Updates! (by alaric)
I'm being lambasted by distant friends for not updating the blog!
Truth is, I've been rather busy. A project (let's call it Project A, since I'm under NDA for most things I do) was delayed due to the required hardware being slow to arrive in the first place, not working, new hardware being obtained, Linux drivers being a pain, and so on. So it overran into time I was planning to spend relaxing, meaning I'm still somewhat worn out - and time I was meaning to spend on another project (let's call it Project B), and catch up on something I was doing nearly a year ago when Sarah started getting really ill in the pregnancy, and have shamefully kept the client waiting on for ages since all I get for finishing it is £500, and I've sadly had to invest my remaining time in struggling to rebuild our savings after the period of no work and expensive house-moving. Let's call that Project C.
In the meantime, I'm still being paid by the hour to look after Client D, who have a wide range of jobs on the go. TOO wide. Client D are a bit of a nightmare to work with due to the management being somewhat technically challenged, which causes all sorts of problems, but hourly working with a "to-do" list that grows faster than any one human being can do the work (I used to be full time with them, and have open todo items from years ago...) means that it's a reliable way to make some regular monthly money when I have time, and if I stay employed with them, I may yet get to vest my share options (which would come to a very tidy sum, if things continue as they are).
So there I am struggling to deal with projects overlapping each other when they shouldn't, while at the same time supporting Sarah and Jean; Sarah is still in a lot of pain so she needs me to help with physical stuff, including taking her to various medical appointments during the working day; and we've had to go to London a lot lately, which takes out who blocks of days at a time.
Still, I've now finished Project A. I'm now sorting out Project C and doing what I can on Project B, while somewhat coasting on Client D, just doing the things they really need me to do ASAP. This will cost me when I get paid next month, but I have some money from Project A now, so will survive.
And we'll go on holiday to Wales next week!
Of course, all clients want me to devote ALL my time to them, and get upset if they schedule a meeting with me and then find out I can't make it because I'm doing something else, and get upset I didn't tell them I was going on holiday. I need to find ways to gently remind some of them that I'm a freelance contractor, not an employee...
Anyway, having got that off my chest, I will now proceed to blog some fun stuff!
Wed 12th Apr 2006 7:53 pm 
Subscribe