I hope My Fellow Americans (said in my presidential-state-of-the-union-address voice) all enjoyed their Thanksgiving holiday. I did, thanks to good friends, good food, and lots of wine.
But the days leading up to Thanksgiving? Not so much.
And the days following Thanksgiving? Not even close.
Why? Because my Hubby-pants and I haven’t won the lottery yet and I have to work at a ridiculously stupid bookstore in order to pay for things like editing and to feed my notebook-buying fetish. Most of the time it’s not that bad. I usually work alone. I stand some books up on the counter, hide behind them, and write furiously in my notebook or type away on my netbook. I was really gaining momentum and even had a little schedule going in my head: Mondays I would write the next few chapter outlines/rough drafts in my journal, I would type them up on my days off(Tue, Wed, Thur), handwrite some more on Friday, and type that up on Saturday. Easy-peezy. But all that has changed…
Recently, we’ve been inundated with shipments of books. Thousands and thousands of old, outdated, books. Books that I have to put away. I’m always scheduled with other people. More hands are better than two when it comes to putting away mountains of books, I guess. And I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m pretty sure my coworkers wouldn’t be too keen on me hiding behind some books and writing while they toil away with the heavy, dusty boxes. Just a hunch I have.
So, I haven’t written anything new in about a week. My face is twitching. I’m lonely and withdrawn without my beloved characters and chapter-ending cliffhangers. The deadline countdown on my phone is ticking away and I’m getting cranky. So I made this list of Pros and Cons to try to balance out my feelings so I don’t kill people just to have some writing time in prison.
PROS:
- I can pay editor, graphic designer, go to conferences, etc
- I can have the books I want (when I can find something at the Bargain Book Warehouse worth reading)
- I can have all the notebooks I want
CONS:
- I can’t write anymore (major CON here)
- The customers are stupid and annoying
- My coworkers are stupid and annoying (haven’t written a post about them yet)
- My pseudo-boss Sandra is stupid and annoying
- I keep hurting my back
- My hands are always dirty
- Seriously, my back always hurts
- It’s cold
- When it’s busy I can’t get to the back of the store to pee or make tea to keep me warm. So I’m stuck up front, not writing, shivering, and doing the pee-pee-dance. Good times.
Okay, way more Cons than Pros. So much for balancing…
How do you feel about your job this week?
journeyofjordannaeast 
I have only 7 more days at my job, so I’m kind of loving it, right now. Sorry your not feeling yours, but like you said, your job supports some of your habits.
7 days? SEVEN DAYS!!?? Goodness gracious I envy you.
God I thought I was the only one with this notebook buying fetish. Lol. I live for new notebooks. I do feel sorry for you. Not writing always drives me insane. In self editing you don’t typically get a lot of writing done (let me tell you), but I do know how you feel. School is kind of a full time job for me though I might be tutoring in the next quarter.
Omg, everytime we get a new shipment I comb through the crap and take one (sometimes two) of each of the new journals that come in. I’m actually the reason they started getting them in. I was like, “people have really been asking why we don’t carry journals and notebooks…” Hahaha
I have no idea how you are a full-time student and find time to write and edit, by the way. I’m incessantly tipping my hat to you.
It seems like having an actual 9-5 job would be harder, personally. But If it’s any consolation I hate your job for you. And most of the time my school too. It’s funny that they call it a full time student because technically I only go two days a week this quarter. We’re on the quarter system at the Art Institute so it’s not like it’s a full university or anything. It’s 11 weeks of hell, and then one week off and 11 more weeks and so on. We get three weeks for winter and three weeks for summer (or maybe one week for summer I’ve heard it varies) and then back to work.
I actually went to Drexel University my freshman year and they operate on the quarter system as well, so I feel you. Except our quarters were 10 weeks. I win? Jk.
Depends on the 9-5 by the way. I worked an office job where I managed to watch tv on my smart phone all day. Haha. Too bad I didn’t write back then, I’d be finished by now.
sounds to me you do get some perks out of your job… notebooks LOL never knew that was a fetish … or that i have one *chuckle*
I work from home that certainly has some advantage: no pseudo-boss, no customers, and i can go to the batheroom any time i want LOL
I hope for you times will change soon for and you can hide behind the books again
I would absolutely love to work from home. I’d trade all the notebooks in the world to do that, haha.
Thanks for stopping by!