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Can freelancers pin down floating holidays?
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Columbus Day was a floating holiday for my friend, with whom I spent the day shopping. She got paid for trying on party dresses. Did I?
Good question. I've not yet averaged out what I earn per hour. I suppose in January (and February and March), as I compile my pay and expenses for my wonderful accountant, I'll have a better idea of my earnings since mid-February, when I took the plunge. I can break it down by week, then by hour...or by typical 40-hour workweek, though my workweek is anything but typical. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many hours per week I really work. Does writing stories in your head while you vacuum the living room count? I say yes when I shut off the vacuum and dash to the computer to add the next graph to a work in progress. How about chatting with an editor friend on Facebook? Definitely, when she shoots me a story idea that turns into an assignment for another media outlet. My work hours are as nebulous as my pay.
I may cringe when I see the figures. Then again, I may do a little dance, because for me, every day is a floating holiday. And while I'm not making much money (of that I'm quite sure), the freedom is, as they say, priceless. When I lived in a cubicle back in the day, Columbus Day was really just Monday, and I certainly didn't put on any party dresses. I may be about as lost as Columbus when it comes to hard numbers, but I'm enjoying my time sailing out on the ocean blue.
