11th.
July 2020
My
poor Pat. I thought I’d lost her last Monday. I phoned the surgery to get some
advice and told them I wasn’t asking for more pills because she has just about had
enough and won’t take any tablets. Neither was she eating. After a discussion
with a paramedic and the GP, it was decided to pass on this and see what help
our local hospice can offer. We’ve been under the watchful eye of St. Wilfrid’s
Hospice since last December, with regular communication, so it was no surprise
to them when I rang. Our usual contact, Andy, came out to see Pat on Wednesday,
spent an hour with us and explained what we could expect and what they would do
if and when it was needed. He didn’t have to be economical with the facts; we
already know what to expect. Fortunately, Pat has picked up a little, but I
know it won’t last. She is very frail, both physically and mentally. So, I
soldier on and wonder how much longer it will go on.
My
Facebook ad for June cost me £175. My royalties were about one third of that.
It doesn’t take a great mathematician to figure out the ROI sucks. But if I had
the balls to follow the expert’s advice, I would press on and throw more money
at it. Trouble is, I can’t be bothered. Whatever I throw FB’s way will only
make Jeff Bezos richer, but not Mick Parker. This month I am back on Amazon who
are afraid to take my money. I scaled up in an effort to attract readers and
sales, but I’ve still sold nothing. And so far I’ve spent $5.37. And it’s not
for the want of trying. I’m advertising with BookBub as well, and have sold
eight books on D2D, which is where my BB ads tend to populate. This has cost $50
so far. So, not good either. Looking back at those figures, it would make sense
to ditch BB and Facebook and throw the money at Amazon.
I’m
still reading Paul Asling’s book about Westminster Wars. I know Paul has a lot
of fans, so he should do OK with this book; I’m sure they will lap it up. I’m
about halfway through, so might have it finished by next week.
I
had a phone call from Spain this week to tell me my old snooker mate, Richard
(Ricardo) had passed away. Ricardo and I played snooker every week for about
ten years. We always had a laugh. Sometimes he would beat me, other times I
would win. We were both Speedway fans too and spent a lot of time talking about
the sport. Although not together, we both travelled over to Cardiff each year
for the British Speedway Grand Prix at the Millenium stadium (now called the ‘Principality
Stadium’). Great times. I was sad to hear of his passing, but that’s life. He
was 84.
One
other task I’ve been involved in this week is the garden. Hands up who likes
gardening? I need a young, strong teenager to volunteer to work in my garden at
the minimum wage, but while I’m keeping Jeff Bezos in small change, I can’t
afford it. But if I offered, say £20 for a couple of hours work, it might be worth
it. But it’s unlikely I’ll find any youngster willing to take it on. Not at
that price anyway; not enough to keep them in spliffs for a week.
So
what next? The pattern may not change, but I expect the intensity will. Wish me
luck!
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