I got a wee bit of a contract job this evening that might last a few days, depending on whether or not they wish to further edit the work I have on this task. That would be a very good thing since I just sent off a rather large credit card check to the government to cover the taxes on the money I made doing contract work while I was unemployed last year and last Fall. I am ever so grateful for the money, but I do think that after all is said and done it is something of a incomprehensible notion that I would somehow owe taxes!

This evening, I am working on sponsorship agreements for an international trade show in China. I really enjoy the glimpses I get of other industries and large corporate machinations when I do this sort of contract work. And I enjoy taking really bad documents and turning them into clean, tight marvels of communication! This job was based on other agreement work I have done, so I also have the opportunity to demonstrate the efficiency of all the groundwork I laid last Spring for this company.

Of all the contract work thus far, I have enjoyed the strategic planning and business development work best. Then the knowledge management work. Then the communications work. Then the editing work.

In truth, I have been ever so blessed with the continuum of jobs that have come my way because just one person actually noticed that I had a brain in my head last Spring when I was out selling my soul in temporary work. For example, a few weeks ago I got to see what American Express wanted for a rather large sponsorship; the privilege of the job was the lesson I learned while doing my part of the agreement. What I got to do in the Fall, and to a lesser degree now, is a great reward for those hours and hours and hours of collating, copying, and filing, while trying not to think about the fact that I have 3 college degrees!

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NOTE: My brother expressed great sardonic praise for my bark photos. Now, why ever did he not find them to be most wonderful? I guess if the moss photos elicited a "Gross!" from him, I should be grateful the bark only resulted in gentle ridicule, eh?

B, J, and my Cousin D liked the photos! Oh, do I enjoy feedback!!

B has been exploring photography (it turns out that she has a keen eye for composition), and I had thought we might get to do so together whilst at her family's cabin. I was so excited when I posted the photos, that I called her and made her open my website and start viewing immediately. [I am not above solicited effusive adulation when I feel I am deserving of such.] I explained that while I was exploring the macro setting on my cameras with SM, I couldn't help but wish B was with me. B so rightly pointed out that for us to be able to photograph together, we would need to be without children.

She is right. I would probably let J and E fall into the creek in my enthusiasm to capture the best photo of the water or rocks or algae or something equally beautiful in the Poconos nature. I need to contact her husband G and try to book some B alone time.

Don't you think B ought to pop down for my upcoming b-day? I thought 40 was hard. But I did not realize at the time that at least then (and every day since then) I could say I just turned 40. Turning 41 means I am committing to the decade.

SIGH.