A week or so ago, Magic Cookie tagged me for the Tell Me About Yourself Award. (And Magic Cookie, when did you lose the dinosaur!?!? I read your blog through a reader most days and was really upset by the change for some reason.) You’re supposed to list seven things people may not know about you. As this blog has served mostly as a personal outlet, I’m not sure WHAT you people don’t know about me. Additionally, Magic Cookie and I did a similar event a few years ago (on Facebook) where I listed TWENTY-FIVE interesting things about myself. Truth be told, I’m not sure I’ve done an additional seven since then. So in the name of responding to Magic Cookie’s request and in the interest of getting into the habit of writing again, why don’t we just chat about what’s going on with me these days?
1. I’ve been working for four weeks now.
Yep, it happened. I had four interviews/resume requests/whatever in one week and came out of it with a job. Better yet? I was offered the option most suited to me. It’s a part-time gig where I can work from home. I make between $50-75 hour and the people I work with seem pretty awesome so far. When I do go into the office, it’s no big deal because a) it’s a mile from my house and b) the dress is casual. No one in the office has scheduled hours except for the receptionist…who works from 9:30-3:30. What does this mean? This means that I receive work with a deadline and turn it back in before the deadline. This means that I can do legal work at 4 am, 10 pm, during the day, or not at all on the days when I’m not feeling it. This means that I can stay up late and sleep in, and this means that I can roadtrip to music festivals to my heart’s content as long as I hit up wi-fi coffee shops every so often for a few hours and rattle off some legal stuff. (Case in point: I am totally thinking about hopping into the car and heading to Austin on the spur of the moment next week to hit some of the ‘unofficial’ SXSW events.)
2. I work as an independent contractor.
How am I managing that? Well, essentially I pay an extra 6% in taxes and have to figure out my own health stuff. Right now I’m carrying catastrophic health insurance to cover weird major stuff in the event I get hit by a car or something. I figure I’ll do clinics when I get sick and hit Planned Parenthood for my annual exams. I've got a few doctor friends in case I need a random prescription in a pinch. So far, I've only hit them up for an antibiotic face cleanser. In addition, I’ve already met with my dentist and negotiated future rates for cleanings, x-rays, etc., so I’m covered there. I'll also have to start setting money aside for taxes since it's not being deducted from my paycheck. What am I missing here, people? Tell me your stories.
3. I am still learning fiddle and mandolin.
For the fiddle, I am giving myself a more classical training and concentrating on sheet music, music theory, youtube lessons, etc. I am tempted, but have not yet sanded down my bridge so that I can more easily bow two strings at once. Not a virtuoso quite yet. In fact I’m only on page 30-something of the Mel Bay book, but I AM progressing and a lot further along than I was when I started two and a half months ago. For the mando, I am concentrating almost exclusively on ear. So basically I sit down at some point every day, decide on a song, and then figure out how to pick it on the mando. Yesterday I did Somewhere Over the Rainbow and portions of Free Falling by Tom Petty.
4. I WANT MORE!
Because learning two instruments is clearly not enough, I am trying really hard to keep myself from buying a) a cheap banjo and b) a set of harmonicas. I keep telling myself that I’ve only been working for a few weeks, and I need to rehabilitate my savings, start paying my student loans, and do other responsible things with my money. Then I tell myself that I haven’t bought a carton of cigarettes since the first week of December and at $200+ savings a month, I am certainly due for a set of harmonicas or a traveler banjo. If I get these items will all of you come jam with me in my living room? Pretty please?
5. Guitar. I own one. I’ve tried to learn to play one several times, but I have midget fingers and it’s kinda embarrassing, but as I realized today while goofing off on the mando, I am definitely capable of PICKING a guitar. WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THIS BEFORE??!?!
6. I’m still doing the online dating stuff and meeting new people, but no one that super-duper strikes my interest as of yet. Maybe I should include in my profile that I’m looking for people who’ll come jam in my living room?
7. I saw a good little band last night called Shovels and Rope. If they come to your town, go see them.
Seven things, there you go. I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a pretty awesome year.
