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Lily does not approve of any activity that messes with mealtime. |
I mentioned last post that I'm temping again.
This is for several reasons. It was a long winter, as we all know, and it isn't cheap to heat a big old drafty house, even as minimally as I choose to heat it.
Add to that the fact that Mario's house
still hasn't sold -- doesn't anyone want an inexpensive, not unattractive, really convenient house in West Philadelphia? -- and things have been tight. Shows and Etsy and in-person sales have been good, but they're no replacement for an office salary when the savings dip.
I have a line that the bank account isn't supposed to cross. It's an arbitrary, self-imposed line, and it moves, depending on circumstances, upcoming events and knowing that I can replenish it soon. But lately I've been drifting closer to that mark and considering whether or not I should go back to work for a while.
Which I don't want to do. I love how my life is going, how much happier I am with less stress, less money, less reasons to have to get dressed up and make nice when all I want to do is sit home and make things. So going back to work full time was a no go.
I've been doing some daily work, organizing and paperwork, for a neighbor. It's okay, but it's one day a week and she drives me batty because she's so chaotic she makes me look super-organized. And I'm not.
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Annie just doesn't want to be
on the menu. |
And then, after the holiday weekend, this happened: Tuesday morning my phone rang. It was the temp agency, and they asked if I was busy the rest of this week. Same office I worked for last summer, and if I'm willing, they have a two-week stint later on in the month. Add to this a scheduled week at a different office next week, and suddenly I have four weeks of employment stretching ahead of me, which is more than enough to replenish the bank account to a place where I'm comfortable again.
I wasn't thrilled about the two solid weeks, but it turns out they're willing for me to work whatever days during that two week period suit my schedule. I'm a known quantity, and they figure I can get more work done in three days than someone unfamiliar with their systems can do in five.
So in the space of a few days, I went from fretting about finances to having more work than I'm actually willing to do. Instead of griping about it, I found a way to make it work, and I will. I'm grateful I have several places that are willing to ask me back, give me work I can do without thinking too hard, and pay me more than I make working at home.
It's a good thing; it helps the budget, and it reminds me that I'm really, really happiest when I'm making less (but doing what I love).