Thursday, April 3, 2008

FROM ONE WRITER TO ANOTHER--PLEASE HELP ME!



SEE THIS LITTLE 13 POUND BALL OF FLUFF & LOVE?

WELL...HE NEEDED SURGERY TODAY TO REPAIR A LARGE TEAR IN HIS HINDQUARTERS.

THE BILL CAME TO $236.92--WHICH WIPED ME OUT FOR THE MONTH; LEAVING ME WITH NOTHING AT ALL TO GET BASIC ESSENTIALS LIKE TOILET PAPER, TOOTH PASTE, MOUTHWASH, KITCHEN SCRUBBIES...?

AND WE NEED DOG FOOD AND CAT FOOD AS WELL.

I *RARELY* DO THIS--ASKING THE CYBER COMMUNITY FOR HELP. BUT AFTER I LOST ASHLEY IN 2004, I VOWED TO MYSELF THAT I WOULD NOT LOSE ANOTHER PET.

EVEN THOUGH I AM POOR AS A CHURCHMOUSE AND LIVING ON ONLY $537 A MONTH (UNTIL 2010), I SOMEHOW MANAGE TO MAKE ENDS MEET--EVEN FOR OUR FURRY CHILDREN.

BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE--OUR ANIMALS ARE JUST AS PART OF OUR EXTENDED FAMILY AS OUR CHILDREN ARE.

SO I AM BESEECHING THE INTERNET COMMUNITY, MY WRITER GROUPS--EVERYONE I KNOW TO PLEASE!--FIND IT WITHIN YOUR HEART TO CHIP IN AND HELP BOTH MYSELF AND MY WIFE, APRIL, FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.

HELP US GET THROUGH THE MONTH--SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO...WELL...SUFFER--I SUPPOSE IS THE WORD.

CASH DONATIONS (IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH) CAN BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS BELOW. PAYPAL DONATIONS CAN BE MADE BY CLICKING THE "DONATE" BUTTON AT THE TOP LEFT-HAND PORTION OF THE PAGE. (NEXT TO THE PICTURE OF KIVATA GIGANTE.)

EVERY LITTLE BIT GOES A LONG WAY WITH US.

BUT IF YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING WE REQUEST FROM THE LIST THAT YOU DON'T NEED--SEND IT!

PLEASE. WE ARE REALLY HURTING RIGHT NOW. WE ARE USUALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT TO SOME DEGREE--LIVING ON WHAT'S GIVEN...BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED AND SERIOUSLY URGENT.

$232 MAY NOT SEEM TO BE A LOT TO YOU, BUT TO PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF--? IT'S ALL I HAD LEFT FOR THIS MONTH. AND I WAS PLANNING ON PICKING UP MY LISTED ESSENTIALS AND PAYING PARTS OF MY BILLS AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. (IF I HAD THE MONEY FOR IT.)

BUT THIS HAPPENED...AND IT THREW OUT MY BUDGET FOR THE MONTH. I AM SO DOA THIS MONTH, AND WHAT I HAVE LEFT FOR ESSENTIALS ISN'T GOING TO LAST MORE THAN WEEK AT MOST. THE 2 DOGS WE HAVE (A COCKERSPANIEL AND A CHI-POM) HAVE 2 WEEKS OF DOG FOOD LEFT. (GIVEN HOW 1 BAG GOES A LONG WAY...? IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT 3 MONTHS GO BY AND WE ONLY NEED ONE MORE BAG TO START THE CYCLE OVER.)

BUT THIS ISN'T A SCAM. EVERYONE KNOWS WHO I AM. I'VE BEEN AN ACTIVE PART OF THE INTERNET FOR 6 YEARS NOW--A WRITER AND UNPUBLISHED AUTHOR; TRYING TO MAKE HIS MARK HOWEVER HE CAN. AND PEOPLE I'VE MET, ASSOCIATED WITH, MADE FRIENDS WITH...? KNOW THAT I AM A REAL PERSON--NOT A 'BOT OR ANY NIGERIAN PHISHING SCAM ARTIST THAT CURRENTLY PREYS ON THE INTERNET.

ALL MY WIFE AND I ARE ASKING IS FOR HELP AND ASSISTANCE. AS A REWARD FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, I'LL POST A BIG "THANK YOU!" ENTRY ON THIS BLOG SITE--SO THOSE WHOM HELPED OUT GET THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE.

I KNOW IT'S NOT MUCH, BUT WE HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO GIVE IN RETURN FOR YOUR HELP AND ASSISTANCE.


THANKS FOR READING THIS AND DOING WHAT YOU CAN.

Schuyler and April Thorpe


LIST OF NEEDS

TOILET PAPER; GENERIC ROLLS ARE FINE. WE DON'T REALLY HINGE ON THE EXPENSIVE NAME BRANDS. WAL-MART HAS SOME PACKS FOR $1.21 FOR SIX ROLLS. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUYING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. WE GET ABOUT 10 PACKAGES A MONTH. SOMETIMES? 12. (IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH GAK IS ON THE FLOOR.)

KITCHEN SCRUBBIES; GREEN SCRUB PADS, OR THE ONES THAT ARE A SPONGE WITH THE SCRUB PAD ON BACK. (1 OR 2 PACKAGES WILL SUFFICE. JUST NEED SOMETHING TO SCRUB THE OVEN AND COUNTERS WITH! ELBOW GREASE ONLY GOES SO FAR--THE I'M READY TO BREAK OUT THE CUTTING TORCH AT THIS POINT. ;0) )

DOG FOOD (DRY); GENERIC OR BRAND TYPE; PREFERABLY SOMETHING THAT BOTH A COCKERSPANIEL AND A CHI-POM CAN EAT TOGETHER.
SMALL BITES-TYPE DOGFOOD WOULD BE BEST. NOTHING HUGE-MONGUS. OUR DOGS ARE *SMALL*--NOT CUJO-SIZED. :0)

LOOK FOR THE $10 22-LB BAG OR LESS. IF SAMPLE PACKS ARE YOUR OTHER OPTION, SNAG THOSE.

CAT FOOD (DRY); PURINA ONE INDOOR FORMULA FOR CATS. (THE GREEN BAG; 18-LBS)

CANNED CAT FOOD (FOR ONE ANOREXIC CAT); FANCY FEAST; 10-PACK-12-PACK. I ALWAYS GO TO WAL-MART FOR DOG AND CAT STUFF. ($5.42 FOR A SMALL CASE.)

DEODORANT (MEN AND WOMEN'S); 24-7 SPEED STICK; LADY SPEED STICK--NO MATTER WHAT THIS STUFF AIN'T CHEAP. $4 A STICK. (I'M TEMPTED TO RUB A SKUNK UNDER BOTH OUR ARMPITS. LOL)

LIQUID DISH SOAP (NOT HAND SOAP! LOL); JOY OR A STORE BRAND FROM WAL-GREENS IS OKAY. NO ANTI-BACTERIAL! WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE BACTERIA THAT'S RESISTANT TO DRUGS! SAY NO TO MRSA!

$2 A BOTTLE.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT; SUN BRAND OR SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE CUDDLE SOFT. $5 FOR A GOOD-SIZED BOTTLE. CAN BE FOUND AT WALGREENS.

SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER; WHITE RAIN (THIS BRAND CAN BE FOUND AT WALGREENS; AND COST ABOUT $1 PER BOTTLE. THIS IS WHY I AM SUCH A FAN OF WHITE RAIN.)

I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY T-GEL IN OVER 8 MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE PRICE HIKES, SO MY PSORIASIS HAS BEEN PLAYING EVIL GAMES WITH ME OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST YEAR.

MOUTHWASH; LISTERINE TOOTH DEFENSE (IT'S THE PURPLE STUFF! LOL)

ALSO CAN BE FOUND AT WALGREENS (THEY ALWAYS HAVE $2/5 SALES WITH THIS STUFF.)

TOOTHPASTE? ANYTHING COLGATE RELATED. SMALL TUBES ARE $1, THE LARGE FULL-SIZED ONES ARE $3-$4



MONEY NEEDS

PHONE BILL ($132); WHICH OUR SERVICE MIGHT BE CUT OFF BY THE END OF THE MONTH--ACCORDING TO THE LATEST VERIZON "LOVE LETTERS". (TELLING THEM I'M WORKING ON GETTING SOME MONEY TOGETHER--IS LIKE PULLING TEETH WITHOUT THE NUMBSIT IN PLACE.)

INTERNET ($26); THIS IS LESS CRITICAL--SINCE I'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THIS . SO...IT'S YOUR CALL.

LAUNDRY ($40 IN QUARTERS)--WE'VE BEEN WITHOUT CLEAN CLOTHES FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS NOW; STRETCHING WHAT WE CAN OF OUR CLEAN CLOTHES SUPPLY. BUT IT'S GETTING PRETTY BAD OVER HERE.

AT LAST CHECK, WE HAVE 13 LOADS OF LAUNDRY TO DO--AT $1.50 A LOAD. (THEY INCREASED THE PRICES AGAIN.) $20 FOR DRY, $20 FOR WASH. (I USED TO REMEMBER THE GOOD OL-DAYS WHERE THIS MUCH COULD DO SO MUCH MORE. WHEN THE COST OF A LOAD WAS EITHER $.75 OR $1.)

$115 FOR MY EDITING FEES. (I'M DOING THE STARCHILD--AND I'VE GOT $2400 LEFT ON THE PROJECT--THROUGH A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR. BUT IT'S TAKING AWHILE--HENCE THE EXTENDED RELEASE DATE OF 2011 OR 2012.)

ANYONE CAN TAKE A CRACK AT THIS. BUT MY EDITOR WOULD LOVE YOU FOR THIS--AS WOULD I. THE FASTER I CAN GET THIS DONE AND OVER WITH-? THE BETTER.

MY GROWING FAN CLUB IS GETTING ANXIOUS TO READ WHAT ISIS MCGOWAN IS GOING TO DO AS THE LEGENDARY STARCHILD OF ANCIENT LORE.

$100 FOR 2 CONVERTOR BOXES (SO WE CAN GO DIGITAL NEXT YEAR)

THE DIGITAL TV I PAID $140 FOR I HAS THE WRONG APG-DOO-HICKEY THINGY THAT PROPERLY RECIEVES/CONVERTS DIGITAL SIGNALS. IT CAN RECEIVE *SOME* SIGNALS, BUT OVERALL, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT STILL WOULD NEED A BOX--FROM THE GUYS WHOM SOLD IT TO ME 3 MONTHS AGO--IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECIEVE ANYMORE CHANNELS; OTHER THAN OFF, ON, AND: "Give a me gun, ma! I'm going to teach this thing a lesson!"

MY WIFE'S STAND ALONE ANALOG TV DEFINITELY NEEDS A BOX. ONLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHEN I WILL BE ABLE TO GET HER A DECENT REPLACEMENT. IT TOOK ME 12 YEARS ALONE JUST TO GO TO A 20" FROM MY NOW DEAD 10" ANALOG. (WHEN YOU LIVE ON LIMITED INCOME, YOU DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO SPEND ON ANYTHING LUXURIOUS. REASON WHY--AFTER 10 YEARS--I'M STILL DREAMING OF OWNING MY VERY OWN LAPTOP; SO I CAN TAKE IT WITH ME WHEN I GO INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM GETTING TREATED FOR MY DVT CLOTS. THAT AND A FLAT-SCREEN TV THAT YOU HANG ON THE WALL. I FOUND ONE FOR $462 OVER IN WAL-MART LAST YEAR; A 26" WITH A DVD-PLAYER BUILT IN--AND THIS LEFT BOTH ME AND MY WIFE DROOLING. :0) )

JUST SO YOU KNOW? WE HAVEN'T HAD CABLE SINCE 2002. ALL WE ARE GETTING IS THE LOCAL STUFF AND PBS OFF THE RABBIT EARS AND A STRONGER ATTENAE GAIN HOOKUP.

$70 FOR COMICS (THIS IS A HOBBY OF MINE). THIS AND THE MUSIC CDS--LIKE ORBITAL FOR EXAMPLE AND ICON OF COIL'S NEW "SKYSHAPER" ALBUM--ARE THE FEW THINGS THAT MAKES MY LIFE ALL THE MORE HAPPIER. (I USED TO COLLECT ROCKS WHEN I WAS A KID. I STILL DO NOW AND THEN.)


$80 FOR A FEW MUSIC CDS AND MAYBE AN ANIME MOVIE (TEEN TITANS SEASON 1 OR MAYBE SEASON 1 OF THE NEW WITCHBLADE ANIME SERIES).

THE MUSIC ALONE IS WHAT DRIVES MY WRITING--AND PLUS I GET TO JAM ON IT ON THE SIDE. :0) (AND BLAST OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH MY 3-YEAR-OLD THEATER/SURROUND SOUND SYSTEM. (IT WAS A GREAT INVESTMENT AT $200. 500-WATT SPEAKERS AND I'M SHAKING AND BAKING!))

$20 FOR A NEW KEYBOARD. (THIS OLD THING'S PISSING ME OFF! I KEEP HITTING THE SAME KEYS OVER AND OVER JUST TO S-P-E-L-L OUT WHAT I NEED HERE. WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM SOMETHING 4-5 YEARS OLD AND USED HEAVILY BY A PROLIFIC WRITER SUCH AS MYSELF?)

$100 FOR A NEW NEROS BURN ESSENTIALS PROGRAM. I HAVE ONLY THE CD-ROM DRIVE TO BACK UP MY DATA, BUT IT'S LIMITED TO 740MB. THE DVD-ROM DRIVE IS OUT OF COMMISSION AND LINKED TO THE NEROS BURN ESSENTIALS 7--WHICH IS OUT OF DATE.

THIS I WAS PLANNING ON GETTING ANYWAYS--IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. I WAS PLANNING ON HOW TO MAKE THIS EASIER ON MYSELF--BY SPLITTING THE COST ONE MONTH AND THEN GETTING IT THE NEXT MONTH.

$40 FOR GROCERIES UNTIL THE 9TH--WHEN WE GET OUR FOODSTAMPS. (THIS FOR JUST SOME THINGS WE CAN TIDE OURSELVES OVER WITH UNTIL THEN. SOY MILK, SOME CHICKEN BREASTS, AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. NOTHING SPECIAL. WE HAVE A REALLY SPARTAN DIET. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD FRUITS OR VEGGIES FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.)

$40 FOR 2 NEW PAIR OF SHOES. (8 AND A HALF WOMEN'S; 10 AND A HALF MEN'S SNEAKERS. THESE CAN BE FOUND AT WAL-MART FOR BETWEEN $14 AND $20. I JUST DISCOVERED THAT MINE ARE TRADITIONALLY WORN OUT AND I WAS GOING TO GO TO WAL-MART TO GRAB ME AND APRIL SOME NEW SHOES. IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE WE LAST WENT AND BOUGHT OURSELVES A NIFTY PAIR OF SHOES.)

***

SO IF YOU CAN HELP OUT HERE IN ANY WAY, MY WIFE AND I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL.

CASH/CHECK, OR ANY OTHER DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO:

SCHUYLER THORPE
1020 112TH STREET SW#A205
EVERETT, WA 98204

E-mail contact: starchildalpha1@yahoo.com

I have a Paypal Donation button up at the top of the page--so those of you who wish to can donate whatever you feel is appropriate. (Note to new Paypal users: The settings on my account are default. So the amount listed ($10,000) is the amount that can be contributed. You can donate anywhere between $5-$10 to whatever amount you feel is the limit, up to $10,000--and the transaction will still go through regardless. I've already contacted Paypal to see if they set the amount down to $500.)

ONCE AGAIN...THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUT AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY AND ALL ASSISTANCE YOU COULD GIVE TO ONE STRUGGLING WRITER AND HIS WIFE. (AND PLEASE PARDON ANY TYPOS YOU MAY FIND. IT'S DUE TO ANXIETY AND BEING SO STRESSED OUT OVER THIS.)