An Anouncement

Not gonna lie, I'm pretty fuckin' tired. Work has been picking up steadily, and it's only going to get heavier as the year goes on. I don't have much mental bandwidth at the moment, but I have to write this today, of all days.

June the 16th is not an important day to most people, in fact, I don't see a reason why it should be. I have no doubt it's someone's birthday, but that's not what I mean. You probably won't have crowds of people singing the praises of a random day just past the middle of June.

But today, exactly one year ago, I started my Patreon and Subscribestar. And let me tell you. I was not hopeful.

I sat at my wit's end, under stifling medical debt, running the math on my income and expenses. And the numbers simply did not climb out of the negatives. I had already cut any and all spending I could, yes, this included food. And I was looking at the budget for my dog's food, the very last thing that I had yet to tighten the belt on.

Yeah, I've had a better life than a lot of people out there, I won't sit here and bemoan my woes. Suffice it to say, I'm no stranger to hardship. But math doesn't care one bit about how you feel, and my numbers simply didn't add up.

It was then, as I searched frantically for any job that would work around my job's often crazy and unpredictable schedule, that I figured I'd try asking for some pocket change, with a meager offering of the writing I did as a hobby, and the occasional picture of my miniature collection, which I am admittedly rather proud of.

I am not a hopeful person. I made that post while looking for a job, thinking that there was no way in any hell anyone would pay a random dumbass on the internet for something they could get elsewhere for free. But, suffice to say, you did.

It's thanks to you lot that I was able to pay off the medical bills that were so smothering me, then the next set that came a few months later. It's thanks to you lot that I was able to feed my dog better food, rather than promise myself that once the belt didn't have to be so tight, I could give her something more nutritious.

It's thanks to you that surprise taxes weren't the death of me.

And frankly, if not for you lot, you beautiful people who deign to toss money at some random asshat on the internet, then I would not have been able to take my dog to the vet.

So, I'll ask you to forgive my ramblings, as all of that word vomit was there so I could attempt to provide my coming words with some amount of gravitas, as I honestly cannot thank of any better way to convey my thoughts and feelings.

For this past year, a year in which I was able to navigate another number of hardships, with far more comfort than I had any right to, and even the occasional indulgence. And now, as I sit here, with things under control, no longer drowning, not struggling to keep afloat. The only words I can find are these.

Thank you.

It's kinda wild to think it's been a whole-ass year. And even more wild to think I've managed to not break my writing streak of one chapter a week for that entire time. Not that it wasn't difficult, that chapter I wrote while essentially high on a fever comes to mind. But it's thanks to you guys that, for the first time in decades, I can honestly say I enjoy one of my jobs.

It's quite the heady feeling.

Now. Word of warning, a storm of shit is coming down the pipeline at work. And I honestly do not think I'll be able to write with any kind of consistency. Not to mention, that year-long streak was honestly kind of exhausting. SO!

I will be taking the month of July off. With posting resuming the regular schedule on August. You lot will not be charged for the month I'm taking off. I'm not under the habit of taking money if I'm not going to do the work.

This weekend will be the next chapter of Saving Yourself, the week after that, Kaiju Slaying. And then you lot won't be charged for the month I need to take off, both to rest a little bit, and to have that little bit less on my plate since I'm likely going to be working a hell of a lot of overtime.

One last time, especially to the few of you who have been here from the beginning; without whose steady support, this current state of non-panicked affairs would have been impossible. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

That's all I've got for today, please, stay safe out there.