Saturday
August 26. 2006

I'm still in my first year of freelancing and not all that sure of what my work schedule will be from week to week. Fortunately, all my work is repeat business, so once I get through the first year, I'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect. My only worry was the summer schedule, when every job coincides with every other job. It meant long days and working weekends, but that all ended yesterday, and I survived.

To my surprise, the toughest part of working alone is ... working alone. I get a lot done without interruptions, but there's no one around to share ideas with, to gripe to, to just shoot the breeze with. It's an odd sense of isolation.

Fortunately I have two things that an office environment can't offer ... Hunky and Dorie. While a lot of folks begin their workday with coffee, I get to watch these two guys chase themselves around the house. Right after breakfast is their exercise hour. They tearing back and forth, up and down stairs, all at the speed of cat.

Then it's rest time. For the rest of the day. If I'm working at the computer in the spare bedroom, they're both napping quietly on the bed. If I'm in the living room with the laptop, Dorie stakes out the loveseat while Hunky curls up in the chair. And they manage some serious nap time, usually lasting all the way to dinner time. I think they sleep better just knowing I'm nearby.

And I think I work better knowing they're nearby.