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Thursday, November 18, 2004
what to do
Well, I figured out what to do next. It happened a lot faster than I thought it would. For the next 6 months to a year, I am going to go back to consulting. I'm going to call my business "Zemlet Marketing and Design" and the tagline will be "shake things up" since "zemlet" is based on the russian word for earthquake. It is a little more personal than the more austere "Allaris" business name I have before, but that is a good thing, since I'm not really selling the services of a business, I'm selling me. The good news is, I am already booked through February and my calendar is filling up fast. I feel I have learned a lot since my last consulting stint so I feel this one will be more fulfilling. Here is what I love about consulting:
- challenge
- project oriented
- flex time and more time at home
- variety
- able to work on personal projects regularly
- house was totally organized and I was thin because when I procrastinated, it didn't feel right to "goof off" so I did chores or worked out instead.
Here are the things that went wrong in the past:
- clients that do not pay
- difficult clients that do not really want what they think they do
- difficult clients who want to see (literally) over 100 business card layouts
- difficult clients who say that the green color I chose for their logo "has too much orange in it"
- low amount of social contact/getting out when doing projects from home
- too many clients/projects at once can be a strain
Well, I think I have a pretty good handle on how to avoid those things: be more selective of what clients/projects I accept (it is ok to say no- what a concept), and limit myself to a set amount of hours per month and stagger client deadlines (again, ok to say no, it isn't a bad thing that I am too busy to take on more, my services are in demand). And for those clients who want something that isn't good for them? (Colors that will not reproduce well, logos that will look bad when faxed, proposal cover letters that are unconvincing, etc.) Let them have it.
As to the social problems I had in the past, (and they were bad- I was not a happy sim,) I feel this time will be different because:
- I'm living with someone wonderful, so I have that constant contact and support (plus I think he'll make sure I don't sell myself short,)
- I live in a city instead of by the beach (which was nice, but lonely) so there is more to do and people with my same interests, and
- I have more friends, including one in particular who is also in independent consultant mode (thanks for THAT PHONE CALL). She has worked as a consultant for many more years than I have and knows all the pitfalls. I know she will keep me in line and be someone I can get out of the house to go see, collaborate on projects with, etc. Very inspirational!
I think one of my main problems last time is that once a client was established, I only had to meet with them once a month or so, and I just never got out. I know this sounds pathetic, but if your home and your work are the same place, and you have a fast enough internet connection, you really do not ever need to leave the house! If you talk to any freelancer who can work out of their home: screenwriters, phone sex operators, MLM schemers- any of them will tell you this is a common problem. John Danza, of Majestic fame, had a good solution for this that I loved: never have anything at your house for making coffee. Don't have milk, don't have sugar, hell, don't have mugs- nothing to make coffee with. That way, at least once every day, you are forced to leave your damn house and see the world outside. It is better for you, it is better for your writing. Words to live by: don't make coffee.
Well I better pack for my vacation which starts TODAY at 11AM. Oh! And J-dog got me jewelry! That was a hidden present. The big box he had out on the table was software that I needed and had been gearing up to buy for quite some time, but just couldn't convince myself to spend the money on. So he gave me the best pal gift aaaaand the best boyfriend gift. The jewelry is a platinum tennis bracelet that is simple but sparkly and light enough to wear every day, even while typing. It goes well with my solar-powered watch or nothing at all. I love looking at it and knowing he picked it out just for me. Awwww. Tonight we're going to a new restaurant the Firestones opened, so that should be cool, and I'll get a hefty does of Double Barrel Ale! Then my Mom's art show is this weekend, then I'm going to spend a day shopping with Laura, which I so desperately need. Then we take that new, direct flight from Santa Barbara to Seattle. Once there, I will be totally crushed at Halo 2 for hours on end, be dared to jump in the lake and probably do it, eat lots of takeout from Whole Foods Market, and spend time with the gang up there. Britta and I may have one of our deep conversations, I think the last one went, "I had no idea Immanuel Lewis was so not messed up." I'm also looking forward to talking to Liz about letterboxing and hearing the latest about her house. She is going to find some good photos for me to use in my work, which will be very cool. Ack I gotta go pack- bye!!!
.: posted by Zemlet 8:56 AM
Monday, November 15, 2004
About Damn Time
Well, I finally quit my job. Regular readers will heave a sigh of relief as they realize they will no longer have to read complaints about the excruciating hours or lack of leadership at the firm I work(ED) for. Since I had already planned on going on vacation, I am going to work here through Wednesday and that will be my last day. There is no sense in coming back after a week and a half off, when we all know I’ve quit, so I am working these last three days and then BAM I get a birthday. This is my birthday present (my precious) to myself. A well deserved one.
So, from now on blog readers will be treated to tales of walks outside and contemplation, plus regular updates to the rest of the web site. I will soon be removing all links to the /le and the /news portions of the web site, so please bookmark those if you want to see them in the future as I revamp the site for unveiling in January as a freelance site. I will probably freelance for at least a few months, making web sites, graphic design, proposals, etc for those who need it, while I search my soul for what lies within. I am thinking the A/E industry isn’t for me; perhaps I need something a little less stuffy. So I’ll be on a quest for a good job- not just one that pays well and is steady, but one that feels more like my life’s work, more fulfilling.
So, congratulations are in order as I figure out just what the hell I’ll do next.
.: posted by Zemlet 2:40 PM
Friday, November 12, 2004
I am a bad influence
I received an e-mail from George asking me about a CD I had at one time (damn, gotta look for that) and when I responded, I wrote some thing about the video games I'd been playing and asked if he had played GTA San Andreas or something like that. He responded that he had not been playing video games, he has been reading books. And this got me to thinking... perhaps all of my boyfriends were not video game addicts... perhaps... I DROVE them to it!
David: played Federation constantly
Terry: could spend entire 3-day weekends playing adventure games non-stop
George: if it wasn't Soul Calibur, it was Mario Kart- even skipped work a few times to play new releases
Jonathan: plays a wide variety of games to "stay abreast of advances in the industy"
These guys could have been leading productive lives filled with studying, reading, perhaps running for governor, if I hadn't forced them to play Nintendo. Do you think Jonathan would have invented "drunk levelling" if not for my sinister influence? If they didn't waste their time dating me and becoming entwined in my twisted, pixelated world of easter eggs and high scores, any of them could have climbed Mount Everest, invented a cure for cancer or discovered a new comet. But instead, they maxed out their groats, can count in D'ni, have all the blue coins, and actually know the difference between 343 Guilty Spark and 2401 Penitent Tangent.
.: posted by Zemlet 3:37 PM
Queen of Art
My Mum's annual art show (the name of it is above, that is not a self-styled moniker) is next weekend and I am going to be selling some of my crafts. The main piece I'll be selling is a hand-stitched journal with a cover made from hand made silk paper. I made this paper using loose raw silk fibers and the journal has 8 pages of Fabriano Uno paper- the kind DaVinci sketched on. (photo lower left) I have also sewn some felt and ribbon adornments with attachments to use on your hair or on top of gifts or as a napkin ring. I've made them in flower and holly motifs. (photo center) Finally I've started making these "Clipping Clips" using binder clips and found paper to make a note/photo holder. The desk/office model is shown below on the right. As you can see, it can be crammed with small messages, business cards, photos, tickets, coupons, etc. I didn't make any "Post Haste" this year- they are so labor intensive- but I do have a bunch of origami "Kimono Purses" as usual. I have started on a bunch of funky wreaths, but they might be too hip for the crowd at my Mom's, so I may keep them or give them as gifts if they end up reminding me of anyone.
.: posted by Zemlet 3:34 PM
Beige Mars
At the BART station this morning, I finally finished the new Kim Stanley Robinson tome "Years of Rice and Salt," and all I have to say is bleah bleah bleah. The end of that couldn't have come sooner. And may I say, the man loves ending books with sappy scenes involving children? So, no, I do not recommend it. I am reading "The Einstein Intersection" by Samuel R. Delany (1967 Nebula Winner) next, then "The Speed of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon, then probably some Gregory Benford after that. I am going to stick to science fiction for a while, because even when that gets awful, at least it is cheesy and not preachy or trying to make some obtuse point like alternative history novels do. Bleah!
My firm was part of the team that designed the EBMUD water pipeline they are building in Walnut Creek. Yes, THAT water pipeline. The one that is being installed near to a jet fuel transmission line, so when a backhoe (um... CALL before you DIG?!) was digging the trench, it nicked the fuel pipeline, spilling the most reactive gas ever, which leaked into the half-finished water pipe. The water pipeline is about 5 feet in diameter and gets welded from the inside. There were at least 2 men inside welding when the explosion happened and a couple more in the trenches. 5 people died and others in the hospital. One of the men laboring on the pipe was propelled almost 40 feet by the blast from where he had been working. They shut off the fuel valves and let the fire burn down, which took HOURS. You could see the flames miles away like they were across the street, it was horrible. We could see them at our office. I am not sure exactly how we were involved (we were subs to another firm) but there is a palpable tension in the hallways and the Officer in Charge of the project came back a week early from a trip to the East Coast.
.: posted by Zemlet 10:21 AM
name game
the salon just called… apparently my pedicure tomorrow is with "Olga". I'm not sure anyone is named that who doesn't work for a salon. Perhaps people who work in salons have a "salon name" just like strippers give themselves special name:
Tiffany- STRIPPER
Yvette- Salon
Cinnamon- STRIPPER
Brooke- Salon
Tina- STRIPPER
Madge- Salon
.: posted by Zemlet 10:05 AM
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
I keep on dreamin'
What happens when you go on a home and garden tour, then arrange some flowers, and watch “Rosemary’s Baby”? You have really weird dreams.
I dreamed I had a new house that had some serious problems with the garden. There was a lot of strange groundcover, including mutant grass that had unusually large blades (like 3 inches wide) and this moss sort of stuff that had turned into a bleached-out spore/mold. When I tried to cut away at it to get rid of it, it turned out to have a sort of coating that, when punctured, revealed a foamy material that expanded immediately, growing to over 1000% the original size. When I finally cleared that off, I realized there were these very thick, menacing looking roots, almost like thick, veiny vines heading deep into the ground, that I knew would just regrow the offensive devil mold. I think I ended up having the entire yard dug out with a bulldozer and re-filled with non-satanic soil. The neighbors were not pleased.
.: posted by Zemlet 5:30 PM
Friday, November 05, 2004
Good Week
This has been a good week so far, without a lot of overtime, which has been great. I've got all of November planned, so I am feeling good about that. It is going to be busy, but manageable. I will have to devote some time during my vacation to work, but it shouldn't be too bad. The main thing I'll be doing is training some folks in our Bellevue office on the Oracle CRM app we use. I've devoted many a weekend hour to cleaning up the database, so every person who gets trained to take care of it themselves alleviates the need for me to do it for them. With all this extra time on my hands, I've been able to do a lot of things I didn't get to in October: sleep, work out, see friends, see light of day, etc. We went to an election night gathering and last night went to "Franklin Unplugged" at Fort Mason. I am looking for other things to do at Fort Mason now that I know how cool it is, and I'd like the excuse to go eat at Greens. This week we are also going to the symphony in San Francisco and playing bridge in Oakland with some pals in a house THEY OWN. Plus, Saturday is girl's day, with a mansion tour and tea party in Lafayette.
I just heard that we are winning a CELSOC award (California chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies). As part of the nomination effort, I had to put together a little binder of info, which was a huge job of researching and writing, so I am glad it turned out positively. Now that it is going to nationals, the corporate communications folks will help with the next nomination package. This wasn't nearly as big as the George M. Low award nomination, which I recall oh so fondly, for a NASA quality award. We were a national finalist in that too, which won us big kudos with JPL (it made them look good, and I actually ended up working very closely with a lot of folks there, which was fun) and got my boss a seat at the table during the awards ceremony sitting between the head of NASA and the head of JPL.
Well, enough nostalgia for my old space days, I better get back to work so I can leave and get a workout in all while the sun is still up! My workouts are going well- I am starting to feel a difference, which makes them easier. Another thing that makes them easier is day dreaming about awful things while I am doing it, to pass the time. Certain people could conceivably get their hands or other body parts caught in the mechanisms of the various machines I am working on, which would be incredibly painful. And trust me, I know just who those people are.
.: posted by Zemlet 1:11 PM
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Missed Halloween :-(
Well since I had to work, I missed going home for Halloween. They did the "Dead Head Cafe" where Jill painted everyone's face to look like a skull. No I had to work... and not just work, but work 88 hours in one week. That is a new record for me. October is the worst! I don't need to scroll to the blog archives to recall how much I hated last October. I can recall saying to the VP of the company I worked for at the time, that it would be so much easier to quit than go through October working there. There are always way too many important proposals, plus this year I worked on the business plan, which was fun all the other times I've done it with other firms, but was excruciating here. But now October is over, so my life will get back to normal. Plus, I am one phone call away from getting an offer letter out for a new hire, which will be awesome. I have a plan to sit in the AMs office until he makes that particular phone call. He also worked the weekend and is feeling the pain. I had to go back to drinking coffee, so I'm having headaches again, so I'll have to decide if/how to quit caffeine again. OK enough complaining, onto the good stuff:
Since we were late getting to ye olde pumpkin patch (Vons), there wasn't much left in the way of gourds to carve, so we make our own out of paper. (Jon is very cute when he cuts with an exacto blade, by the way.) Here are the results:
We also did some celebrating in City of Heroes. They had special baddies just for Halloween, that were very cool looking. You would go to a door and open it and out would pop wither a trick (bunch of special bad guys to kill) or treat (inspiration or a rock). Once you killed enough of a particular enemy, you would get a badge with little Tim Burtonesque wings.
November is going to be awesome. I have a bunch of good books to read and we have a vacation planned AND tickets to the symphony AND Halo 2 comes out. Oh. And a bunch of other people will eat a turkey.
.: posted by Zemlet 10:13 AM
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