Category Archives: the office

In our last installment, I had been relieved from my duties at my now-former place of employment. However, I was hopeful that I could nab a short-term contract to finish up the catalog I had most recently begun work on. Wednesday, I received word that the paperwork was in process, and I could expect to be back at work as a contractor on, probably, Thursday.

Late Wednesday night, as I write this, I’ve heard nothing further.

Once I get back to the office, be it Thursday or Friday or even next week, I’ll have to read that contract very carefully. I had offered an hourly rate, and the contract came back as a package price based on that. Which is fine, and completely logical. However, I want to make sure that I don’t wind up signing an agreement to finish up this job for a fixed rate, and then get roped into twice as many hours as were estimated, thereby halving my income from it. I’ll be looking for some sort of “and if this project takes more than an estimated 100 hours…” kind of thing in there. I don’t expect that it will, especially when the press dates are figured in, but just in case. I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot the first time I do this.

When this contract is up, I would very much like to try to make a go of full-time freelance. The cats were STARING AT ME on Wednesday, so I went down to my local Starbucks to get some work done in peace. Yes, I became one of Those People. And you know what? It’s a terrific work environment. I got a lot done while I was there. My to-do list is still threatening to squash me, but I feel as though I made a healthy dent. I spent a good amount of time going through ancient files, building my online portfolio (still not ready for public viewing, sorry) and remembering how much fun it was to create logos. And how much I’m enjoying the idea of going into work, putting on headphones, and LEAVING AT 5. That’s right, leaving. At 5. Not spending half my day fielding interruptions from people who want various pesky things from me. Go in, do my job, leave. That sounds soooooo good to me right now.

A few people have suggested that I could write for a living, too. I am tickled that folks (including a couple of professional writers!) like my writing enough to say so, but I’ve never before written to someone else’s specifications. I am, however, a pretty darn good editor. Either of those avenues would be interesting to try out.

In the meantime, here’s a list of what I accomplished on Wednesday:

• Showered and dressed
• Started to-do list (Hey, I have ADD. A list is an accomplishment!)
• Ordered new contact lenses (Night & Day by CIBA Vision. Love them. Loooooove them.)
• Left message to make an appt. with dermatologist
• Sent email to two potential clients
• Had phone discussion re: contract to finish up project left in limbo
• Left message for a friend regarding sitting for his cat
• Nearly finished one of two web portfolio pages
• Shipped two etsy orders
• Fixed my wireless network (with the help of Dave)
• Updated my LinkedIn profile
• Researched cost of CS3 Design Standard software package (ouch)
• Unsuccessfully shopped for miniature thank-you cards for etsy orders
• Successfully shopped for rod for guest room curtains
• Met friends for last bowling league game of the season

I have a ton more to do when I get some more time, but for now, a freelance gig is interrupting my freelance preparation. There are worse problems to have. :)

I know, I know, I’ve been promising you all shoes. I’VE BEEN BUSY. But hey, here are some photos of the new office digs. Much less sexy, but I spend a lot more time in my cube than I do in any particular pair of shoes.

If I turn around in my chair, I see Carol at her desk. She wears headphones, and rarely remembers to turn on iChat (SET IT TO START AT LOGIN!) so I had to get a stash of rubber bands to shoot at her when I need her attention.

If I don’t turn around as far, this is what I see. Through the windows at the top of my cube, I can see the tops of other windows! EXTERIOR windows!

And if I get up and walk around the outside of my cube, these are those exterior windows. Please note the low-energy fluorescent lighting and quick-growing bamboo flooring. The bamboo, that is, not the floor itself. That would be creepy.

This is the view of Louisville Reservoir (and the parking lot) as seen from a coworker’s cubicle. Obviously, we don’t face west on this side of the building. I swear, this is Colorado. The Rockies are a few miles to the left.

Semi-aerial view of the cube farm. This area is populated by Creative: Direct, Creative: Trade, Merchandising, and Product Development. The section behind us, closer to the green wall, is Trade Ops.

And this is, I kid you not, the HR conference “room.” Furnished by LoveSac. Anyone who didn’t know better would, from looking at this photo, swear that our HR department is staffed by 18-year-old stoners. HR isn’t even on the same floor with us, but I had to document this.