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More Head-exploding Things

Posted on by lwidmer

Hop on over to Get Paid to Write Online and read my guest post. I’m still on vacation, hopefully with a cozy camping spot, but I wanted to share some of my more intriguing finds this past week. Here are some more things that make my head explode: Rules that make no sense whatsoever. It…

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Monthly Assessment: July 2011

Posted on by lwidmer

Thought I forgot about the monthly assessment, didn’t you? Well, I did. And because it wasn’t the best month for me, I was tempted to ignore it completely. However, if I’m not accountable to you, then I can’t better myself. Same goes for you. Today I’m off for a week of camping and relaxing (I’ll…

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Insanity Via Craig’s List

Posted on by lwidmer

It’s nuts around here today. I have a ton of stuff to get done before I head off to Maine tomorrow. Five interviews between 11 and 4:30, car in for an oil change (who has time?), and negotiations on yet another job that came in on Friday. Thanks to Wendy Johnson for sending over this…

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Common Sense and the New Freelancer

Posted on by lwidmer

Super day yesterday. I managed to get nearly 500 words down on a 1,500-word article and I’ve yet to touch the interviews. It’s going well, amen. I scheduled a few more interviews – three for today – and I hope to have most of these articles at least roughed in by the time I shut…

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Things That Make Us Stronger

Posted on by lwidmer

Can I just say how predictable some facets of our profession are? I sat nearly idle the last two months. Luckily the projects I had paid enough, but I spent a ton of time on marketing and personal projects. The second I realize our vacation plans are firming up, in come not one, but three…

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Things That Make My Head Explode

Posted on by lwidmer

It was a good work day yesterday. I stuck to my plan, which was to concentrate on my larger project in the morning and get some new queries out in the afternoon. I received an assignment from a magazine I hadn’t contacted, so that was a nice bonus. I like when they have topics and…

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This Job, Not That Job

Posted on by lwidmer

Yesterday was another day where I spun my wheels and got very little done. I managed to get one query out before the daughter came home and took me to lunch. Too much time at the mall later, I insisted we come home. I’m not buying anything, and I can’t window shop when all I…

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Calling in Reinforcement

Posted on by lwidmer

Yesterday proved to be a difficult day to get anything done. I had a dentist appointment in the morning – there went three hours. I got home and the phone rang. Normally, I don’t take personal calls in the middle of the work day, but I hadn’t heard from my sister in a few weeks…

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Killing Your Image – Internet Style

Posted on by lwidmer

Yesterday was a good day. I finished a small project within an hour in the morning, tweaked another one, and got some really focused queries out the door. I’m excited because I know the queries are spot on. The only thing left is to hope the editors are buying. I managed to get a personal…

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Good Monday

Posted on by lwidmer

Friday’s temp(Reading from the thermometer sitting outside – in the shade) Busy weekend. We spent much of it in the basement, the temperatures being just part of the reason. Actually, I guess you could say it was the entire reason. We were trying to get more AC to flow upstairs into the northern-facing rooms. Oddly,…

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  1. Cathy Miller Avatar
    Cathy Miller

    So glad you are giving the light this morning, Lori. 🙂

    I have suddenly developed a nasty habit of not sleeping well-of course, right when it's one of my busiest times. I am struggling to keep it going this morning.

    I'm finishing up a marketing brochure, starting a client resource document and three client blog posts today – and zero energy-oh-oh. Caffeine!!

    Reply
  2. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Caffeine indeed, Cathy! I have that same nasty habit. I dust a lot, do yoga postures, removed all electronic things from by the bed (heard they caused a bit of brain agitation), and I lay off caffeine after 12 pm. Sometimes it actually works. LOL

    Sounds like a neat project or four. Nice!

    Reply
  3. Gabriella F. Avatar
    Gabriella F.

    I feel your pain about poor construction, Lori. I live in a six-unit brownstone in Chicago, and the developer who turned it condo did everything on the cheap. Glad you were able to find the problem!

    My weekend was spent relaxing and cleaning out three closets–on Sunday, when my AC went on the fritz! Was sweat dripping off my face? Indeed! But I was glad I got that done. And the AC guy will be here in an hour. Let's hope it's a small repair.

    As for work, I just finished a three-project spree, so this week will be at a more normal pace. I really need it!

    As for your work, like you said. Just leave. Then it'll flood in!

    Reply
  4. Kimberly Ben Avatar
    Kimberly Ben

    No projects for me this week, Lori. i'll be moving to another state this week and I'm just trying not to freak out about it right now.

    Glad you got your air ducts working because this heatwave is no joke! I had to have my mother's HVAC serviced this summer and was told I'd need to get the system replaced soon because it's on it's last leg. It's over 40 years old so no surprise there. My mother is also planning a kitchen renovation project that I will be managing. My husband and I renovated our historic (1930's) home's outdated kitchen when we bought the house. The fact that we're still together after that project speaks volumes of our commitment to one another. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Gabriella, that's awful! Hope the AC is a minor fix. We replaced ours two years ago – not cheap at ALL, but whole-house AC rarely is. Nice weekend to stay indoors, wasn't it?

    Kim, that you're still together IS a testament to your commitment! LOL You're brave taking on your mom's kitchen project management. You must be one mighty strong woman – chasing contractors can be more draining than going without the kitchen.

    Reply
  6. Kimberly Ben Avatar
    Kimberly Ben

    Lori, my mother appointed me to take on her project. It's NOT by choice (oh the joys of being an only child!), but I am obligated. I still have nightmares about the shady contractors from our kitchen renovation 11 years ago. *shudders*

    Reply
  7. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    LOL! Obligations can kill you, Kim. 🙂

    Look what you've learned from your own experience. I have no doubt you'll kick butt!

    Reply
  8. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    As soon as I started reading about your ductwork issues, I thought, "That's a job for Mike Holmes!" Given your addiction to home improvement shows, you may have picked up some of those tips from him.

    I watch those shows and only see the chain reaction of additional problems one project can lead to – that's enough to make me not tackle much on my own. Painting, organizing, superficial things, sure – this very morning I nailed in an ancient oak trim piece that holds the bronze mesh in a window screen. But I won't touch plumbing (other than replacing a flapper or something small), electrical or structural projects. I don't do much requiring ladders. Vertigo can be a scary thing – even on the second rung of a ladder.

    I hope it cools off for you soon. There's hope: Overnight a cool front ushered out the humidity and it's lovely here. I opened windows and propped fans up to pull the air into the middle of the house.

    Gabriella, I hope you didn't get caught in the flash flooding in Chicago this weekend. We only got about 2" out here on Saturday morning – a tiny fraction of what Chicago and the 'burbs got.

    Work today consists of setting interviews for two articles, a couple of queries and whatever else I can fit in.

    Reply
  9. Devon Ellington Avatar
    Devon Ellington

    Glad your improvements fixed the problem.

    I have a brutal work week this week, and lost the morning because I had to take my mom to the doctor. Will have to work into the evening to make up for it. That's the way it goes sometimes.

    Reply
  10. Gabriella F. Avatar
    Gabriella F.

    Paula, that flooding was crazy, wasn't it? We had no water damage, and I'm grateful! Hope that 2" wasn't in your basement!

    Reply
  11. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    It WAS Mike Holmes, Paula! You must have seen the same episode. 🙂

    It's already cooler. Today is a "cool" 89 degrees (it's only noon, but I think it's as hot as we'll see). Glad you weren't flooded! I saw on The Weather Channel that it seemed centralized over Chicago proper.

    Devon, I hope Mom's ear is feeling better. Glad you have work – sorry it's of the brutal workload variety.

    Reply
  12. Anne Wayman Avatar
    Anne Wayman

    changing hosts… and a couple of coaching clients… the host thing will be a relief… site went down again this morning.

    Love your fix it story.

    Reply
  13. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    Lori, has Mike Holmes ever done an episode that didn't involve something to do with air ducts? I keep watching, wondering when he's going to encounter a radiator.

    I'm glad to hear you escaped water damage, Gabriella. Miraculously my basement is pretty dry, too, despite a 91-year old foundation that thinks it's part sieve. (Having the gutters cleaned REALLY helped!) My sister lives near the northern branch of the Chicago river, in the Albany Park area of Chicago which flooded with a similar deluge back in 2008. I guess Public Works did some dredging, grading or diverting so this time the water ran into a park/nature preserve instead of into the residential area. (And yes, folks, there are nature preserves in Chicago proper.)

    Didn't you love the footage of O'Hare crews trying to use snowplows to remove water? Um, dudes, it's liquid. It just rushes right back once the plows have passed.

    Reply
  14. Gabriella F. Avatar
    Gabriella F.

    Yay, a dry basement! You're a lucky devil!

    I remember Albany Park, Paula. So glad to hear whatever they did worked. And for those not familiar with Chicago, Paula's right! Lotsa nature here in Chicago.

    O'Hare crews were funny!

    Reply
  15. WordVixen Avatar
    WordVixen

    Wow- and I thought our place is odd! After about 2 excruciatingly cold winters in our kitchen, we checked out the inside of the cabinets in the coldest part- no insulation at all. Just the OUTSIDE BRICK. Then we found out that the linoleum in the laundry room was laid directly on top of packed dirt. No, this isn't a basement, it's the first floor.

    Reply
  16. Damaria Senne Avatar
    Damaria Senne

    My weekend was great Lori. Got spoilt quite a bit by friends and family because Monday was my birthday and we celebrated early. Today I'm finishing a translation job, then doing some major edits on a client manuscript.

    Reply
  17. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    Anne, the fix-it stuff makes me feel like I've actually accomplished something. Isn't that weird?

    Paula, I remember one radiator show. The radiator was clogged or not working because it was piped wrong. Older show – may have been one of the half-hour ones.

    Gabriella, Chicago is famous for its weather even here in the east! I've been there three times – all in December – and the weather ran the gamut.

    Pushing rain with a plow? Wow. That's just stupid.

    Lori, that's insane! No interior walls? And DIRT under the linoleum? Someone cut way too many corners!

    Belated happy birthday, Damaria! I hope you had a lovely celebration. 🙂

    Reply
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