Making a living

In May I was hired as a freelance consultant to work for a big publishing company for twelve weeks. I signed a contract, submitted an invoice each week, and I worked in the education division as a production editor. I read manuscripts of math lessons for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. (I actually got a terrific math review from this job!) I learned that this company employs a lot of temps and freelancers, and even has a temping agency that solely provides this one company with temporary staff.

I was officially hired to check the art requests that accompanied the lessons, to make sure they were properly formatted and matched the lesson material, but of course (as always happens) I wound up doing lots of other things such as proofreading, coming up with a new way to organize and catalog the information I was working with, and general problem solving. It paid well, and they kept me busy. The people I worked with included full-time employees as well as other temps, and they were all nice.

I'm hesitant to name the company, because it's a great big international corporation and I know they have a lot of wordy, intimidating policies about what you may or may not say about them in "social media" such as Facebook, personal blogs, etc. And I'm really hoping to sign another contract with the same department and people, so I want to toe the line!

I worked there for twelve weeks. Then the contract ended, and I decided to have myself a nice European-style August. I used to be jealous of Europeans and how they seem to just disappear and relax for an entire month in August. But I'm no longer jealous, because I've joined them! August is MY month, and I plan to enjoy it.

Coming up next week, August 8-10, we have Dumpling's birthday, our first anniversary, and my birthday! We planned it that way to make the whole anniversary thing foolproof. Now I just have to think of a gift good enough to cover both occasions.

Besides the gift of my presence, of course ;)

One of the other independent contractors I worked with during that time wanted to hire me for some freelance proofreading after my contract ended, so I now find myself working from home for the first time! I'm trying not to think too far ahead, but I predict that in the fall I'll find some sort of new freelance or temp job and then take things as they come.

The funny thing is that when I was sending out tons of resumes and stressing over interviews last spring, I thought that I wanted a full-time job. But since then I've decided that I don't want a full-time job unless it's A) something that I love so much it doesn't fee like work, or B) too lucrative to pass up. Ideally both! Otherwise, I'll happily freelance and temp my way along. You can take a week or two or four off anytime if you budget for it. How amazing is that?

I wish I could remember where I read this quote. At any rate, it's not a new idea; I just particularly liked the phrasing: "Americans fetishize work. Europeans tolerate it."

I don't think I've ever fetishized work, but the fear of going without health insurance always made me seek full-time employment. I haven't had any health insurance for about a year and a half now. I pay for dental cleanings and one yearly checkup out of pocket, which comes to about $350 total (per year). My mom is very worried, but pesters me blessedly little about it. I know I should get at least the "disaster insurance" so if I get hit by a taxi or something I won't have to go bankrupt. But at the same time, I'm like, "Well... so far, so good! Why start shelling out $200 a month now?"

Wasn't President Obama going to do something or other about health insurance? Wasn't I supposed to be able to shop online for that shit? I honestly can't remember how that played out.

Anyway. Since I plan to have a lot of free time this month, I'm going to do more writing. Specifically, I'm going to edit a draft of a novel which has been languishing in my documents folder for months. Also, Labor Day weekend 2010 will be my fifth time participating in the 3 Day Novel contest, and for the first time ever I'm going to prepare an outline!

It's not cheating; they allow you an outline, just no prose. But four times in a row I've neglected to take advantage of that. I said I was just being spontaneous and open to inspiration, but really I was being lazy. I'm hoping an outline will make all the difference, because I promised myself I'd enter this contest each year until I won it, and it's really kind of a drag missing out on Labor Day weekend. The weather is always awesome.

More thoughts on working from home and completing one year of marriage are sure to come...