And Back...

A lot has happened since February 24th.

And it looks like Blogger has changed its format. Super. Not. (Hate it.)

Since February 24th, I broke and dislocated my ankle; rode in an ambulance; got to meet some handsome firemen; had surgery; spent the night in a hospital; spent two weeks in a non-weight bearing splint, barely able to get out of a chair high on Percocet; urinating in a big bowl in the living room until the anesthesia was out of my body and I could lift myself up with my arms to get out of a chair, into a rolling chair, and to the toilet (getting off the toilet took nearly a month); went shopping in a wheelchair; transitioned at two weeks to a fiberglass cast for four weeks, also non-weight bearing; and two weeks ago got the cast off.

I am still figuring out how to walk again. I have a walker, which helps, but it's hard for me to go long distances. Today I actually went out to the mailbox. I had to rest three times. How far is it? It's over four units, not far. But being sedentary for six weeks--oh, and then I got bronchitis, really bad bronchitis--shortened tendons, and walking takes a lot of energy, strength, and lung capacity that I don't have just now. One day at a time.

But...during this time period, I finished three book projects. Three. I had started all three of them before the break, and I wanted to finish up. I had a lot of problems with one of the books, I finally had to sub it out--I lost about $1300- on that gig--and the client was a total nightmare. She didn't give a shit that I'd hurt myself (and a former nurse, to boot. Nurse Ratched?), "she wants what she wants and that's it." Or that I should try to see how breaking my ankle affected her, center of the universe: "look at it from her perspective." Really. She paid on time, too. But I'm still waiting for the check.

*sigh*

And so my grievous belly-aching over the big gorilla in the room about my "dream job": I don't get paid regularly. The owners of the company don't make it a priority. The clients are paying on time, but my boss is dragging her feet disbursing payments to the various team members who work on a project.

I know that cranky nightmare client's check arrived last Saturday because my boss sent me a text, we were both so surprised that she'd paid without a fuss or a fight. I was thrilled, because I was having lunch with her, one of the owners on Monday, and of course, she would bring my check to the lunch--at least, that's what I would do.

Uh, no. In fact, on Monday she hadn't even deposited the check, which mean that she hadn't done the distribution (there were several of us who worked on the bitch of a project), and so no check was even in the mail to me.

And now I've bounced a check. Fuck. Well, the bank paid it, charged me $30-, and so now I'm overdrawn.

I have one client that is paying off her $3,000 editing services bill $200- per month. That pays for cell phones and cable/internet/land line. The last time a check came in, my boss held on to it for nearly two weeks before distributing my portion to me because she "didn't feel like doing it." WTF?

This is getting to be a PROBLEM. OK, it was always a problem, but MORE of a problem.

When I worked for a federal agency in 2009-10 as a training supervisor, we were advised to make sure that payroll went smoothly and that employees were paid on-time and accurately, otherwise THEY HAD A TENDENCY TO QUIT, which meant more training dollars.

I am not going to quit, I don't want to quit, but it's starting to look like I'll need a regular job and soon. I can do this on the side. But I can't spend my days wondering A) when a client will pay (we don't bill until the project is done and then they have 30 days B) how long will it take my boss to cut me my share?

It's very disappointing. I've tried talking to them about it, but nothing has changed so....I got nothin'.

I'm tired of getting extensions for my bills every month because I'm waiting on a fucking check. and honestly, I usually work waaaaaaay more hours than I bill for--we never go over our estimate. I need to estimate higher.

My husband is getting laid off in June--he was already given a pink-slip, he needs to work in California (long story, not important), so we are considering moving back there.

Our unit here, while cozy and inexpensive, has grown smaller. The stairs tried to kill me in February. There are no jobs here, and what few jobs that are here, you're lucky to get $10- an hour, which I made more than in 1987 as a data entry clerk at an insurance company. Seriously. This town is dying. Businesses are closing up everywhere, even big name chains like Marie Callendar's, Quizno's, and others. There are empty buildings everywhere. It's pitiful.

So I'm sad, angry, frustrated, trying not to lash out, stress eat or drink, crawl into a black hole of depression and so-on. But I am definitely unhappy.

I won't start looking for a job until we figure out where we're going to land in California. That decision is wide open based on where DH gets a new gig. Then I can start looking.

If things start improving or they get a handle on their bookkeeping practices (someone was supposed to take it over in January but didn't), maybe I can keep my cool work-at-home editing job full-time. I sure hope so. I really love the work.

Resentment: Some months ago, one of the owners told me about a "gadgets for editors" program, and that they'd already purchased one of the team a Kindle Fire. I assumed that since she was telling me this, I would be getting one, too. Uh uh. Nope. I bought my own. Actually, it arrived the day after I went to the hospital. I had finally been paid for a project I had finished in December--I had submitted my hours and that the project was done on 12/28, but no one billed the client until January 30 I asked if he had ever paid. Doih. But why would they tell me this, then not buy me a gadget?? It doesn't make sense.

So yeah, some hiccups that are turning into a really bad case of reflux, and I can't breathe, and it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth.<br><br>

So I wait. For money, for improvements, for decisions on where we'll be moving to. To walk normally. The last project to be finished and billed (another person is is finishing up part of the project). I hate waiting. Argh.

***
4/26/12 6:30pm.

And still no check. What's curious is that on Thursdays we generally get a big pile of flyers and coupons in the mail. The box was completely empty. Weird. I'm debating calling the post office.

Also:  I HATE the new Blogger formatting. If I wanted a Wordpress blog, I'd go to Wordpress. WTF?

***
4/27/12 1:02pm

And now? They don't want to pay for an hour of work because "they didn't use it." HUH?  When I worked as an accounting manager,  I remember having to write a check for an employee who's check was short fifty cents--no I am not kidding--they came by the office that day to pick it up. It costs more than 50 cents to write the damn check. You pay for hours your employees work, or you're in violation of the law. I guess when you're a contract employee, there are gray areas regarding what you'll be paid for. *I don't think so*