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 could 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!