Another Update on Efforts

Total Black: $1,316.20
Total Red: $230,870.71

I thought I’d take today, like I did back in September in Update on Efforts, to give another update on my various ventures, joint and several.  I had visit ten today for the medical experiment.  I believe there are a total of thirteen.  Two weeks separates most visits so that means another two months roughly until I earn the $540 or so.  The doctor today observed that I have “slight tremors” in my hands when I hold them out straight.  I wonder if its from stress or the drugs.  The only other complaint I have is just muscle aches and pains.  But that too can be a symptom of depression.  I’ve noticed my vision getting blurrier.  Not good, especially since I had LASIK done back in February 2008.  I wonder if the blurry vision comes from the experimental medication or doc reviewing.  Both seem hazardous for your health.

Short Post, Long Day

Total Black: $2,419.37
Total Red: $231,219.37

This entire weekend has been daily trips to and/or from New York.  On Thursday, Thanksgiving morning, I rode the bus to my mother’s.  On Friday, I drove her car back to New York.  On Saturday, I drove the car back to Pennsylvania.  Today I drove it back out to New York and back to Pennsylvania.  It only took six hours.  I passed three separate accidents along the way.  And each time, the opposing traffic slowed to a crawl for no reason!  None.  There was nothing blocking our way except nosy neighbors.  Infuriating!  Now tomorrow I’ll make the trek back to New York, this time by bus.  Let’s just say I’m tired.  But I finally remembered to bring the paperwork I need for my meeting tomorrow with the judge.  I teased my mother and her female friends this evening over pizza, reminding them to think of me at thirty-three being so forgetful the next time someone tells them they’re getting forgetful.

Short post today.  I’m beat.  I neglected to mention in To Confess or Not to Confess that total black is way up because I borrowed rent money from my mother again.  I’ll get paid this week but it will only be for twenty-five hours since we lost Thursday and Friday due to the holiday.  But it’s back at it tomorrow . . . whenever I finish my morning meeting.  And I’ll be sure to send the money back to my mother as soon as possible.

To Confess or Not to Confess

Total Black: $2,452.95
Total Red: $231,191.81

I arrived back in Scranton just after four o’clock.  My sister had sent me a text message at 1 p.m., while I was still in New York, telling me that my mother wanted her car back by 4 p.m.  It takes about two hours or so to drive from New York to Scranton.  Her abrupt text left me just barely enough time.  So, I grabbed a big bag of laundry, hopped in the car, and drove west.  Somewhere in the middle of New Jersey a flash of white heat overtook me when I realized that I had forgotten the paperwork that I had driven all the way out there to retrieve.  I actually found myself in a cold sweat.  I don’t think that has ever happened to me before.  And frankly it’s all because of my sister.  Or I suppose I should say because of the power I give her over me.

Blogging From the Bathtub

Total Black: $1,029.83
Total Red: $231,341.81

Yes.  I am blogging from the bathtub.  With a bit of ingenuity, I can post via my iPhone.  The last time I had to do this, in Miracles of Modern Technology, my internet service had been suspended.  This time it’s nothing so frustrating. In fact, pay came through today, allowing me to pay my cell phone bill, which restored my service.  Without that, I might have had another day without a post.  Or not.  In New York City there are still some places where you can buy internet access. 

Giving Thanks

Total Black: $94.05
Total Red: $231,341.81

My mother, sister, and I are all watching “Only the Lonely.”  I referenced that movie in Never Been Further Apart because the scene where the son, played by John Candy, is arguing with his mother Rose, played by Maureen O’Hara, left an impression on me.  It finally made it’s way up the Netflix queue and I decided to bring it home with me for the holiday.  That scene still affects me, and even the entire film itself somewhat, because it speaks volumes to all the different ways people live with loneliness.  Even though we’re rarely alone.

Bus Tickets and Cell Phones

Total Black: $97.22
Total Red: $231,308.15

As I suspected in Paycheck to Paycheck, this week’s pay from the temporary attorney staffing agency didn’t post today even though they had told me it would.  This agency pays on Thursdays.  I did receive the paystub in the mail today though.  At least I know how much to expect in my account.  I trust it will post by morning.

Paycheck to Paycheck

Total Black: $64.64
Total Red: $231,308.15

Tomorrow should be payday.  We get paid on Thursdays normally, but with Thursday being Thanksgiving, paychecks should be processed tomorrow.  If they aren’t, I’ll be spending Thanksgiving alone in New York with my cats because I don’t have the cash, and certainly not the credit, for a bus ticket back to Scranton.  I checked with the temp agency and they said we’d be paid tomorrow, so I suppose I’m exaggerating a bit.  Plus, even if my paycheck doesn’t post by tomorrow morning, I’m sure it will make its way to my account by Thursday morning.  Thankfully, computer automation doesn’t take days off.

Writer’s Block

Total Black: $63.94
Total Red: $231,284.24

I suppose it happens to the best of us. Typically I sit at the computer and something comes. Very seldom is it planned or thought-out in advance. Today I’m dry. It’s late. I’m tired. And I can’t think of anything to write about. So instead, a quick update.

Charts and Calls

Total Black: $63.19
Total Red:$231,259.60

A few days ago I received a comment suggesting and requesting a budget and income analysis.  It got me thinking that a few visual aids might help me, and my readers, to gauge my progress.  So, I spent the better part of today tooling around with excel spreadsheets trying to graph my data.  In Third Day of Accounting I included an excel chart that showed total red from the prior two days of accounting.  I didn’t have time to update that chart for my Fourth Day of Accounting.  I thought I’d start with charting my total black and total red for each day.  That chart didn’t come out looking as clean as I thought, so it’s on hold.  It’s not what the commenter requested, or suggested, but it’s a start.  See, a budget implies income and expenses.  These past few weeks I’ve mostly had expenses.  It’s hard to budget when your income shifts from week to week.  I can chart my expenses, but I kinda covered that in Cutting Costs, Corners . . . and Concerns.  But I promise to make my entries a bit more visually stimulating.  Perhaps that’s a task I can accomplish while relaxing over the Thanksgiving holiday at my mother’s.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Total Black: $66.92
Total Red: $231,085.13

Eh . . . but it’s not really early.  And I’m not yet wealthy.  Healthy and wise perhaps.  Two out of three so far.

Riding the Roller-Coaster

Total Black: $76.36
Total Red: $231,096.13

It goes up and down and all around.

The temporary project I’m on ended today.  It’s so odd too because, as I plotted in More Shenanigans, I casually asked the paralegal about the expected duration of the project, noting my interest in finding holiday work.  He said he didn’t know but would find out for us.  Curiously, he only circled back around to talk with us after I met him in the lunch area a few hours later.  And just like that, the project was over.  Today.  The client, I suppose, wasn’t willing to invest further in contact attorneys.  One of the temp attorneys disappeared before we got this message though.  Desk wiped down and cleaned up as if he hadn’t been there.  No good-byes.  We don’t know if he was told to leave or had just happened to leave early for the day.  At any rate, we won’t see him again.  See, there’s good news too.  The firm is rolling us over onto another project.  Well, that is, all but one of us.  The departed attorney will not be brought back in—hence our wonder where he went and whether he was asked to leave.  The bad news though is that the associate who will supervise the new project—its only new for me and another temp attorney—is a real bitch, according to the two contract attorneys I sat with who had worked on this same matter two weeks ago before I arrived.  I don’t do well with moody, unprofessional women who make faces and sigh and expect people to read their minds.  (Just a few of the descriptions I’ve heard of her.)

More Shenanigans

Total Black: $295.48
Total Red: $231,123.38

Pay came through last night.  In fact, I was still awake around 2 a.m. when it showed up in my account.  I had been slowly siphoning the money in my secondary checking account, money that I had parked there for the COBRA payment to the firm.  By yesterday afternoon the check still hadn’t been cashed, so I transferred the remaining money into my primary checking account to use it buy a few things, like lunch and some groceries.  So last night when I saw that my paycheck had been deposited and the check still hadn’t been cashed, I quickly transferred the $399.22 (covering two months) back into the other checking account to cover it, gave a sigh of relief, and then quietly drifted off to bed.  But of course, this afternoon the check showed up in my account as if it had posted on September 18th, even though I viewed my account at 2 a.m. the next day, September 19th, and the check wasn’t there.  This is the kind of shit I wrote about in What Is This, Sarcasm? that makes my blood boil.  I guess the new day I wrote about in A New Day Has Dawned has limits.  I borrowed the money I had allocated for that check knowing full well I might incur an insufficient funds fee.  And if it had presented a few days earlier, when the entire amount wasn’t in the account, I would have happily paid the $35 fee and been done with it because it would have been my fault.  I’m not proud to have to play these games, but skating this close to the financial edge requires running a few risks.  But it infuriates me when Bank of America rewrites history, when it moulds time to suit its purposes, and allows the check through just when enough money is in the account.  What’s the chance that the check presented conveniently a day before I transferred the exact amount into my account.  No, the check had not presented on September 18th.  And if the bank functions on Pacific time, then the money I transferred would have hit my account in time to cover it anyway.  Tomorrow I’m calling Bank of America and demanding back the $35 fee I paid today.

On the Road to Debt Freedom

Total Black: $84.50
Total Red: $231,084.38

I received a beautiful and encouraging comment today.  Definitely helps keep me going knowing that others have managed to get out of debt.  I appreciate too that she acknowledged the hiccups or speed bumps we encounter along the way.  Every seems ready to harpoon you if you’re not willing to give up a “luxury” item or just can’t bring yourself to take a certain action or give up a purchase or something.  As I’ve said many times, people in debt are still people, with weaknesses and needs like all others.

One Hundredth Post

Total Black: $173.95
Total Red: $231,084.38

In addition to bringing this, the second installment of my Ordinal Posts, Fiftieth Post being the first, today also brings my first reference by another blog.  Bitter Lawyer sent some sinners over to the confessional here.  The site’s post discussed the efforts of attorneys to gain employment through Craigslist and had me in stitches a few times because I’ve trolled the depths of Craigslist myself, as I noted in I Need a New Gig for example, and I’ve definitely come across the types of posts Bitter Lawyer referenced. Although most of my digital wanderings were through the gigs section, I do browse the Legal/Paralegal page from time to time and also run some targeted searches for “lawyer” or “attorney” through the “All Jobs” or “All Gigs” databases.  In fact, I’m not sure I ever mentioned it—I didn’t in the initial post, If You Find Yourself in a Hole—that I found my way to the Recession Art Sale through searching for “lawyer” on Craigslist.  But no, I haven’t found any legal work that way, well . . . other than legal temp work, that is.

Starting the Uphill Climb

Total Black: $215.70
Total Red: $231,084.38

I received an email earlier today from the stage manager of the New World Stages about a possible position there.  I mentioned in Moonlighting that I had emailed her.  She said they’re only looking currently for holiday help.  I wrote back with a copy of my resume and mentioned my full availability.  It’s possible that my efforts could lead to two additional jobs.  The theatre gig and the recruiter gig with CHEST, the Hunter College social research position.  That may mean that on a given Thursday, I could end up working 9am – 5:30pm at the contract attorney position, then say 6:30pm to 10:30pm at the theater, and finally 11pm to 2am with the research position.  Wow.  That’ll be a rough pace to maintain.  But I’m certainly not getting out of debt without a struggle.  I’m ok with that, as long as the struggle builds character and is somewhat enjoyable along the way.

Payday will arrive on Thursday.  I really can’t wait.  It’s been nearly three weeks since I got paid.  Unemployment benefits did come through last week and the one before, but $385.00 isn’t much to live on.  And I need to pay my creditors.  I’m tired of the telephone ringing at 8:31 a.m.  Well, one good aspect to it, if my alarm doesn’t go off, I won’t end up sleeping too late.  They’re almost like my personal wake-up call.

The Parent Trap

Total Black: $427.04
Total Red: $231,084.38

A few days back, a reader posted a comment accusing me of siphoning from my mother’s retirement nest egg.  It’s prayed on my mind for a while now, so I thought I’d address it directly.  Certainly it’s an area where I’m vulnerable.  I suppose in America, the land of bootstraps, leaning on anyone else leaves you open to criticism.

Moonlighting

Total Black: $427.04
Total Red: $230,977.94

Looks like there’s work to be had again with the colleague I spent the month of August working for.  He called again tonight.  Actually, a few days ago he texted me to ask about more work.  I bunted by saying I needed to write up my hours.  Frankly, I wasn’t willing to work more without seeing any money.  I did though tonight.  I had finally written up my hours for the work I started in Hang a Shingle.  I don’t know why I’ve dragged my feet on it.  I guess I just hoped that he would pay me the $1,500 fee that we agreed upon.  I asked him for it in Pussyfootin’ Around.  It still hasn’t materialized.  He hasn’t billed the client yet though, so it’s not as if he has the money and is keeping it from me.  It looks like the work for him might heat up again, especially through the end of the year because he may have a job offer that would prevent him from doing any other work.  I’m wiling to help.  I like him and enjoy the work.  I just need to get paid for it.

Cutting Costs, Corners . . . and Concerns

Total Black: $435.42
Total Red: $230,977.94

I’ve received a lot of comments, questions, feedback, and suggestions over the past day or so.  Since the blog is just beginning to pick up traffic, I have the luxury of responding directly in a post to many of those responses.  First though I need to lay out my monthly expenses.  That’s something I haven’t done.

Venom and Vitriol

Total Black: $393.85
Total Red: $230,977.94

. . . Or a response to the Mikes of the world.

Earlier today I received my first negative comment.  Given the nature of the internet, and particularly with the ability to anonymously comment, I figured when I started this blog that it would come with the territory.  I suppose I foresaw such comments in Getting There From Here, but to be honest I was quite taken aback by the viciousness of the comment.  It physically jarred me for a few hours, partly, I think, because the comment was not given in a supportive or encouraging tone but merely in a vicious rant.  So much so that I’m devoting this entry to his comment, especially since, as of writing this entry, at least four people have rated his comment positively.

Working on Wall Street

Total Black: $419.81
Total Red: $230,977.94

Yesterday was my first day working on Wall Street.  It’s only a contract attorney position, but for the rest of my life I can now say that I worked on Wall Street.  The project isn’t spellbinding or anything, but it’ll do for awhile.  I share a workspace with two other people and there’s only a total of five people on the project, including myself.  Much of the day is quiet except for sporadic bursts of conversation.  We can work from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. but only for a total of forty hours a week.  That means I can start at 9 a.m. and be out at 5:30 p.m. (the law requires us to take at least thirty minutes for lunch) or have two hours during the day and leave at 7 p.m.  I’d like to use those two hours to work out at the gym, but I first need to earn enough to reactivate my gym membership.

Money that came through last night from unemployment benefits is already promised for COBRA payments for last month and this.  So, that means I’ll be without much cash for another week.  I wonder how many other people get stuck in this feedback loop of just being able to cover monthly expenses but never able to apply anything to debts.

Fourth Day of Accounting

The 10th of the month has arrived already and with it comes my fourth day of accounting.

Total Black: $64.23

Here’s the Breakdown:

Primary Checking: $0.06
Secondary Checking: $0.00
Savings: $0.00
PayPal Account (Personal): $0.22
PayPal Account (Blog): $0.00
Amazon Payments Account: $0.00
Mutual Funds Account: $63.95

FICO Score 497

Total Red: $230,977.94

Here’s the breakdown:

Credit Card Debt

MasterCard: $5,813.86
Visa: $8,268.35
Visa: $5,737.47
American Express: $2,398.31
Raymour & Flanagan Credit Line: $5,903.91

Student Loan Debt

Federal Stafford Loans: $96,810.17
Private Student Loans: $33,840.63

Back Taxes

IRS (2007): $1,280.08
IRS (2008): $27,952.00
NY State (2008): $0.00

Other Loans

My mother: $42,973.16

Total black this month is abysmal. 

A Few Bits of Good News

Total Black: $64.24
Total Red: $230,807.75

I decided that today will be my last day of being unemployed.  After over a year, it’s been long enough.  And tomorrow I start a new contract attorney position.  I don’t know that I won’t need to go back on unemployment, but if I don’t declare an end to it, who will?  The project tomorrow pays $35.00 / hour.  That’s a decent wage: $5,600 a month, before taxes, assuming a forty-hour work-week.  After taxes, it will probably be around $3,000, but I’m not going to let that demoralize me before I even walk through the door.  It’s funny too which agency placed me.  I was two seconds shy of bolting from that building out of sheer fright and disgust.  I’d never been in a place that gave me the creeps like that had.  At first I thought it might have been a front for something else.  Once I found the correct floor, however, the atmosphere warmed considerably.  Glad I did not trust my instinct in that situation because I would not be working tomorrow. 

Chemical Sheets and Eleven Agencies

Total Black: $63.15
Total Red: $230,807.75

Not much to say today.  I spent much of the weekend cleaning my apartment.  Sort of the Fall version of spring cleaning.  Since the exterminators came by yesterday, I slept in insecticide last night because they sprayed down my mattress and sheets.  It didn’t make sense washing the sheets right afterward since residue of the chemicals remain to kill bedbugs.  Had I washed the immediately afterward their visit would have been a waste of time.  I washed them today though.  I just couldn’t stomach another night in chemical sheets.  It didn’t hurt or cause any problems, but just the thought of sleeping on dried chemicals made me uneasy.  So instead after washing the sheets and throwing the pillows and comforter in the dryer, I spread diatomaceous earth along the baseboards, around the bed posts, and then on top of the box spring.  If any bedbugs remain, they’ll have to crawl onto the bed from one of those entry points.  And when they do, the diatomaceous earth will stick to their waxy exoskeletons and kill ’em.  Dead.  Diatomaceous earth dehydrates insects.  It’s basically dried algae so it’s a natural pest control.  It’s just annoying to have to spread this flour-like substance all around.  I’m only hoping the cats don’t decide to play in it. 

Virtually Incensed

Total Black: $63.15
Total Red: $230,600.32

While letting my apartment air out from the exterminators’ visit this afternoon, I took time at a nearby Starbucks to read today’s New York Times.  I was utterly befuddled . . . nay dumbfounded . . . by an article on the front page.  Claire Cain Miller and Brad Stone penned an article titled “Virtual Goods Start Bringing Real Paydays.”  I use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.  And I’ve played a few hours of Second Life.  So I’m not unfamiliar to the idea of using real money to purchase virtual currency or virtual goods.  But I would have never imagined what Miller and Stone reported. 

Adding Up the Numbers

Total Black: $74.09
Total Red: $230,600.32

While talking on the telephone with a friend the other day, I ran some calculations and realized that even if I obtained steady contract attorney work I wouldn’t come close to reaching my goal.  Assuming a sixty hour work-week at forty dollars an hour, that nets me $124,800 after fifty-two weeks—before taxes and expenses.  I’ve only got thirty-six weeks left until 8/9/10.  Those calculations do not make me doubt achieving my goal of being out of debt in a year, but they do get me thinking that I need to step things up a bit on the supplemental front.