Needless to say, I'm gonna spend the majority of the next 9 days looking for and applying to a new job, one that offers benefits. (That, and getting rid of as much useless junk I can so if I need to move, I can do it with an SUV and a small Uhaul.)
And it's not that I hate the job. I work with some of the rarest exotic animals on the planet, half my rent and all my utilities except my Cell Phone is paid for. I love working with these animals. But I'm basically a Contractor, not a W2 employee, so those are the extent of my benefits. Which I was fine with when I was 30.
But my health is getting worse and worse and this is can be a physically demanding job. Between my knee, my back, and everything else, it's time to move on and find somewhere that can pay me what I'm worth, not what they can afford.
Ideally, a complete change of careers. Preferably something like copy editing, something that lets me work from home at least half the time, and for God's sake, something with insurance!
Anyway, wish me luck.