Well, I guess I've settled into my new temporary job. It's very fast-paced and while I work at home most days, there's not much time, make that, there's NO time to goof off or do anything else.

The new managing editor calls me all day long with questions and frankly drives me nuts with his really minor questions he could figure out for himself. It really disrupts my work; when I compared notes yesterday (the 1 day i drive into the city to work) with the other 3 guys who are writing, they agreed. I may have to say something at some point; I doubt the others will becus all of them are super-inexperienced and probably afraid to...this is their very first job after college.

However, having no commute saves me lots of time driving. While it's still too cold out now to do much outdoors, I imagine that once it warms up, I'll want to head outside to work in the yard or mow the lawn as soon as I wrap up work.

I'm usually up by 7 a.m. (no alarm clock) and am ready to sit down at the computer between 8 and 8:30 am. I enjoy taking a leisurely hour-long lunch break, at which time I walk around the block for a stretch. So I'm through by 5 or 5:30 pm, which is nice.

And this weekend, just like last weekend, I plan to work another 4 or so hours. Again, once the weather breaks, I doubt I'll want to be doing that on my time off, and what i really need to do in my free time is exercise and move around, not spend more time in front of the computer. But it's still not truly spring around here; in fact, temps are a little below normal.

I calculated, though, that IF i DID work an extra 4 hours each Saturday all year long (or just spread 4 hours during the work week), I'd earn an extra $5,000! Which is a nice chunk of change.

They mailed our paychecks Thursday and so am REALLY hoping I get it today. My first check for 2 weeks = $2112. I've already prepaid April mortgage and transferred $300 to savings and once i get that paycheck in my hot little hands, will also make a transfer to my SEP-IRA.

Haven't heard from Deloitte so decided to send a quick note to the HR person asking when they expect to make a decision. My interview was March 16. I'd just rather know if they already hired someone rather than wait and wonder indefinitely. Still really hoping they make me an offer.

The guy who redid my closets got messed up in something not very good. He came here late one morning and was explaining that he hadn't slept well. He started explaining why. The job he was doing before he started mine was one involving installation of kitchen cabinets in someone's house. My guy had to hire an electrician to do aspects of the work.

At the end of the job, the homeowner was unhappy with the quality of the work and decided to withhold about $1800 in pay to the 2 of them. (Personally, I think that was definitely the wrong thing to do. This guy knew they weren't professional installers and made the choice to hire them, i'm sure becus they were cheaper. So he can't unilaterally decide he doesn't want to pay after agreeing to do so.)

But anyway, the electrician was real ticked off. A day or 2 later, my carpenter guy had to go talk to the police, and so did the electrician, becus the homeowner's house had been broken into and the kitchen cabinets were vandalized!! Now of course (!) the electrician did it but he denied it and police have no proof. What a stupid thing to do. And I think this guy is a little mentally unbalanced.

Before this happened, my carpenter guy had been telling me about the electrician and said that he was so ticked off that he said to the carpenter, well, so and so (the homeowner) has a daughter. In other words, he was actually suggesting that something bad could happen to her. I told my carpenter at the time that this other guy was nuts and i would steer clear of him. He agreed and said the guy was a pain to work with anyway.

I asked my carpenter if he relayed that part of the conversation, about the daughter) to the police. He said no. Personally, I would have; the electrician already cost him this customer, who my carpenter had worked for in the past and who had indicated there was future work coming too. I mean, it could have gotten the carpenter in trouble, too, and apparently the electrician didn't care when he broke into the guy's house.

I had given my carpenter a few more small jobs to do after he finished my closets, as soon as he gave me a price, and i haven't heard from him since last week. Now I'm wondering why.

I treated myself to a Subway sandwich last night on the way home from work. Now that i'm working f/t again, I'm feeling the itch to spend money on any one of so many deferred things. I really shouldn't, as for one thing, I still haven't gotten the bills for the UTi I had, and I'll have to pay 100% of costs due to my high deductible. That and my neurologist visit earlier this year will easily run into the $400+ range.

Then there's the quandary about what to do about my exterior siding. I need to get more siding estimates. But there's a great little upholstered recliner I have my eye on for the sun room. $300 from Lamps Plus. I was also thinking of some nice shelving for my office. I never seem to have enough tabletop/display space.