Or is that 1 and a 1/2? *shrug*
Anyway, there isn't much to report for last week or this week. The main reason being is that training at work has me staying late; after six or seven in the evening but until after nine if I'm not very lucky. The first few days were fine when we left at around four in the afternoon on a long day.
But, when we started actual field training, in which I made a nice sale at the first appointment (YAY!), I didn't see home until after dinner. Call nights, when we go through referrals and leads sent in by the many unions around the state, to set up appointments the next day we could be there until nine which is the mandatory time when we HAVE to stop. The 'No Call Law' made to prevent telemarketers and bill collectors from bugging you at all times of the night kicks in.
Before you say it, no, I am not a telemarketer nor am I soliciting life insurance. Yes, I want people to buy (Mostly because I don't want to see them going through the hell I do because of no insurance more than for the money), but I am not pushing for sales. I honestly do have some wonderful stuff that is no cost and very useful to the average person. I wouldn't be calling them unless someone they knew pointed me in their direction. At the beginning of that chain is someone who is/was in a union that started the ball rolling.
The company I'm with deals with unions and associations and will only go to people outside of them on a referral basis.
It is really a very niche market and AIL is running with it all the way. I have to learn a lot about this niche and perfect my presentation before I'm allowed to step out and bug people on my own. ;)
So far, I'm enjoying it and encountered only a couple of people who irritated me. One was an elderly woman whose husband was injured and laid-up for a while. The dramatics she put on (That so tired sigh with the back of her hand against her forehead and the mock pained glances toward her husband) were way over the top. It was easy to tell she didn't want us there. I could hear it in the tone of her voice and the clipped answers she gave.
Her husband was giving her those looks of 'would-you-stop-the-drama-before-I-kick-your-butt' kind of looks. He was listening and being cordial. He wanted us there. I found his expressions amusing and, to be frank, if I were him, I would have said something about it with us there.
The one whom I have trained with the most in the field, and who helped me make that first sale, is a sweet gentleman. He's patient and gave many good pointers which I've used. He's young and married, but he's supportive and guides. My boss, who I've also trained with makes me nervous and is far too much the alpha male. He expects perfection out of the gate even though he says he doesn't. His body language and attitude in general says otherwise.
If you've been in retail and fast food for as long as I have, you pick up on those or the job will chew you up and spit you out on the streets. The same reasons why I don't like people is also why I enjoy the job. Working is my only social time with others. (I don't count write-ins as work. That's fun-social which I need more of)
Tomorrow, I'll be in the field with a girl is, more than likely, half my age. She's pretty, vivacious and bubbly without being annoying. I can imagine her being a cheerleader in school with her get-up-and-go attitude to getting the job done. She and I had one preset appointment each then we hammered out the rest (for eight appointments total) in an hour and a half.
So, that is what I was up to for the last week or more. That will explain why I haven't done anything on my goals, too. They're bad excuses, but they are true.
- Header image and thumbnail photograph by Hugh Lee and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sahlgoode/
1) Write two chapters to “Black Friday 2″. (Two chapters a month sound reasonable enough to keep this one around)
I did get started on this one around the first. Sadly, nothing was written at all in the last few days of July. The way things look, until I can do presentations on my own, I won't be able to do much unless I manage to get home early or on a Sunday. When school starts, I won't be doing anything after midnight so I can get up at six to get Colin off to school.
2) Work on "Dark Crystal" contest submission
The same on this one. The only exception is, I just cannot come up with anything. I have the premiss but the story isn't there. I do like the character, however, so I may use her in one of my fantasy stories at some point, or see her cameo in a current work in progress. Nothing at all last month either, so this one will probably be dropped until I can focus more on my writing again.
3) Work on edits/revisions for the last half of SoNL
I started re-reading this one to get an idea of where it's going. This one, after I get the first half back for revisions, is going to be going through the wringer in a few other writer's groups I found on Facebook. A few are critique and help groups for just such problems.
4) Keep trying to exercise twice a week
This one I can say I have been doing. There is a lot of walking involved plus some extra on the side just to help keep my knees and rump from getting sore on call nights at work.
5) Work on edits for “Black Friday” for republication.
Some has been done, but not enough to put it in the green. I need to do more than a word or two to call it progress. But, at least there is some progress to speak of.
6) Study the craft of writing.
This one has been easy to do. I've managed to read through four books on writing. I've gone over speaking and dialects, show and tell, how to write a scene, and how to show emotion and action. There's still more to read and many more books to buy when I have the spare change again.
7) Get art and items prepared for August Elks Swap in Pryor.
This one could not be done. I had to work and Saturday's appointments were all in Bixby, OK. A lovely little town with such a cozy friendly atmosphere and countryside that makes you want to kick off your shoes and go running through the fields. *sigh* When I finally build a house, it will probably be in Bixby on several acres of land. I saw a plot there I would love to have, now, but there's no money for it and terrible credit to get it.
The September Swap will be out of the question for now. I'm going to aim for November (Yes, during Nano) so I'll have some set back and plenty of change to get supplies I need to make soap. Yes, you read that right, I'm making homemade soap. For now, using a premade base until I can get the things I need to make it from scratch without ruining the good cookware. There will be more than just homemade soap. I'll delve into lotions, oils, bubble bath, and liquid soap as well. Basic bar soaps are all I have for now.
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