I've always hoped that one day I'd be well off enough to just cover the hosting bill for this site myself. Unfortunately life keeps handing me lemons, and lemonade doesn't pay the bills!

 

This last year has been a bit of a strange one for me, and I've not been at the forum much. My husband and I moved house at the start of the year, a process which began some months prior. As if this wasn't stressful enough – packing up all our stuff and taking on a bigger mortgage, this year has decided to be particularly unkind. Shortly after the move I was diagnosed as having extensive bilateral massive pulmonary emboli – many large blood clots on my lungs. No wonder I hadn't felt well during the move! Had it not been spotted (I was misdiagnosed twice over the course of a couple of months) when it was I wouldn't be here to tell the tale. Recovery is slow and difficult – very frustrating too – I can't work as much as I used to, and of course “don't work, don't get paid” when you're a contract worker & self employed. As if that wasn't bad enough my husband was made redundant in April and has had to take a job on less money. You'd think that's enough bad news for one year, but the horrible, mouldy cherry on top of the miserable cake which is 2014 was the death of my dear cat Phoebe after almost 17 years together.

 

Argh! I really can't wait for 2014 to be over.

 

Anyway, what with trying to keep up with enough work to keep our heads above the water and feeling exhausted all the time from my 'serious medical event' as the doctors call it and being back and forth to hospital and the doctors surgery for regular check-ups and follow-up tests I've had no time at all for SFC. I've tried to deal with emergencies when folks have contacted me about them but that's all. Sorry. Then I suddenly realised we must be due for hosting renewal soon.

So, here it is. The 2014 SFC Annual Beg. We need to cover the hosting bill of $360 n time for the invoice towards the end of September. I must have a built-in timer or something after all these years, as that gives us 6 weeks. It always seems to be 6 weeks!

 

Anyway, I hope life has been rather more kind to all of you this year and that you're still enjoying SFC and finding pleasure in the old Shining games – long may they live on! 🙂