. It's been a busy couple of days.
At noon today I had a conference call with my #1 client to discuss a big and important project they've given me: a sales brochure that will help them win and expand new construction business in the greater Boston area.
I also found a possible new source of long-term income after seeing on Craig's List a guy who needed someone to drive him to work each morning, and bring him home at night, 5 days a week. It just so happens that I live in between him and his work.
After a flurry of emails, we are set to meet face to face tomorrow. I hope I pass muster. The pay seems pretty good, probably only made possible by my Honda's great mileage. He's paying $200 a week, and I carefully calculated my gas expenses and time spent...about 10 hours a week....to discover that I'd be making MORE driving him around than what i made at the publishing job from which I only recently got fired...about $19 an hour! How ironic.
I would be driving him through May 2013. He didn't say why, but it was pretty easy to figure out, as my friend's husband was recently arrested for DUI and they suspended his license for 6 months, during which time my friend had to ferry him to and from work, a royal pain in the butt, according to her. She spent many an hour with her laptop, writing, in Starbucks all across Connecticut.
The guy who advertised revealed his last name in the last message, allowing me to google him and discover that yes, he was arrested not once, but twice for DUI in my town and his town. Well, hmm. Guess I won't be going to happy hour with him.
Anyway, $200 cash a week or $800 a month, is nothing to sneeze at. I told him i was a freelance writer working at home, which is true, but i did not tell him I was still looking for f/t work. I mean, i've been looking for f/t work since 2009, so it has ceased to have much meaning. If I did get a job that prevented me from continuing to drive him, I would try to give him 2 weeks notice to give him time to find someone else.
The other parameter of the job would be to also pick up and drop off his kids (when I was driving him) to and from daycare 3 times a week. He has joint custody. I added that to my gas expenses, and it had a minimal effect.
I really, really hope I get that job. Not sure what else to aim for when I meet him other than being friendly and agreeable. I already told him I am fully insured, have a clean driving record and am reliable.
Two days ago I was mowing the lawn and got stung by a hornet skimming the grass. I half ran, half walked down the Stairway to Heaven when I realized the hornet was following me. I dove into the garage and closed the door. I immediately took an antihistamine and after 3 days, the swelling and redness have subsided somewhat.
Today I deposited some checks at the bank and returned some DVDs at the library...after riding my bike there! No gas burned! I love being able to do that. About a half hour of riding, but that includes a major hill, so I got some high intensity heart-thumping in, too.
I've applied for a few other jobs. Another I really want is editing a variety of online stuff for a start-up website that can't afford to pay much. Not sure what that means, but volume and ongoing work could make up for that.
I am feeling upset once again that I haven't heard anything from the PR agency I interviewed with 2 weeks ago. She had said she was interviewing all last week and would likely administer a writing test. I havent heard a word from her.
I got $35 in Amazon gift cards from my online forum participation, plus a $10 BP gas card. Love the gas card.
I did laundry today and it's hanging out to dry outside.
I've begun picking stringbeans and wax beans in earnest now, and will don my hip boots momentarily in search of wineberries, which are also ripening.
I made a yummy three-bean salad with the beans and canned kidney beans and chick peas, plus diced onion, oil/vinegar.
Upward and onward
July 9th, 2012 at 08:48 pm
July 9th, 2012 at 08:56 pm 1341863797
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July 9th, 2012 at 10:13 pm 1341868408
July 10th, 2012 at 05:29 am 1341894564
Will you be going back home after dropping him off at work?
July 10th, 2012 at 12:51 pm 1341921104
July 10th, 2012 at 07:20 pm 1341944401