The $60.00 Blog.

Are there moments in my empowered existence where I’m overjoyed at the fact I have a blog? (Sure.) These are the exact places in my writing where I have to make a crucial decision: Do I shut up, cross my legs and smile politely… or speak the truth?

There are some things I’ll probably never speak up about. We’re conditioned to lay flat on top of the waves, (as not to sink below,) but most of the time? You don’t get anywhere by lounging around.

Know what I’ve come to realize? The term, “acting professional,” seems to me, to be a way to censor yourself for the sake of the ‘company’ or someone else. (While- in the other realm, acting ‘courteous’ or having good, solid, ‘character,’ is not censoring but merely humbling yourself to put the best parts of you forward.) Both, you swallow your pride a bit, but with one? You kill a bit of yourself in the process. I’m so over smiling politely while someone steals from me.

I feel like there are certain textbook, “what would you do?” examples that we could never adequately prepare for in our years of schooling. The hardest things to learn are never in those pages.

I’m such a craigslist addict. Anyone that knows me knows that if you’re looking for a couch? I’m sure as heck going to check my Mecca for you. Freelance opportunities abound, at my sanctuary. (Where else can you find baby toys, a man, free t.v.’s and a job?) Honestly. So it won’t surprise you when I scooted over to ‘Domestic Gigs,’ saw that someone needed a cleaner for one of their clients in about 12 hours and I decided, “I’m not doing much Tuesday- I’d like to make some extra dough- I’m anal about cleaning.. I’m in!” I emailed Alexandra, (the owner of RenHus Cleaning,) and we chatted non-chalantly about life, (turns out we were both freed from the constraints of the same former company,) and we had an entrepreneurial spirit. She said she was leaving the next morning to attend her brother’s funeral. My heart went out after telling her that we lost my brother, Danny at a young age. It was a great fit. I brought my own cleaning supplies to the gig, cleaned like a wildebeest, and called when I was done. Problem: They gave me a company check. I didn’t want to bother Alexandra- so I sent an email. … Then another- to which she responded we could meet and she’d trade me cash for her check. No problem… (A month goes by.) Phone calls, and emails and, “please meet me because I’d really like that $60.00,” goes by and suddenly I realize… I’ve been totally screwed. When I finally got her on the phone, she stated she couldn’t pay me because she lost her checkbook and had to close her account. Then she couldn’t meet me because she was under too much trauma with the death of her brother, (which is understandable.) But she sure is able over the past 3 weeks to advertise the shitzilla out of her business.

See Here.

She actually got me in touch with the client who wanted me to mail out the old check and wait until he got around to sending a new check. (Yes, truly.) I threw a couple ads on craigslist- (there’s nothing like public scrutiny to get a very new, (under 3 months,) start-up company like RenHus Cleaning to take note: This kid cannot be screwed this easily! But, alas… I still have not been paid. (Although, she did so eloquently tell me to stop worrying about ‘my $60.00.’ Which I thought was really sweet…. Really.) The only reply that actually sounded like she cared about driving, (10 minutes- note: she only lives 10 minutes away. Hell- I offered to drive there,) was after I posted this story on craiglist, got a dozen or so replies, (including hers,) and she said, “Stop! I’ll help! What do I need to do?”

I have a motto: If you’re going to waste my time, and screw me over? I’m going to blog about it. In fact? I’m going to make this entire blog worth about $60.00.

So, if you’re looking for a pet, free couch- craigslist is still on my ‘makes Kate happy in the pants,’list. However, if you’re looking for a way to screw me out of 4 hours, and $60.00? Feel free to post sob stories on craigslist about needing someone last minute. Because I’m a sap for helping people- especially start-ups. But I don’t think I’ll answer this time, RenHus Satan- you got me once, not again. (As for you Alexandra? Might want to re-think the grieving thing. Anyone who can fill up a page of google ads and multiple classified postings a day on craigslist- could possibly meet someone halfway- or throw 60 bucks in an envelope to someone to drove last minute- to save one of your clients.)

Happy Pandas, anyone?