Finding my bearings...

Hot diggety.

Sleep came easily last night, after spending 29 hours on the road the previous two days. The car is unloaded, the most important stuff (the computer and various cords) has been found and set up, and daylight is burning!

My dance card for the next 7 days is full. My best client called to book Tuesday with a sim and a couple of hours of space-to-ground. Now I'll have to figure out how to manage the closing that's supposed to take place next week.

However, the immediate task is to get a really huge chunk of the 5500-word item committed to phosphor today, as next week's assignment starts tomorrow.

Maybe later, when I have a need for a break, I'll recount some of what happened during the trip home.

Cheers...

Fruitless gyrations...

I have yet to put finger to keyboard to address the translation due Monday, as I've been having too much fun with other matters, like the closing this coming week and the utter idiocy surrounding the assignment that starts tomorrow.

From a recent email:

I notice the job calls for only 5 hours of work tomorrow (according to the letter of confirmation). [Do you] intend to pay for the day on an hourly basis? If so, please keep in mind that we originally agreed to a daily rate, which has since been cut by 20%. I must insist on an 8-hour minimum per day.

The confirmation letter for 9/17 estimates the length of the assignment as 16 hours. Is there something I should know about Monday's activities?

The confirmation letter for 9/19 estimates the length of the assignment as 48 hours. This makes no sense at all. Please clarify at your earliest convenience.

Also, though I am sure to find out once it starts, what will be the subject of the meeting?

I have already been amply punished by the universe for being a (dumb) Nice Guy™ and not sending the client directly-and-do-not-pass-GO to Hades once they told me that a pre-existing contract precluded them from paying me the rate we had agreed upon. I figured I would not leave them in the lurch on short notice, especially since they do provide me with sizeable chunks of written work from time to time.

I am thinking they have exhausted their brownie points with me.

Despite the many years I've been doing this, it would appear I still have to learn to play the board and not the player.

And now, to work!

Cheers...

Accident...

Natalie's been in an accident. I am en route. She appears to be ok. The same is not true of the car.

Cheers...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

UPDATE: It occurs to me that it is entirely too easy to compose and send a message while stopped for a red light.

In truth, I was doing something for the sake of doing something, not attempting to play on people's emotions. As it turned out, the Honda design did what it was supposed to do and absorbed the impact of the "incoming" vehicle, and aside from some post-accident jitters, Natalie appears to be fine, and I am one happy camper.

Wow, it's late...

But then again, I suppose auto accidents have a way of making time fly.

Natalie had gotten into the right-hand lane to exit the 610 loop and get on I-45 south when someone plowed into the back of her car. My teeth grate particularly hard on hearing that because I very nearly did some similar plowing some time ago at pretty much the same place. There you are, looking for the exit lane, when - as you notice the car in front of you is standing still - you realize you're in the exit lane.

I was lucky, and manged to stop with some inches to spare, but I would not be surprised to learn that this particular location is the site of more than "the usual" number of accidents.

I'm just so happy that the kid is okay, it's not funny.

* * *My email from earlier in the day went unanswered, which erodes goodwill even more. According to the assignment emails, I'm to report to the north of town tomorrow at noon, so I should have some time to address some or all of the remaining 1800+ words of the translation due Monday.

The pillow beckons.

Cheers...