Cryptokitties - The Saga Continues

So, now I am trying to acquire a base Crytpokittie.....

Am on the website, but can't figure out thus far how to get my own Cryptokittie, aside from buying a premade one from the marketplace.

These things are priced from 0.0003 Ethers ($3.13 Canadian) to 100000 Ethers ($104,512,000 Canadian)....

I am not sure who would pay $104 Million plus for a Cryptokittie....must be more than a few people into wacky tobacky on that site.....though, I doubt you could navigate getting on the site if you were high....so, let's go with there just being some insane or overly optimistic folks..

And, it looks like I have to buy one first....or already have two and breed them to get another one. SO, I will buy two and start a breeding program of some sort, I'd guess....

Here go into the Crytokittie populated ether.....be back in a bit!

Cryptokitties...Should I or Shouldn't I?

I am hearing crickets out there....no snores....yet.   
I am assuming no one cares to invest their 2 cents as to whether I should go for a Crytokittie or not....

Oh well, it is too late anyway...

OMG, yes, I did do it, I have started to delve into the world of Cryptokitties....

But, first I had to download an app called METAMASK, 

Fair warning, I get the feeling this may seem more like a programming blog than my typical posting....

Oh man, stymied all ready....

It requires you to purchase a cryptocurrency......surprise, surprise.

In this case it is a currency called "Ether"......nope, no Bitcoin here.

Hmmmm...going to put me to sleep, is it?

(Yes, I realize it is a play on Ethernet...just being a smartass)

OK, let's see how far we can get without buying any Ether. 

Bit of a hitch....it says I need to get yet another App....being that I live in Canada I have to buy it from an Exchange....which means downloading an app called Coinbase....then transferring the currency from the Coinbase wallet to the Metamask app.

I'm already getting a headache....

And, it almost seems like Cryptokitties is a way to get you to buy into the cryptocurrency ETHER.

A marketing ploy on the part of Ether, perhaps?  Who knows....or perhaps I have hit upon the way Ether is going up against Bitcoin as an investment?

So, back to it....

Hmmm...looks like I can't get any farther without buying Ether...

Oh, wait, found the marketplace for Cryptokitties....

Hmmm....well, I am not much of a gamer, I generally don't have time for video games of any kind, so this is already boring me...

What I see is basically the fears/points I mentioned in the last blog posting....an identical looking animal with variations.....and already there is over 80,000 Cryptokitties available. 

This might not be a well educated thought, but my gut says it won't fly in the collectables community. 

It is missing that tangible aspect....collectors of the type I know want to be able to touch their collections. 

But, perhaps this really is meant for a new type of collector out there....those folks living virtual lives....spending most of their time online, for whatever reason.  

I can't see even the seasoned Franklin Mint collectibles buyer going to want Cryptokitties. 

But, I am going off on a tangent again....  I downloaded Coinbase and am attempting to dive head first into the world of Cryptokitties!

OK, I admit, I'm not diving in head first...let's just say I am getting my pinky toe wet.

I am now to the point of having the software apps needed to get a Cryptokittie. 

Let's see how things go...in my next blog posting. 

Ooooo yes, quite a cliffhanger! 

OMG, Watch Out For CRYPTOKITTIES!

Cryptokitties! 

The latest collectable! 

Now, I realize you may be having images of zombie kitten figurines or cat figurines wearing dark Goth makeup sitting in rows on shelves at the mall, but you'd be wrong.

They are actually cartoon cats....with so much more.

Now, if you don't already know how I feel about marketed collectables (Franklin Mint, numbered collector plates, etc)...

Well, I don't like 'em. They are simply not true collectibles....and their potential to go up in value tends to exist only in the marketing literature.

Cryptokitties may well be different, however.

Not saying I like them....but they are intriguing.

You've probably heard of Bitcoin and possibly other cryptocurrencies.
If not, they are basically digital currencies...digital money. Click on the highlighted words to get a definition of them, if you wish.

But you are wanting to read about collectibles here, right? So, I will get back on track quickly...no tangents this time....going down just the bitcoin tangent alone would be year's of blog postings.

Cryptokitties are based on the same technology as Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology

From their website:

What is CryptoKitties?

CryptoKitties is a game centered around breedable, collectible, and oh-so-adorable creatures we call CryptoKitties! Each cat is one-of-a-kind and 100% owned by you; it cannot be replicated, taken away, or destroyed.

And they go on to say: 

What’s the big deal?

CryptoKitties is one of the world’s first games to be built on blockchain technology—the same breakthrough that makes things like Bitcoin and Ethereum possible. Bitcoin and ether are cryptocurrencies but CryptoKitties are cryptocollectibles. You can buy, sell, or trade your CryptoKitty like it was a traditional collectible, secure in the knowledge that blockchain will track ownership securely.

But, unlike traditional collectibles, you can breed two CryptoKitties to create a brand-new, genetically unique offspring.

It results in something special—just like you!

Ain't that sweet? (Can you hear my eyes rolling?)

So, basically, what I gather is they are digital collectibles with solid provenance.... 

That is, as long as the internet is around.  But, I guess if the net goes down permanently there will be other issues to deal with than the provenance of your Cryptokittie.....like the apocalypse...and getting your Mad Max-esque vehicle going. 

The whole digital collectible thing is unusual enough that it puts a twist in the potential of these "collectibles" rising in value. 

Could this be the true collectible of the future?  Could we be trading in Cryptokitties soon?

Apparently, you build your own Cryptokittie. So, there is potential for the spawning of noted Cryptokittie creators; Cryptokittie artists that are more sought after than some Joe-public's Cryptokittie.

Just this little bit of perusal into the world of non-tangible colllectibles boggles the mind.

My question is, can this really be a viable thing?

It could be premature in its birth, being that Bitcoin's longetivity is still up in the air in may people's minds...and only time itself will cure the general public's reluctance to accept bitcoin as a long term viable currency....or, for that matter, to get them to understand it. 

Hell, I am still not so sure I understand it completely.

But, I DO understand marketed collectibles.

Crytokitties is just that, a marketed collectible......but with a twist.

That twist is technology....and technology that is interwoven with the internet.  It is part of the fabric of what we have come to use daily. 

That is a wildcard in this situation.

There are people who live virtually their entire lives online. 

Yes, the pun was intended...and will save me from writing out the sentence twice to say two different things.

There are people who live virtual lives, spend money on virtual property in all sorts of games like "Second Life" and a multitude of other video games of the more or less traditional sort, of which  markets have popped up to buy accoutrements of all sorts; weapons, gear, virtual real estate, actual characters themselves, etc, etc, etc.

So, people owning a virtual collectables is not so crazy as it may first seem to some people. 

What makes Cryptokitties different from Franklin Mint?

Provenance.

Or, rather, that is the main thing that makes it different.

A solid historical record and chain of ownership of the "Cryptokittie" since its creation.

The other thing that makes it notably different from Franklin Mint's business model is that each Cryptokittie is potentially (and more than likely) unique.

But in that I see a problem.

Franklin Mint's business model was selling oodles of a single identical object....albeit they may be numbered with a unique number...but when that number is in the thousands, the uniqueness of that object is solely the number itself...and no one gives a rat's ass about the number on the bottom being unique.

I can see Crytokitties potentially having the reverse of that issue.

They are all unique. 
Now, that is normally a good thing when it comes to collectibles. You find a Hot Wheels car that has the wrong decal on it you may have found a treasure, or a Barbie in a rare hair colour.  Or, areas of collecting that are not so heavily marketed in the same way, like Folk art, paintings, etc, etc....

  But, uniqueness, my friends, could basically make them all the same, especially when you reach a critical mass....a large quantity.

They are virtually all the same. Same general shape, style, etc.

Kind of like Beanie Babies....except there is only one of each. 

Sheer potential numbers is the problem here. 

Theoretically, and most likely, problems will arise with mass quantities of Cryptokitties being created. That will literally make them all worth the same. 

So what if Fred's and mine are two different colours, they are basically the same...put them together as a collage, and eventually you will no longer see individuals. 

 Oh, but they are created by individual artists you say? 

And, oh, but you can breed them you say?

Problem with both of those scenarios is they are constrained by a predefined set of rules....the programming. Set colours, designs, etc. 

But, there is enough variation that there certainly can be huge quantities of almost "unique" Cryptokitties created....but that is the problem again....sheer numbers.

Now, if you put a pile of folk art together from different artists, however, and you will still see individuality, no matter how large that pile grows.  

Put a pile of Cryptokitties together and I suggest what you will see is one style....all different, but all the same STYLE. They are not technically unique. The programming will limit them to a certain form, shape, and/or very general appearance.

Plus, you will need a secondary market to want to buy those Cryptokitties....and a secondary market willing to pay prices exceeding each individual Cryptokitties' cost to be created.

Will there be that sort of secondary market?

Or are Crytpokitties just the first of what could be considered virtual Beanie Babies?

Like with all collectibles, time will tell.  But, personally, I don't plan to invest heavily in Cryptokitties.  

I already bought my a few beanie babies years ago in a weak moment, thank-you very much. At least I can give them to a kid to get some joy out of.

But perhaps I am being too hasty? Perhaps I should give Cryptokitties a shot? 

What do you think, should I get in on the main floor of the Cryptokittie market? 

Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Optimism, Where Art Thou Optimism.

Being the type of person I am, I usually I have a deep well of optimism.

These days it has been harder to retrieve a bucket or two of it from the depths.  I guess the events of this summer kicked me even harder than I thought. 

My blog is real, I don't sugar coat things, don't put on a happy face when things are far from happy.  It is tough for me to be "fake". Others can do it well, but I am really about authenticity.    

Like Forrest said, "Life is like a box of chocolates"....

But, that quote really only holds true if there is a chance that some jackass has put in a little dollop of dog shit in one of those little crinkly plastic compartments.  

Avoiding those and those chocolates contaminated by that turd is about the best we can strive for.   

 I know I might get an orange cream (which I don't exactly find tasty) or some bizarre nougat that I am are not sure I like or hate...but damn if I don't get a tainted chocolate once and awhile....and this summer I wasn't diligent enough and managed to sink my fingers into a turd.

I didn't eat that turd, though, unlike Divine in that John Water's flick "Pink Flamingos".

How am I aware of that film? I naively saw it when I was in my early 20s, a friend telling me it was a classic.   Believe me, with after sight being 20/20, I'd rather not have seen it.  But, I did...and images I wish were not etched in my mind are now there...some fading, oh so thankfully fading.

Anyway, though it felt I was being force fed that turd of an experience, I battled back, and ended up basically on top....that is, my property is still mine...or, rather, mine with shared custody of it with the bank and my ex. 

But the emotional scent of that event still lingers, affecting the work and accomplishments I have had since then.  Just have to get it faded farther out of my head, I guess. 

I am hoping sooner than later it becomes solely another chapter I have to write for my autobiography, and not a recurring memory that makes me wary of trying other chocolates. I need a fresh box to choose from, perhaps.  

 But, that is what going forward with the business is about, isn't it? 

Getting access to that fresh box, being there when the wrapper is taken off and being offered some from that full box, guaranteed no turds included. I might accidentally grab an orange cream or that weird nougat... but, you know, I am beginning to appreciate some of the flavours I was not so fond of.  

Sometimes you need to be just being happy to get offered some fresh chocolates in the first place.

Getting With It

Well, seeing as it is unlikely the business will sell in the near future, it is business as usual.   

Ok, you got me...it will be sort of business as usual. I am slowly getting with the age it is...the internet age. 

It seems the days of being able to 'have the right product and the people will find you' is not how it is online.

Yes, some of you already know this, and I guess I have for awhile, too.

 Just been in denial, I suppose. 

Could be because I am a Taurus, stubborn in my ways, resistant to change.

But, online change happens quickly. And, I guess I will have to change the angle at the way I come at things online....because many changes have occurred over the last several years.  

Time to get "with it."

So, I have a friend who is into the internet end of business in general who is helping get me up to speed.

Made a step...signed up for an Instagram account....done nothing with it so far, but here it is, in case you want to get a jump on the crowd. 

So, Fedora Antiques is being dragged into the new millennium.

How quickly the changes will take effect, or, rather,  affect sales (as in increase sales,) waits to be seen.

I am cautiously optimistic....and crossing my fingers.

What Would I Do With My Time?

The title is the question. 

What would I do with my time if I did sell the business?

Oh let me count the ways I would use my time....

Hmmm...................................

Harder than I thought to answer that.

Yes, as I mentioned in the last post, I would get to writing, but that wouldn't be all.

I would be doing more research connected to the writing, even get some road trips planned and executed.  Things connected to Albert Johnson  (aka The Mad Trapper of Rat River), a buried steam locomotive, an ancient dugout canoe, Viking travel through Manitoba, and a number of other areas of research I have interest in.

I think I could well be kept very busy by those pursuits if I was unshackled from my business.  

 How to make a living would be another matter all together, though.

I'd likely need to have a book contract in place, something that would have an advance, to support me in groceries and other "life expenses" while I do my thing in creating a book...

Or....

A reality TV contract, perhaps? 

 The problem with most reality TV contracts is the first season is pretty slim when it comes to real money.   

I am sure I will find enough to do with my time....IF the business were to sell....but until then I need to sell, sell, sell.

So, ready, set, SHOP!

My ETSY page

My Facebook Shop Page

My Facebook Customer Group Page

Time For a Change?

Lately I've been thinking of a change.

A pretty drastic change. 

I've been thinking of getting out.

Getting out of the antiques business, that is.

There are lots of reasons you could point to....

Like:

A desire to just do something different...it has been over 25 years of this.
Or perhaps a midlife crisis?
The events of this past summer wearing me thin emotionally?
Repros and fakes flooding the marketplace via eBay (etc) with no end in sight?

But, the reason is pretty simple, when I think about it. 

 I am just plain tired.

I need a break, and I don't see any way of getting that break short of getting rid of the business entirely....or, at least all my inventory.  

But, that leaves me with a big question....what would I do?

Actually, that is easy....

I'd write....get my book(s) actually going, started, finished, down on paper/disk. 

I'd have to have that financial cushion in order to do that, which selling the inventory should give me...but, finding someone who:

 (A) recognizes the value in the inventory I have 
AND
(B) is financially able to purchase the inventory

It would take $200,000 as a lump sum to buy me out, I figure. That is lock, stock and barrel. All my inventory, good and bad, high end and low end.  

Realistically, retail value of the inventory is likely in excess of $1 million......and that is no joke....and no I am not off my rocker. 

Remember, that is at retail; and frankly, taking it item by item it adds up fast.  Even at "wholesale" pricing...and by that I mean at the reduced figures the inventory would wholesale to other dealers at.... (say, let's use 50% of retail across the board) you're looking at $500,000 in inventory.

Crazy? 

Not at all. Think of all the work that has gone into accumulating the inventory, piece by piece. Fuel, time, knowledge, sources, vehicles worn out, all those expenses incurred running around, hauling, storing sorting, and on and on and on. 

Factor in/add the expenses incurred in sourcing the inventory to the actual cash cost of the inventory at time of purchase, and you would be well over that $200,000 mark. 

  But, antiques and collectibles inventory tends not to be easy to liquidate into a million dollar figure in a short time. This is not a "get rich quick" sort of business.   You have to love the stuff  to be in the business.  

But I think I may be falling out of love with it.

I still get a high from the hunt, and I am good at it, so eventually, maybe  I'd do some "custom picking" for the new owner(s) of the business. 

Who knows. Most antiques businesses get liquidated by their owners; rarely do they sell "en bloc." 

It all seems pretty much all a pipe dream at the moment. 

But, then again, that could just be because I am tired.

So tired.

  

Yes, It Has Been Awhile

Yes, it has been nearly 4 months since I last blogged, but in my own defence I have been busy trying to keep things afloat, and, frankly haven't felt like writing much.  Plus, am still suffering the emotional after effects of the drama of June. You'd think that now that the drama is over the anxiety would go away, but apparently it wants to hang around and  tends to have an effect on my activities...

I did do the Vintage Redefined Market in Calgary, Alberta the first weekend in November.  Left a couple days earlier than I would normally, though. I wanted to avoid some weather that looked like it might result in icy highways...getting more cautious in my old age, I guess! 

Here are some pics of my set-up:

I think the turnout would have been pretty decent had the weather not turned bad...it started snowing Wednesday and continued off and on Thursday and Friday, which did not help with road conditions.  Despite road conditions, there was a fair turnout, but many who had pre-bought tickets for the opening night didn't show up.   As a result, I didn't do as well as I needed to, so went home disappointed in my sales. However, the promotion, venue, etc was all done quite well, in my opinion it was just the weather that hurt sales.  

Better luck next year, I guess. 

There is a spring sale, which I do plan to attend. You can keep tabs on it at this link: Vintage Redefined Market May 25th & 26th, 2018 

General Store Pick - July 2017

Been awhile since I was out on what I consider a true "pick"....for reasons outlined in my previous post.

So, when I got a call to look at some items from a location I was familiar with, I decided it was time to carefully get back in the saddle again.

The owners are wonderful folks, a young family. They have the same mindset for preservation of Manitoba's history as I do, which was great to encounter. 

They'd love to preserve the building, but financially they simply can't put the kind of money into it that it needs to be properly preserved.

Here is the grand old lady:

And in true picker fashion, I located a piece the owners didn't

 realize they owned!

 Here are some more "action shots", along with pics of some of the other items I purchased:

Pick safe folks!

Disaster Averted, Not Without After Effects

Averted a major disaster recently.

One that would have resulted in loosing my business and my home.

In desperation I even set up a gofundme campaign.

Here is the text of that campaign, which explains things, shown between the two rows of asterisks:

*************************************************************

I am about to loose my home and my place of business, essentially due to the immoral actions of an insurance company. 

My mortgage is in default solely because I have no insurance, and this far have been unable to secure any that satisfies the bank's mortgage conditions. 

The following is a letter of complaint I wrote to the insurance company, as well as the provincial body that regulates/oversees Insurance companies operating in Manitoba.  I have redacted the names of the company, bank, etc for privacy purposes.  This letter will best explain the actions the insurance company took, which has seemingly also essentially destroyed my chances of getting "Full Replacement Coverage" insurance elsewhere. 

Letter is as follows in bold: 

During a rainstorm in the late evening/early morning hours of a Friday in June 2015, sheerwinds stripped a swath of shingles from the roof of my home. 
This damage resulted in water pouring through the ceilings of the 2nd floor, 1st floor and basement. 

As per is required by the insurance company during such events, I made attempts to minimize the damage by putting down pails, buckets, etc, and moving all items out of the water's path, which resulted in piles of objects in corners of my previously well & neatly organized the living room. 

I worked until the early hours of the morning to do my best to minimize the damage, but of course the water from the torrential rain pouring through my roof caused substantial damage to the interior of my home, as well as caused things to be strewn about the yard. 

Being a Friday, a subcontractor adjuster was sent out from YYYYYYY. The individual proceeded to take photographs of areas pertaining to the damage, and, without my prior permission/consent, also snapped several photos of portions of my home and yard that had nothing to do with, nor was affected by the damage. (She also failed to make a close examination of the other side of the roof, which had also sustained some loosening of shingles, which resulted in aggravated further damage of that side of the roof when a tornado funnel passed over the house about a month later.)

Do note that I was/am going through a divorce, and did have personal items moved into my living space after dividing possessions with my soon to be ex-wife, who had fairly recently moved out. 

Soon after, I got a call from the insurance broker, ZZZZ ZZZZZ of ZZZZ Insurance in Virden, MB, about having to "discuss the policy going forward." 
This discussion was not in actuality a discussion. 

Mr ZZZZZZ stated that *********'s "big guys" and his boss both agreed and decided by the photos that the property was owned by a hoarder, and that if we did not sign off on a voluntarily cancellation of a policy that ********* would do a "company cancel" of the policy and put it on public record that I was a hoarder. 
Do note that this action is the textbook definition of extortion. (ex·tor·tion - the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. Synonyms: blackmail, shakedown; formal exaction) 

Do note that being a "hoarder" is a clinical diagnosis, and that *********'s people are very unlikely to be qualified to make such a diagnosis, especially such as was undertaken based solely upon photographs taken by a similarly unqualified individual. 

I do happen to suffer from a mental illness, but it is not that of hoarding.  As a result, the action taken by ********* also could well constitute discrimination against; and quite possibly could be considered a violation of the Canadian Human Rights Act. 
Due to the threat, we did sign a document voluntarily cancelling the policy, as we were told by Mr ZZZZZ  that should it be put on public record the policy was cancelled due to hoarding, that we would never be able to get insurance from another company based on that notation. We felt we had no other choice and had to sign under duress. 
Also note that the ARHA (Assiniboine Regional Health Authority) is behind me 100%, and will back me with documentation stating clearly that I am NOT diagnosed as being a hoarder. 

It is our position that several of the photos were taken: 
(a) of areas that had NOTHING to do with the storm damage and were taken without expressed permission 
(b) and were considered/looked upon by employees of ********* and ZZZZZ Insurance completely & utterly out of context (IE: Items stacked in corners of the room to minimize damage during the deluge of water) 

The decision to make a threat of cancellation based on hoarding was stated by Mr ZZZZZZ as having come directly from within ********* Insurance. 
Our position is that due to us having 3 previous claims (all "Acts of God" type incidents beyond our control), ********* was looking for any excuse to cancel the policy, and utilized the baseless accusation of hoarding to force us to cancel the policy. 

After this time, despite the only "voluntary cancellation", I have not been able to get insurance from any company that satisfies my mortgage requirements. All companies seem to find some sort of excuse/reason to say no, or deny the application, some even after having given a quote and saying they would insure. It seems rather suspicious that they all would deny the applications, no matter the company. Oddly enough, ********* quoted on an application put forth through XXXX , only to end up denying the application and further cause issues with getting insurance from any other firm.

As a result, my property is now in Foreclosure due to non-compliance with the Mortgage requirements (not having valid insurance in place) . I am now as a result of the extreme stress *********'s action have caused am suffering from depression, anxiety, and am generally not functioning well in day to day life. 

I may well loose my property to foreclosure due to *********'s actions; actions which were undertaken in such a way that could well be considered illegal under Canadian laws, as well as a violation of the Human Rights Act of Canada.
                                            ******
I have pretty much exhausted all means of obtaining insurance, though there are brokers trying various markets. However, these markets also put my insurance cost at over $6000, figures which will cause a financial strain (ie: wipe out my savings and then some).  By the bank foreclosing, I will loose my home and my sole means of income, which is my antiques, collectibles and salvage business which I operate from my property. 

The only ways to stop the foreclosure at this point is to get insurance (which as I have outlined has proven oddly impossible over the past year) and the other is pay off the remaining balance of the mortgage myself, or by the sale of the property.  The property is up for sale with a realtor for a year so far, but with the market being down with the price of oil (this is "oil country")  there has been no takers as of yet. 
 I have no other means of being able to immediately obtain the  $110000 required to pay off the mortgage, unless the property were to sell. It is listed currently a $300,000.  If the bank forecloses, I fear they will sell it for grossly under market value and then after expenses, (as well as payment of a $28,000  loan for the geothermal heat unit we had installed) will leave me with next to nothing (that remaining  sum which I will have to split 50/50 with my exwife, also).

I am at the end of my rope, so thus I have put up this plea for help.  

If by some miracle things do work themselves out (ie: I end up with insurance (unlikely), I win the lottery (equally unlikely), the property sells for a realistic sum before the bank forecloses (I can only hope)) then the monies will go towards a downpayment on a new location.  Having been self employed pretty much all my life, my credit rating sucks, and thus obtaining a significant mortgage is a daunting task. So, a larger downpayment on a property is an asset.   The property I do have my eye on is under $200,000, and is ideal for my business. 

I/we (the ex and I) have had far more than our fair share of  drama occur in the last 10 years of living here, as well as events that you would find yourself frowning & shaking your head at how much bad luck we have had.... but I will spare you the details, as they are only precursors to all this, and I am not looking to evoke sympathy, I am only looking for empathy and assistance/help.

Even if the final goal is not reached and if I am able to raise more funds myself via sales of inventory that I am undertaking presently, I will utilize the funds to perhaps be able to cover the mortgage that way.   Also, should I actually find some company that will insure the properly, undoubtedly it will be in excess of $6000, so any funds may end up used to help cover the insurance.

***********************************************************

So, what has happened? Well, the very insurance company that caused this problem in the first place ended up giving me insurance again. It was even cheaper than the first policy that we had, oddly enough.

So, anyways, I had been trying to get insurance for the past year, and when the bank finally started foreclosure proceedings, things were looking very grim. Basically, two weeks before the bank would have started procedures for auctioning the property, I got the insurance in place. Sadly, that is not the end of it. I am now dealing with anxiety & depression that still will not go away, despite disaster being averted. 

Here is an "update" from my gofundme campaign that explains a bit of the financial after effects (again, between the rows of asterisks): 

*****************************************************************
Finally some good news! The insurance company that caused this mess has now done a 180 and offered insurance!! So, in the 11th hour this may well come to a positive close. Just some banking/legal stuff to deal with now to pull things out of foreclosure.

Well, the foreclosure will soon be stopped, but the costs have risen...this fiasco will have wiped out my savings, having cost me about an additional $6600 (beyond the $2100 paid out for insurance and $1800 worth of back mortgage payments that they had stopped taking 4 months ago; which of course I just saved up. Both amounts I would have spent anyway, so I am not including them in the total.) The $6600 is made up of over $800 in "temporary fire insurance" the bank put in place and the rest is LAWYER'S FEES! 

Yes, the bank's lawyers require me to pay the legal costs and fees, amounting to the $6600. So, I am not coming out of this free and clear, not by a long shot. This "series of unfortunate events " has cost me more than $6600....as that number does not factor in time and fuel for running around to insurance brokers all over the place, the extreme stress, the $ not made in my business due to the loss of productivity as a result of the anxiety and depression I have had to deal with for a year, and on and on and on. I am reducing the amount of the campaign to $6600 as a result, to try and get somewhat back on my feet financially, and repay the money I had to borrow to top up the amount I needed. 
I'd rather sell you stuff than "beg" here, so maybe just buy lots of cool stuff from me, ok?

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Anyway, so that is why I haven't been blogging as of late. Lost the drive, the motivation. 

I did manage to get a pick in, now that that stress is basically behind me. But, I will blog about it in the next post, to give you some relief from the stressful drama you have read above.