Jan 252009
- Direct deposit regular paychecks. Noah and I were talking about budgeting yesterday and how some clients pay on time (and there is a special place in heaven for clients who pay freelancers on time) and how other clients pay whenever it occurs to them or something, I don’t know. Because you contact them to inquire when they might be paying you for the finished work they’ve been enjoying and sometimes they answer and sometimes they don’t and sometimes their answer is a non-answer. (“We just moved our offices and it made our file cabinets explode and now we can’t find the checkbook” “That’s a good question” and famously “It’s in the mail.”) And in this economy? It’s been a bit worse than usual. At least I think it’s the economy because even a couple of on-time paying clients have suddenly slipped off the schedule. Plus some of my clients seem to be laying people off, which doesn’t bode well although maybe with all the lay-offs it means they’ll need more freelancers only everyone I know who’s getting laid off is freelancing.
- That my husband still has a job after three lay-offs and a jump to a new industry. It isn’t an easy job (he’s tired every night) but the people there are good people and it’s an easy commute and he gets over-time. Man, I’m finding the economy so scary. Every time I log onto twitter or read my feedreader I see someone else is getting laid off or their partner is or everyone ELSE in the office. I am grateful for WORK.
- Time to write. I’ve got a couple of goals this year as far as creative work goes and a regular paycheck also means a somewhat regular schedule, which means time to write! At least I hope it does.
- Snow. Because it’s snowing and it’s pretty.
- My agent! More specifically, my agent’s assistant, with whom I have the most contact. I love them. I am really hoping I don’t let them down.
- The world at large what with Obama being in office and all. And the apparent love he has for his family because it makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. And then I punch Brett and say, “Why aren’t you so romantic at the inaugural balls?!” And then I remember that we never go to balls anyway.
- That we don’t have to go to balls because I don’t know how to walk let alone dance in high heels.
- Indian publishers because one of them just sent me a copy of a book that has an essay of mine in it even though I didn’t get paid for it (all rights don’t revert back to me until this March) and have no idea why this book exists or who’s buying it. (I also didn’t give permission since it wasn’t mine to give. I passively watched the discussion go by on email.) Still there’s a book in my bookshelf that has my name in it and it’s the first one and it’s amusing because it’s kind of an odd first book.
- All that training I got under Julia‘s tutelage because it’s making some of my first tasks for work a cinch.
- That the flu seems to have finally left our house and so both the kids are hale and hearty (if still coughing) and somehow Brett and I emerged unscathed.
- That I get to see Spring Awakening in two weeks (my Christmas present this year)!
Dawn:
One of the things that made me feel good yesterday was hearing that you’d found a job (with a direct deposit paycheck), in this economy, no less, and that you’d been brave enough to negotiate a work plan that works for you.
I hope it works well for you!
Thanks BJ!! I’m so relieved, I can’t tell you — I’m giddy!!
what you said about ‘balls’ reminds me of a joke.
Tell me if you have heard it before.
A women was caught speeding and when officer came to her window to write a ticket she asked ‘Sir, aren’t you going to be late for your officer’s ball?’ to which the officer replied ‘Officers don’t have any balls, ma’am’ he then paused, closed his ticket book and went back to his squad car and left. The women took a few minutes to compose herself after that as well.
All great stuff! It makes me feel good to read this because it makes me think about things I feel good about, too.
[...] I need to remind myself to stay grounded and focused on the small stuff. Dawn recently posted things she felt good about, so I’m following [...]
Congratulations on the book, weird or not.