Paying My Dues

Taking the fun out of fundraising

I’m writing late this week because my wife’s birthday was Tuesday. Also, my niece is visiting from out of state. I wanted to provide a nice time for them. I’d been applying to several jobs and had a few interviews, but had no luck. (The job market is rough. Just in case anybody forgets why the stock market crashed last Monday.) I appreciate being paid to write, whether here or at Texas Scorecard, but it’s not enough to cover the bills yet – hopefully, that will change. I’m grateful for those opportunities, though I needed to get a cash flow going asap.

Luckily, one of my friends owns a pool installation company and called to ask me if I wanted to work. It was pouring 20 yards of concrete into two pools in Austin. Hell, yeah I was. I bought rubber boots, gloves, a wick-wear shirt, and a hat. I’d earn it back on the project.

I woke at 4:30 AM and got home at 9:30 PM. My body was destroyed. I even might have a chemical burn on one of my hands, both of which are peeling and hopefully, it’s not permanent. I’m still physically exhausted from it and sore. I need to get in better shape. But I have a hell of a lot more respect for construction laborers, it was HARD.

I ended at 7:20 PM because I hit the wall. I literally couldn’t do it anymore due to physical exhaustion.

Then I noticed a text on my phone. I’d missed it as it wasn’t in my pocket. (I didn’t want to damage that too - my hands were bad enough.) It asked if I could call by 5 PM EDT since I had been selected for a part-time job but recruitment was closing today.

Goddamn it.

I managed to make it to round two. Naturally, this was the day they happened to get back to me when I was unavailable.

I texted back and said I was working all day and missed it, and to please not rule me out. Luckily the worker was there late imputing all the information from the others he’d recruited that day.

I had my final phone interview and got the part-time researcher job! It starts on September 23. I’ll keep looking for something that starts sooner, but I’m grateful to have something to fall back on in six weeks should nothing else pan out.

When we drove home, my bud told me I got hired by shifting my mindset to be more open to work. I don’t know if that’s true; I had already done the screening and interview, applied to other positions, and interviewed before.

But I think there’s something to an old saying that isn’t said often anymore: If you want something done give it to a busy person. That’s something I’m working to incorporate more.

Now, you might be asking, Ian, what does this have to do with election integrity?

Doing this work costs money. Printing forms, filing notarized documents, mailing with tracking numbers and signature confirmations, everything.

Not to mention phone bills, internet bills, and gas to and from the post office or notaries.

Sometimes the people you deal with on the other side are complete morons and losing things, as a recent article showed. Or perhaps intentionally they are. That means having to refile just to be certain they got it and you get the right case number.

That also costs money.

Then there are records requests, which are expensive and sometimes prohibitively so.

I’m not complaining, and I’m not asking you to feel bad for me. I chose this path.

But it’s just a fact of life that it takes work, time, and money to get things moving.

And I hate asking others for help.

It’s also one of the reasons I get angry with the grifters in the election integrity movement who are constantly asking for money and providing zero return on investment. I’m hoping that people see them for who they are although it’s why I’m no longer biting my tongue about these guys who claim to be on our side.

I won’t ask you for money. I know times are tough for people with inflation. I don’t want to mislead you into thinking I can promise you something I can’t deliver.

But if you plan to buy something at Amazon anyway, use this referral link as it helps.

Or please consider subscribing and sharing so this gets more eyes.

I’m working on things in TX, GA, PA, and WI, and will soon expose another well-known grifter who tried to belittle and intimidate me via email. Until then, I’m gonna hustle and grind so we are moving the needle in the right direction.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Don’t give up, remember if it were easy it would have already been done by now. Thank you for all your support as always, and remember you’re not alone.