Formal training is over. I have one more day of job shadowing (which in and of itself has the potential to be awkward—I don't like to hover), a number of practices, and then I'm good to do real work. At home. Alone. Oh, no.This is just as complicated as I was scared it would be. I don't know where I'll find:
- Time (right now—absolute). Now that I'm a basically a freelance editor, every minute of my day can be used to earn money. I don't have to worry about coming on shift for someone else, about being up and ready in time to not be late to work, or about obtrusive rotating work schedules (at least I won't after summer term). What I do have to worry about are getting out of bed to actually work, spending my time on the computer actually working, and getting that work done while Nicole's busy with her job and homework (she's the last person I'd want to rob time from). Essentially anything I do that's not work can be considered time spent not making money. (I've already deemed Google Reader a monumental black hole for my time.) In the end, this "freelance switch" could end up being a frantic, desperate flailing for time and peace of mind until I work out a routine.
I have tried to schedule my life before. Each attempt usually lasts about half a week. Maybe if I stagger my attempts so each half-week overlaps with the next I might be able to build some kind of habit. Here's to hoping. And Google Calendar. And Timeloc. - Space (now-ish—pressing). Time isn't the only issue. I'm exceptionally glad we're moving. The apartment we're in right now is 600 sq ft and built in the fifties. That translates to a tiny galley kitchen, a tinier bathroom, and one tiny bedroom with barely two feet between the bed and the wall on any side. The one desk we have has no room to spread out on and is smack dab in the middle of a major apartment thoroughfare. With a fridge to my left, a television to my right, and the ever-constant distraction of the internet in front of me by necessity, there's no way in Hades I could work there without being attacked by ADD demons every five minutes.
So, I've tried a couple of other places:- The bed. Here the laptop overheats, I'm supremely tempted to sleep, and because our headboard is so low, if I continue working there, I'll end up like Quasimodo before Thanksgiving rolls around. So, the bed is out.
- The couch. The problems here are about the same as the bed—laptop on lap equals overheating, low back on couch equals exceptional discomfort for long periods of time, and all factors combined equal fears of spinal deformity. Plus, working here means our new flat-screen tv is right in front of me, calling my name with its daytime rerun sludge. Bleh.
- The armchair. We have two armchairs in our living room. They were bought so that no guest would have to sit on any of the mismatched and marginally comfortable folding chairs we have tucked away in the kitchen. The armchairs are only slightly more bearable themselves, but that's great for me (I've found I work more productively when I'm denied the complete relaxation option.) Working with the laptop on the coffee table leaves the back-hump possibility in the mix, but I can spread my work out on the table (an absolute must), and I can use the table as a foot rest with the laptop on my lap. Until it heats up, that is. An added bonus is that this position doesn't face the flatscreen. This is the place of choice for now.
Things will be better in the new place. It's around 1000 sq ft of two-bedroomed goodness. That's ton's more room. I can't wait to have an actual office where I can drown out everything but my computer screen and Acoustic Alchemy (I can't edit while lyrics are being forced on my subconscious, so smooth jazz is what I use to kill my silences.) Add-on desk, here we come. - Boxes (soon—by August). We're moving. We calculated last night that we'll need around forty good-sized boxes. Hopefully, we can get a number of them from my sister's work (she works at a luggage store), but with both her and her co-worker moving around the same time as we are, they get first pick. Any suggestions for more places to find boxes?
- Internet plan (immediately after "soon"). This is something I have no idea about. The in-laws just got Digis and love it. Quest has the locked-in rates right now. Comcast seems to be the more highly publicized one. Who knows?
