Paying Ahead, Falling Behind

Total Black: $472.38
Total Red: $269,947.64

As promised in And Again . . . , I called American Education Services, the student loan lender that I had set-up with automatic bill pay.  And now I remember why I stalled for so long.  Businesses don’t make it easy for you to untangle yourself from the electronic webs they weave. 

And Again . . .

Total Black: $566.79
Total Red: $269,947.64

Well, looks like I did it again—once more.  That same student loan I forgot so many times before, including back in Head Meet Wall, came back today.  Of course.  Because I’ve stubbornly refused to take it off automatic withdrawal.  So my eighty-eight dollar payment will now cost me thirty-five dollars more because of an insufficient funds fee.  Why is this simple lesson so hard for me to learn? 

Last Update On Efforts?

Total Black: $1,404.21
Total Red: $235,585.30

The monthly earnings report from Amazon.com arrived via email the other day.  I haven’t earned that much.  But it prompted me to think about all the various efforts to date in supplementing my income.  It may not be easy finding different gigs in my new location.

Meerkat Manor

Total Black: $349.29
Total Red: $235,224.00

I had an interview this morning with a freelance reporter.  It’s the third request from a journalist via the blog and the second interview I’ve given.  The first journalist balked at my request for anonymity and we never reached to interview stage.  The second was willing to work with me on anonymity, but he didn’t get approval for the article and so the interview was for naught.  The third didn’t even ask my name.  We talked for just over a half-hour this morning.  All three wanted to talk about lawyers struggling with student loans.  Except the journalist today.  He wanted to talk about contract attorneys as well.  I figured I can’t leave the land of temp lawyers without a few more posts dedicated to the quirks, oddities, and irregularities of contract attorney work.

Round and Round

Total Black: $508.96
Total Red: $230,325.12

Both total black and total red are down a bit.  Total red should come down under $229K by tomorrow once payments post and all.  I worked from 8am until 11:30pm today at both jobs.  Since I’ve become head usher for Naked Boys Singing, every Friday and Saturday night will have me watching men singing in the nude—and all the people who pay to see them.  Quite the interesting end to the formal work week and start of the weekend.

Debt Vultures

Total Black: $191.73
Total Red: 226,391.08

Ah blogdom.  Truly a brave new world where nearly anyone can swoop in start plucking apart your innards.  At least in the days of print media commenters had to take time to put their thoughts in a letter to the editor.  And invariably the mad rantings of strangers got filtered out.  But now you open yourself up to anyone out there, including any vultures swarming, looking for a kill.  A few comments received earlier today on Cold Feet prompted me to write a reply.  After three paragraphs, I opted to turn it into today’s post.

Will and a Way

Total Black: $208.35
Total Red: $227,348.99

Today at the theatre I was talking with a fellow Hawker.  Normally he acts like a sixty-five year-old bitter queen whom life has left drenched in its urinary excretion.  Well, at least at work.  And he rarely talks to me.  But today he chatted me up.  He wanted his hawking shift back.  I was scheduled for two hawking shifts next week whereas I typically only worked one shift in the early morning.  He had asked for more time off than he needed and now wanted me to willingly turn that shift back over to him.  For nothing in return.  Just shrug off that income and hand it over.  Luckily, as discussed in Stepping Up and Down, I decided to scale back my theatre shifts for the next few weeks.