MobyD Is Broke

This isn't an easy thing to start. Oh, the technology of it is pretty easy. Signing up on ChipIn only takes a few minutes, and I've already got a blog, MobyD's Soundings on blogger.com.

The hard part is acknowledging I'm scraping bottom and need to get some money to prevent a total personal disaster by asking for help.

"Get a job!" you might be thinking. Easier said than done when you're about to turn 66 (April 27, 2012). I apply for jobs and get an interview here and there, but after interviews either I get an email saying I didn't get the job or more often there's no response at all.

I've posted over 100 pages at Squidoo.com. For a while I really thought things might take off enough to at least supplement my Social Security (which I started early at 63), but it never really has. I'm really not the sales type and to really make Squidoo work, you really have to be sales-oriented. I've created pages that have won awards on Squidoo, so I know I can create good stuff, but that's only half the battle.

I tried answering surveys to make some money, but that turned out to be not such a great way for someone in my demographic. For most surveys I'd go through the beginning and get told I wasn't qualified. The only good to come out of that experience was when I signed up for a depression study at a clinic in Portland.

At the clinic they said, yes, you're depressed and I thought things would be good and I'd make some money for taking part in the study. Then someone from the clinic's headquarters in Boston wanted to talk to me. I was told the call might last 45 minutes to an hour. It lasted 20 minutes and a few hours later the doctor I'd been talking to called and said they'd kicked me out. He was pretty upset on my behalf, I was thinking getting involved in a depression study isn't supposed to make it worse, but I did get six months of visits in after-care and I'm taking an inexpensive anti-depressant. Is it helping? I hope so, because I don't dare quit to find out.

So here I am, about a year later. Still no job after all the applications and some interviews. I'm out of money - well, less than $50 right now - and I signed up for the SNAP program (food stamps but it's an EBT card these days). The credit cards are maxed or close enough as makes no difference.

My car's battery died just before Christmas. I sold some US Mint proof sets to a coin dealer for just about enough to buy a battery. Then I discovered I'd missed a car insurance payment and it was canceled. I'd been driving for over a month with no insurance. The car's in my parking spot and I've been getting around by MAX light rail and buses. I'm still undecided about selling the car, but leaning that way.

The goal I've put on the ChipIn widget is just something so I have a goal and see how it goes. Maybe it'll be something to keep me going until I can land a job.

As I mentioned, my birthday is April 27, so if you'd like to chip in as a birthday present, I would definitely appreciate it!

For those of you who know me from Faerieworlds, I'd sure love to be there this year (July 27-29), but right now it's not looking to great for that happening.

I've got some books and stuff I'm looking to put up on Yardsellr.com, so be on the lookout for that. I have some really rare and signed books by Spider Robinson. It's been nice to have them, but I need the money more than being able to say I have something few others have. I also have a few musical instruments, a couple of very good coats, and a lot of books I may also put on Yardsellr. I'm going to have to take a lot of pictures to make all that happen. Yardsellr is known as "eBay for Facebook."

If you can help, go to the ChipIn widget at the top right of this page. This works by paying me through my PayPal account. Click on the ChipIn button and you'll be taken to a PayPal page. You can either pay through your own PayPal account or by using a credit or debit card. I've been using PayPal for my Squidoo payments and a few other things and have never had a problem.

Thanks in advance!