I may actually finish this large project I’ve been working on for what seems like months (but has actually been a week and a half). I could conceivably hand it over to the client by Monday. In order to do so, I may – are you sitting down? – work the weekend.
Right now I’m overrun with projects. Not money, mind you, for it seems the check-writing community has come down with a collective case of carpal tunnel (we’re up to about $12K in overdue payments, but who’s counting? Oh, I know – me). I did get one small check from a great client in Manhattan. They are professional, courteous, and just great people. Yes, I’ll bend over backwards to take on any projects for them, no matter how busy I am.
Two articles due, one big project, and aren’t they calling to see how available I am for next week? Frankly, I’m thrilled to give up some free time – holidays are coming and the money will be a welcome sight!
I take a pretty firm stance on working hours. Because most of the folks I work with are in the 9-to-5 crowd, I’m here all week. By Friday this chair and I have a serious feud going on – we both want space. It’s self-preservation more than anything. I would work all weekend if I could. And I’d hate myself seriously on Monday for it.
Remember the article I wrote that wasn’t the one I was supposed to write? This has now become the Project That Will Not Die. Got a note from a PR contact with concerns about how some of the facts were presented. Hey, I’m a careful writer. I tape every conversation. I transcribe them all and I write with those notes as guides. In one instance the interview subject explained his affiliation with a particular company, which indeed was how I presented it. Only….according to the PR contact, he’s not really affiliated with them. I understand her concern – her client is the company in question and it’s her job to watch their backs. I feel bad that this made it into print but upon reviewing the taped conversation, it is how he aligned himself. And there were some other things – spelling of a drug (oddly, the one contact did spell it for me) that is exactly one letter off. That letter, apparently, means the difference between one company’s drug and another. Since I didn’t connect any drug to any manufacturer, no great shakes there. And there was a question about how the drug user in question actually took the drugs. Again, tape recordings clear things up so quickly. And thankfully, this wasn’t my gaffe. The magazine will print a correction and didn’t seem all that concerned, so things are amended and hopefully this entire underpaid, overworked situation will go away finally.
My bank called yesterday to offer me a phenomenal rate on a business credit card. While I had the gal on the phone, I asked her about the situation in which said bank is raising my interest rate on my line of credit because, in their opinion, I don’t use it enough (somehow indicating that this is not my primary business checking account when in fact it’s my ONLY business account). You remember them. Because of my workload, I never made it to the local branch, but I asked this gal to check into it for me. She was as flabbergasted as I was. I explained I have two business bills – two. LOC loan payment and utilities, which I pay to my husband in the form of either personal check or cash, depending. I can’t pay ALL my bills through the business account – cell phone, cable, etc. – because frankly, they’re not all business bills. And I’m NOT going to separate them out every month and write separate checks to my husband for each one (he pays them and I reimburse for half). So my answer will come today or Monday. Fingers crossed. If need be, I’ll take money from a mutual fund and pay the damn thing off just to avoid the stupid hike in interest that frankly shouldn’t be hiked at all.
That’s been my week. How’s yours been? What have you been up to? What are you doing this weekend?
I can’t pay my bills because NOT ONE of the contracted clients in the past three weeks has paid me. I’m spitting nails and taking action.
That’s how I am.
My week’s not been nearly as frustratingly business (and problem) oriented as yours.
When you get a work feast, do you ever contract out?
Have a great weekend, and hope you get at least a few hours off to veg.
Glad you’re keeping busy, and I echo your feeling about working on the weekends . . . but sometimes ya gotta do what you gotta do, which is why I worked not only Saturday but Sunday as well. Just a few hours each day, but it still seems like I had no weekend.