So we also bought this inversion table and I'm loving it!

Monday, 5/30/16 - Right, so THIS is the holiday everyone is talking about (I tend to forget about holidays now that they don't come with paid time off)! The weekend leading into the holiday was great - capped off Friday with a rooftop event, spent Saturday at the river with my sister and dinner with some friends, had a lazy Sunday that included DIY projects, errands, and some work for a freelance client. Come Monday, while I really didn't work (not a lot to do with my freelance clients), I did get to things that I was putting off: writing and scheduling blog posts, sorting through client clothes of what needs to be taken to resell and what needs to be donated, and working on my monthly newsletter. Personally, we've been focusing on a lot of home updates to get our house ready to rent (this Colorado dream will happen!) so I scheduled out the next few weekends to finish/complete several projects: painting our living room/dining area, redoing the bathroom, and finishing small projects like hanging doors on our bedroom / office rooms (don't ask, but when it's just you, your husband and cats, doors don't really matter too much). I'm not a DIY person, so mentally planning and preparing and knowing this is on my calendar is part of my divide and conquer and don't get to discouraged plan. Also, I need to buy vodka. We're low key about holidays, so I made crock pot pork and we feasted on that with fresh salsa and guac while sipping my new favorite cocktail that Arielle shared a few weeks back. We've been re-watching 30Rock which is one of my all time favorite shows.

My blind glasses try on. The ladies at the place were telling me they looked good! I think they were just trying to make the sale...

So far 237 people have seen this somewhat embarrassing photo, but we got these free bike hats because of it.

Tuesday, 5/31/16 - So much planned for me to do today! I wanted to get a jump start and finish off a lot of assignments for my mentoring sessions, plus I had a freelance writing meeting. First up, was an eye appointment (20/20 vision, yay!) and I'm going to get a pair of glasses to wear when I am doing computer work, which seems like it's all the time. I live tweeted this whole appointment and the major thing I learned? Never schedule an eye appointment for 9 AM if you plan to get work done afterwards. Also, never try on glasses after the eye exam because you will laugh at yourself when you can see again. Despite the fact that the sun was glaring, I had to finish up two grant projects for a client as the deadlines were today and the next day. I wear sunglasses indoors and feel super self-conscious. Submit my projects and head off to my next meeting. While I'm waiting, I get word that a piece of what I just submitted was wrong. Major dread, anxiety as I basically committed the worst possible mistake of submitting something that is wrong. I fixed what was wrong, sent a very apologetic email and attached the correct version, mailed the correct version, and crossed my fingers that they would be kind enough to substitute the correct materials. Ugh. After this, husband and I went to a limited release of new beers at Veil and then the last bike event for this year's Bike Month where we got free nachos - so good. Then we can home and crashed.

Wednesday, 6/1/16 - Woke up at 4:30 as I had to finish writing my monthly newsletter and publish Wednesday's post. I also had a mentor meeting today, which means I needed to do the thing I've been putting off: get my business license from City Hall. I left my house around 9:45 AM, drove around 5 city blocks for a good twenty minutes before finding a place to park (I';m sorry, I couldn't pay $8/hr to park in the public lot, I ended up only spending $3 on parking - win!). This is a good thing because I was on the verge of saying F this and showing up to my meeting empty handed. Got my spot, headed in to Zoning, which is where I had to go first. Filled out form Z, stood in line only to be told I was in the wrong line. Went to the right place where they processed my application. Sent me back to the first line to pay. Went back to the second place where they finished out my application. An hour later, I was putting more money in the meter and then off to room 102 where I stood in one long and very wrong line, which I found out when I cheerfully said, "I'm here to pay for my business license!" To which they said, "Do you have your application and bill?" To which I gave them a blank look. So, was sent to line 6 to fill out said application and get said bill. Well. Turns out when you start a business in 2014 but get your papers in 2016, you sill have to go back and fill out 3 years worth of papers AND pay back taxes. Fortunately, I suppose, there shouldn't be too much of a bill since I didn't really make any money those first two years. After I finally filled out my forms and listed all my assets (more paperwork, yay), they couldn't get a hold of anyone to help get my bill (I was told I was a "special case"). I left my number with the kind gentlemen who said he would call me when the bill was ready and I could come back in and pay it. So three hours later my little home office is zoned and I'm halfway to a business license! Next up: mentor meeting where I proudly said I got my business license under way, but still hadn't done the other thing I was supposed to do a month ago. Sigh. I swear I'll do it this week. After all of this, I felt drained, so tweeted out a request for someone to grab a coffee with me. Matt from Coffee with Strangers was down, so we met up at Quirk Hotel and enjoyed an hour chat on the patio. He's thinking of pursuing his own business/freelance dreams, so it's exciting! Post coffee, I headed to Saison for wine while I waited for the Breakaway RVA planning crew to arrive. We've got June's date nailed down, now on to the details! I also had a really good outfit today, but no one to take a photo, so did it really happen?

Thursday, 6/2/16 - Started my day with another PT appointment, and then quickly decided that with the incoming rain this weekend and the gloriously sunny day that we had today, that I needed to be outside, STAT. One of the great benefits of freelance life is that, as long as you have no pressing deadlines or clients to attend to, that you can be really flexible with your time. I've been feeling really restless lately and knew that getting out in the sun and down by the river would help. So, without further ado, I headed to the river for about an hour with the sun and my recent read, The Power of Habit. Later this afternoon, I had a branding meeting with a THRIVE mentor who is giving me some great ideas to make my site more straightforward and some fun thank you treats for my clients. Afterwards, I picked up Greek for dinner from the drive-thru line at the Greek Festival (seriously, best idea ever). I had plans to do a lot of work, or get a jump start on my bathroom DIY project, but the sofa and 30 Rock pulled me in. In my defense, I did finish a chapter in my book and did a *little* bit of work.

Friday, 6/3/16 - Took our three cat babies to the vet this morning for their annual appointments, got the three cat discount and officially confirmed my status as #crazycatlady. Next up, another meeting with THRIVE mentor Sarah, marketing superwoman. A few hours of work and then I had a meeting with a possible intern and another meeting scheduled, but it didn't happen, so we will have to reschedule. Once I got home, I made myself a drink and then started the scheduled weekend DIY projects: painting my bookshelves and prepping the bathroom for it's paint job - sanding, caulking, etc. The weekend is looking like rain, but I have more DIY planned, catching up on work, a climbing session with a friend.

#FreelanceLife: Weekly Update