Finding Time

I'm trying to get Tyler to write about his new job, but getting him to write anything needs a lot of coaxing! But so far he likes it -- he's still in training, but he likes everyone in his department and gets a ton of discounts and benefits from being a Macmillan employee. A plus for me: they consider his recommendations first priority when looking through applicants for jobs, so if there's a position available maybe I'll have a chance!

Both of us have been really busy recently and that's why I haven't had much time to write. It's true that New Yorkers work their lives away -- you get caught up in working as much as possible because everything is so much more expensive. You have to pay expensive rent, and then if you want to go out you have to spend more money, food is more expensive, yadda yadda yadda. So I've been working 6 days a week and not going out much. I'm trying to save money because I'll need to start paying for my insurance soon. Through Tyler's work plan with United Healthcare, I can join because I'm a domestic partner, but I'll need to pay a little more plus some tax thing. It'll amount to about $115 a month, which isn't so bad...it just means I'll have to go out a little less, or take an extra shift at the Inn.

Tyler has some side projects going on he has to finish up -- some freelance stuff. And then...

We're coming to Omaha in November for Thanksgiving!!

I'm staying the 24th - 30th, and Tyler's driving there with some friends on Tuesday and leaving on Sunday. It'll be so nice to see our friends and all my family at our giant Thanksgiving party...and all the other stuff we do after Thanksgiving, like going to Mama's Pizza.

Most of all, I can't wait to DRIVE AGAIN! I never thought I'd say it, but I'm looking forward to going behind the wheel and driving Omaha's streets. It'll be like when I was 16 and would eagerly drive to the grocery store...just so I could drive because it was such a new luxury. And now it'll be a luxury again, and I'll drive to Hy-Vee for a bag of potatoes on Thanksgiving morning if need be! I do like public transportation because you can read or zone out and not worry about the crazy drivers/traffic, but at the same time, your schedule revolves around the train's/bus's schedule. If they're late, you wait.

Today is the first sunny day we've had in a week, and it's my only day off, so I'm going to go into the city and meet Ty tonight so we can go to Trader Joe's and buy food for our pathetically empty fridge.

How exciting!

I might also go to the park and finish the manuscript I'm reading for class. Almost done...last night in class we learned about the business side of publishing, including P&L (Profit & Loss) statements and all the elements of a contract. Did you know that if you own a bookstore and the books you bought from a publisher don't sell, you can ship them back to the publisher and they'll refund your money? That sounds like a crazy business model to me, but apparently it dates back to the Depression era when booksellers wanted a guarantee or something, so publishers promised to buy back any unsold books. And that model has become so engrained in the publishing world that it's just stuck. I also learned about advances and royalties, legal terms in contracts, etc. etc. Super interesting -- even though finances might not be my cup of tea or what I'll ever end up working in, it's good to know all the ins and outs and be informed.

Still waiting on the booze cruise photos...of course Tyler and I forgot the camera and I had to resort to taking pictures on my phone, but Jocelin's phone is a Droid and took way better pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the bridges. If she doesn't send them soon I'll email all the phone pics to myself and post them, even though they'll be crappy.