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This is the last really, really silly chapter. The upcoming ones have silliness in them (Ally doing karaoke is, obviously, funny), but a lot more serious stuff too as we get towards the end of volume one.

Sara continues to be my favourite character.

Now, not regarding this chapter, but something else...I'm copying and pasting something from the commentary for Tuesday's CotA chapter:

The other thing I wanted to mention, not regarding this chapter, is the financial situation.

I ran into the problem of my fridge's freezer not working. It never worked well, but then it flat out STOPPED working a few days ago.

I freaked out. See, I'm "half" out of work right now. I tutor 18 hrs a week for a non-profit agency for about 6 - 7 months total a year. From the middle of June until the beginning of October (and then part of December/January), I don't have that job, so I don't have that extra source of income. Now, I'm a smart little bunny--I saved like mad this year so that I'd have some money to combine with my other part time publishing income to pay the bills.

Long story short, my mum found a second hand fridge that I could afford. But the prospect of having to buy a new fridge put me in a state of panic. WTF am I going to do if an emergency like that comes up? By the end of August, I possibly wouldn't have had enough for rent. And there are important things I'm trying to save up for, too, like a trip to the vet for my older dog and getting some cavities filled so that I can chew on the left side of my mouth again without being in extreme pain. (And another job isn't an option--there's no work where I live. The Canadian GM Headquarters is located here, and they're laying thousands of people off--everyone is looking for jobs.)

So here's my formal request for donations this summer. I like providing stuff for free, but it's very time consuming, and I could really use the $$ support these next couple of months. Curio and CotA have a couple hundred regular readers. $10 - $20 from even half would really help me out. To shamelessly steal and paraphrase something from another writer's website: think about what the serials are worth to you...then donate half of that amount.

If donations don't pick up, the boyfriend and I have been discussing the possibility of making new chapters available by subscription only. There would be a "VIP" group of people who financially support the serial either presently or who gave in the past, as well as readers who do extensive work to support by other means (like writing reviews and promoting it), and they would be the only ones to view new chapters. I've been providing freebies since 2004, so it's weird to consider that option, BUT...I've gotta get some more money coming in, and I know that if people are serious enough about the work, they'll find a way to join the VIP group.