for an Indigenous recipient dealing with a real emergency. Also, one of the washer/dryer hoses began leaking suddenly four nights ago, and while it sounds simple, it's not; it's one of those things that will require a plumber to fix. We do laundry nearly every day, just because of the nature of the daily work here, but also now because any exposure to the outside world requires it. No date on when he can get out here yet, but the upshot is that we need to have take care of all of the existing problems from the old plumbers' negligence while he's here to avoid repeated exposures down the road, so it's going to be a big bill. Well into three figures, at least. We need sales badly now, so please share the links, and if you've been thinking about buying something for a while? Now would be the time. Because there's more. Of course.

Three weeks ago I featured, on Wings's site, some of his most valuable (and highest-priced) works (concha belts, necklace, earrings, etc.). If we could sell them all, we could sock 90% of it into savings and be assured of making it through the rest of the year and into the next, barring disaster. I don't actually have any real hope of doing that, but if you're one of the folks who's been looking at these works and thinking that someday you might want to invest the money in one or more? Now would be the time; it would help ensure our survival through this pandemic and likely to the first of next year, and help us to be able to help other folks in our community here who are going to need it badly. So please, this week especially, share all of our links, because while we're all in isolation? Income is already at virtually nothing, and we can survive the isolation, but not the inability to feed the maw of all the bills. The links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

Note: For now, please don't buy anything off the Amazon wishlist; to do so would be crossing a picket line, and some of their workers have struck this morning to fight for safer working conditions because their lives are being put at even greater risk during this pandemic. If you find one of the items elsewhere, wonderful (there's even a wishlist function where you can note that it's been purchased somewhere else).

Other than that, please share everything. Thanks.

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2020; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.