I know these final two issues are way overdue and many of you have probably figured that you would never see them. SURPRISE!!! We're still here and now you have the two final issues of Volume 1 of Commodore CEE.
A lot has happened in my life and in the live's of those around me since you received issue #4. I have moved, twice. I now live on higher ground away from the rivers and levees. One of my older daughters and her two children returned from out-of-state and needed help. I now baby-sit her children when they are out of school and she is at work. At first we both moved into the same apartment complex. Then we decided it would be cheaper to rent a house together. In the course of the move we met the "contractor from hell". He took the owner's money and never did complete the work on the house. It delayed our move by a couple of months and the work is now slowly getting done.
Last year my wife finally filed for divorce. We had been separated for about 12 years. This, however, is a community property state so, as you can guess, this left me financially in a deep hole. I had raised the two youngest children as a single parent. My youngest daughter, Lynn, is now grown and on her own most of the time. She moved into the house with us for two months and then got an apartment. My son John decided to live with his mother for the final year of high school and has signed up for the Marines when he finishes.
During our last month at the apartment complex John cracked his head on the bottom of the swimming pool and split his forehead open down to the bone. Luckily, he is as hard headed as most teens and there was no permanent damage. The doctor who sewed him back together at the Hospital told him he had done the exact same thing a few years earlier and showed him what the scar will look like.
Well, one more problem was about all that we needed. I woke up one morning and found a message on the answering machine from Jim Hehl up in Alaska. Seems the forest fires were getting close to his house and he and his family had been ordered to evacuate immediately. He said he would call as soon as they were safe.
He called that evening. His family was safe but their home and all its contents had been caught in the fire and were gone. The family was in an emergency shelter and he was out during the day helping as a firefighter.
Once the fire was past his area the army brought in temporary quonset huts and set one up on his property for two families to share. A few weeks later they got a double wide trailer and set it up on their property. It was too late in the year for them to start construction on a new home so that will have to wait till spring. Meanwhile, through salvaging and gifts from friends Jim is back in business with Commodore computers. He and his family did, however, loose quite a bit that was not covered by insurance. Jim plans to work for a while at one of the gold mines doing chemical analysis to earn money to replace what was lost.
So, as you can see it has been an eventful few months for all. Now on to magazine business.
Three years of C-64 ALIVE! and one year of Commodore CEE have not been profitable. The disk magazines never achieved over 200 in circulation. That's not enough to make anything or even actually pay all the bills of our Fidonet and Internet connections and associated phone bills. Much of our income has been from sale of back issues and software package sales. Actually, the majority of our income has come from my buying and selling Commodore items through both Fidonet and Internet. Some income came from outright cash and equipment donations to the magazine by subscribers and friends who wanted to see it continue. I have closed the Bulletin Board temporarily. It took too much time and money to keep it up. I will, however, be back on Fidonet and Internet as soon as possible.
So now what???
Well, my biggest desire for quite some time has been to switch this over to a print magazine but at the moment I don't have everything needed to produce the best print magazine possible. The biggest expenses for that are a good postscript lazer printer and a good quality copier that can handle 11x17 pages. I do have a Canon Bubble Jet 200e printer and can use commercial copy services temporarily. We already have several subscribers who have encouraged this switch and also some new writers who have promised columns. Some of them you are already familiar with from other publications in the past. We are still in the same position of not being able to offer anything but free issues to writers. Hopefully, that will change.
Our new address is:
Jack Vander White
Commodore CEE
6707 Thomas Drive
North Highlands, CA 95660-3756
Now on to other business. A few of you still have things you have ordered and not received. I am trying to catch up and you will either receive your full order or hear from me soon. As I said, the divorce and changes in circumstances have left me in a hole but I am finally beginning to see daylight. Please have patience. You have been some of the most supportive people I have had the pleasure of doing business with and with a little more time everything will come up roses.
