The Shoestring Just Snapped

I had a manicure for you on Monday.

I couldn't post it because both of my computers quit on me Sunday night. My desktop has a fried wireless card, and my laptop is so old that it freezes every time I open Firefox now.

This post is coming to you via a borrowed computer.

I don't know how many of you follow my Twitter, or my personal blog. For the most part I've tried to keep my personal problems off of the internet, but I have to ask for some help.

We are in dire straights. My roommate's hours have been cut so severely that we don't know if we'll be able to make rent. All of the household bills--electric, water, food, etc--have fallen to me, on top of my personal bills. On January 1, I came home and discovered the fuel tank that heats our home was empty--two weeks earlier than expected. The minimum order was $586. I also became ill this month and that required a doctor's visit and some very expensive medication. I'm better now, but not 100%. I am clinging to my last sick day, terrified to use it when I'm just not feeling well, for fear that I will not have it if I actually become ill again.

We have heat for this month, but we don't know about next. We don't qualify for heating assistance, because fuel oil is not run by the Public Utility Commission, but by private companies, none of which have a year-round payment plan. We don't qualify for food assistance, because on a yearly basis we make too much--which doesn't help for the four months of the year when Missouri makes almost nothing at all. I have a steady income, but it barely supports me; it cannot support us both.

We don't have much, but this link will take you to my blog sale. All prices include shipping anywhere in the continental US.

What you see for sale there is basically my entire polish collection. There are some books, too, an ipod, and a nook, as well as a few other items. Most of my yarn stash will be posted this weekend. Please have a look, and if something catches your eye, please email me at KnotMagickKnitter (at) yahoo (dot) com with "Blog Sale" in the subject. Even if you don't purchase anything, please spread the word.

Missouri and I are also published authors. Her bibliography can be found here, and mine is here.

I'm calling most of my student loan companies today to try and get a one or two month deferment.
If they aren't willing to work with me, then our next step is canceling the internet, which means that I won't have a connection at home or at work, and I do not have a smart phone.

I don't know what the fate of this blog is. If the polishes don't sell, then we lose our internet. If they do, then I'll be down to half a dozen of my favorite colors, none of which are particularly well suited to nail art.

Please, anything you can do would be a help.