The nice thing about working alone is that you can declare any weekend a three day weekend, which was basically what I did last week out of town. This weekend, there is way too much to accomplish to fit into a short week be completely idle. Even when this weekend is the official three-dayer, which is something I used to look forward to immensely when working at the library. Memorial Day was always about catching my breath, the semester having ended and then busy planning things like zine fest, which we participated in pre-covid, out of the way . It always felt like we were poised at this tipping point where the summer's more leisurely rate kicked in and mostly we were just planning for fall.
I still feel like I am floating in this strange land where the academic calendar rules that have guided my life til now no longer apply. Those highs and dips in demandingness persisted through my own schooling and then into every job I ever had, no matter what the grade level. Instead, there is this cloud of now and soon and maybe later, but nothing is definite outside a few deadlines I've imposed and some timelines that exist for other paid work.
I realized yesterday that this begins month four of freelancing, but it does not feel like those months have flown by quite so erratically as full-time work. I still have a lot to do, both paid and unpaid. I try to balance these out--whether its the content writing or press / shop work or my own creative projects. Some days I do more of one than the other depending on some different factors. like looming pay periods, which set a fire under me to get some more work done in time to hit those deadlines. Other things demand more intensive research or drafting best done in the first part of my day. Some days I get up earlier then take a nap midday, others I start around noon and work straight through. There are small errands and post drop offs, but I stay pretty close to home, which I hope will vary a bit when covid numbers get a little less dicey for spending time indoors.
The last couple days, it's been warm and balmy, and the beaches a couple blocks away crowded with revelers. I've mostly stayed inside, eating ice cream and strawberries and binging the new season of Stranger Things, which feels like a waste of good weather, but there is much more summer ahead. Let's hope its one that is long and lingering in the best ways.
