I try to avoid personal details in my blog. I know that anonymity and blogging are pretty much polar opposites but I give it a shot. One effect of that is that when folks make a donation they don’t always get feedback. (I try to send a personal thank you note each time but I’m not very disciplined and sometimes forget.)
Anyway, here’s two peeks behind the curtain.
The much appreciated chainsaw repair:
A handful of folks signed up to support me on Patreon. They may be forgiven for thinking I don’t notice but I do. Each month Patreon ships me a few bucks from my handful of fans. Also an occasional one time donation floats in from Patreon or “Buy Me A Coffee”. The links are on the right side of the page.
The funds sit in a PayPal account. They are not forgotten, they are stored.
Last week I tried to cut firewood but my chainsaw was obstreperous. The damn thing just didn’t want to start.
I don’t blame the saw. I use it pretty hard and it’s not new. All things require maintenance.
On the other hand, I keep that saw in top notch condition and I kinda’ freaked out it was dead. I want to always have a saw that starts. It’s gotta’ start every time! First of all, I might need it in an emergency. The second reason is pure utility. When a saw balks at starting it’s easy to lame your arms out yanking on the starter cord. If it doesn’t start right away I wear myself out with the saw and then (once it sputters to life) I can’t get enough work done with the remainder of my strength.
So… dead saw. Shit happens. Possibly it’s an easy fix but winter is coming and I don’t have a lot of time. I chucked the saw in my pickup and hauled ass to the saw repair guy. I got there just before he closed and dropped off my Stihl at what I’m calling “the saw spa”.
In unrelated news I’ve had cascading household expenses this month. Don’t fret. I’ll recover in due time, but at the moment it has overwhelmed my resources. I’m totally tapped out. When the saw guy called “come pick up your saw” I had no cash to buy it out of hock. Dammit!
After a few minutes I realized I could tap PayPal, scoot it to the saw guy, and get back in the firewood business. The saw guy was a little skeptical. I live in the hinterland. Some weirdo trying to pay with PayPal is a lot like if I showed up with some junk silver or tried to barter with a few bottles of top end whiskey.
But… the transfer worked. To his surprise and my delight he got paid and I got my saw back.
Thanks!
The sleeping bag of happiness:
I link to Amazon from time to time. I don’t wish to “monetize” my site so much as when I buy a thing and it’s cool or works well I’d happily spare other people the need to “reinvent the wheel”. I know I like recommendations when I see them on other blogs.
Anyway, if you click the link on my blog and buy anything, I get a small kickback. It doesn’t have to be the thing I’m talking about. Suppose I really like my little Red Camp portable wood stove and link to it. Suppose you click the link, think the stove is for dorks, and buy a nuclear powered Russian icebreaker instead. Amazon is perfectly happy sending me a kickback on the icebreaker. (Also if someone reading this buys a Russian icebreaker. Please for the love of God let me take a ride! And why the hell was it for sale on Amazon?)
Anyway the kickbacks take the form of a small trickle of Amazon gift certificates. It’s highly variable. Some months I’ll get nothing. Some months it’s a pittance. (This month I’m sitting at a little over $2.50) The entirety of last year I only got $30 (for the whole damn year!). But other times I recommend something that resonates and several people buy it. Or someone clicks the link and then buys something expensive. (Once a person bought a hot water heater! It was like a party to me!) This July, for no reason I can tell, people bought lots of little stuff and I “earned” over $100! Wow!
All these gift certificates sit unused, sometimes for years. Until I need them. You know how I bought a sleeping bag and saddlebags for my most recent adventure? Well those were partially covered with Amazon gift cards. (Not entirely, but every bit helps.)
So there ya’ go. Y’all bought Amazon stuff that y’all wanted, and that led to me getting the saddlebags and sleeping bag I desperately needed for my recent adventure. I think of it as a cycle of good vibes. Yah, I sounded like a nerd when I typed that sentence. What do the kid’s say? Cringe?
Whatever, they’re just kids. Cringe or not, I very much appreciate my gear staying dry and my body not freezing on my last adventure.
Thanks!