Free-lancing for Bernie is just every bit as much fun as I thought it would be. He's been driving me slightly bonkers* in email every day for the past three days. Still, I keep reminding myself that making money is a good thing. Even if it's only $200 - $300, it's worth having.

I've been hunched over one computer keyboard or another for hours every day. Working from home isn't like working in an office--I just don't have any computers at home that are situated to allow hours of ergonomically correct posture while typing.

I'm not going to tell the R.C. that my back's been hurting, though. For one thing, she just nursed me through that whole foot thing. For another, well, I know my posture could be improved. I don't want to hear about it. It's normally not a problem.

Anyhow. I've been using one of the many back-support pillows that litter the living room and it's getting better.

On the job-hunt, there is nothing. The guy who's supposed to call and schedule an interview has not called. Everyone who has a job is too busy looking forward to the holiday to bother with things like posting "help wanted" ads.

So, I'm doing laundry this afternoon. Not glamorous, but there you go. The life of the idle poor isn't the candy and cadillac parade that some people would have you believe. I've also dealt with this week's pile o'papers and mail and started cleaning my bathroom.

All around me, people are needing money. Organized charities, friends in temporary need, street people--you name it. I'm feeling very guilty that I'm not able to make donations to anyone this year.

I gave to the Pencils For Writers fund or whatever it is--the one designed to convince corporate television execs that people do, in fact, giveashit about how the writers are treated and who expect the television industry, the same as any other, to sit down at the bargaining table in good faith and with reasonable terms to offer.

Anyhow. I dropped a dollar in it, to buy a box of pencils. I bought a couple of canned food items for a food drive. I dropped $5 into a fund that some friends aer running to raise money to build a wheelchair ramp for some other friends. That's a pretty pathetic list, I know. Even if I did donate to various other things at various times earlier this year.

Grinch-grinch-grinch. Not about Christmas. Just--sigh. I don't like working for Bernie, even free-lancing. Brings back bad memories.

It's been sunny and in the 70s for days, but this afternoon it's cold and gray because we have snow moving in and you know how I hate gray skies.

On a more positive note (she said, determined to drag her grouchy self into cheerfulness whether she liked it or not), I've been watching the Slings and Arrows that Ruthless loaned me and really enjoying it. It's one of those weird and quirky little shows that either strikes you or it doesn't. It struck me.

I wasn't that huge of a Paul Gross fan when I saw him in due South but I'm starting to realize that his rep for talent is well-deserved as I watch this show. Seeing him playing a man on the way back (?) from a meltdown, haunted by a ghost, trying to stage Shakespeare at a national festival that's chronically short on money but never short on villains, is a treat. (Also, he looks better naked than I would have thought.) (Not that that has anything to do with my favorable opinion of the show. I had no idea he was doing to get nekkid until I saw it onscreen.)

Having finally worked my way through the entire Foundation series, I'm at a loss for what to read next.

Except! I'm not! Because I have the R.C.'s Birthday Bounty still in front of me! Five, count 'em, five new books I can read!

Tell you what. I'll go start reading and see if that never-fail remedy doesn't cheer me up, okay?

All of you United Statesers have a great Thanksgiving!




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* I.e. aggravating me, but nothing like to the extent that he's able to aggravate me in person.