Data and Google Sheets

As the year begins to wind down, I start to work on my spreadsheets for taxes.  I try to keep up with them all year, but it gets really serious in December! 

I've begun to realize that I can reference data from one place to another and not duplicate things.  The best site that helped me figure out the right string to include was WikiHow.Tech, specifically their instructions for pulling data from one sheet to another in Google.

The single quotes around the name of the sheet was the key.  It's amazing how one keystroke can stop things from working!

A new book published!

My aunt has had a dream for years to create a book about my uncle and one of his childhood adventures.  We finally made it happen!

Her first book, called "A True Christmas Story", has been completed and is not available.  You can see it at  http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/TrueChristmasStory. 

I have to give Lulu credit for a pretty easy process.  My learning curve was a bit steep, I've never designed a book before, but once I got into it, it went well.  Excellent customer service so far.  We're ordering her holiday gifts tonight!

I am going to turn this into an e-book next.  And then we'll see what other ideas people want to get published.  Now that I know how to do this, I'm adding to my list of editing services.  Let me know if you have a book you need help getting to the final proof stage!

Hello November

I see you November, hanging out just past Halloween.  I'm getting all of the NaNoWriMo emails. I'm seeing Christmas decorations in the stores.  I cannot believe we are here right now. 

It has been a busy fall.  Empty nesting is not quiet.  All of the invitations that we pushed to the fall, when we expected to have free time, meant that we had no free time as the weeks rolled.  And as the holidays start to kick in I realize I still have books to read, and projects to knit, and rooms to clean out.

On a bright note, my aunt's book is in the final proof stage, I've emptied a room completely in my house and will be re-purposing it to empty many other boxes around my house, I "think" I have a plan for several other projects and I just welcomed a new client to my freelance business. 

What do you still have left to do this year?

Cheap computer

So, I bought myself a cheap laptop.  It's a Packard Bell  N1400BK and I got it from JCPenney.  They sell them. Really.

Anyway, it is perfect for what I need, which is to connect to the internet and run Microsoft Office so that I can freelance from anywhere. I don't need games or storage on this device, I just need to be able to travel without carrying the monster machine I "got" as a hand-me-down from the kids.

Last night I had to do a Windows update. Took hours.  One of the drawbacks to this simple computer is a lack of storage on it. This has a whopping 2GB DDR3L-RS DRAM 1600MHz system memory. I had to scrub files just to complete the update.

So, today I am learning how to modify my device. Found a few helpful bits of code. Sharing for my own use in the future and if it helps you too.

Decrease the hibernation file:
Open Command line as an admin
Type  powercfg/ H / SIZE 40 (changes the size to 40% which I understand is the minimum for allowing hibernation to work. I don't really use that, so went low)

Remove useless apps.
Open Windows Powershell, right click to run as admin
Type Get-AppxPackage *program* | Remove-AppxPackage

I was able to remove xbox and zunemusic. Debating others to remove. Hat tip to Tech Advisor for this info.

Evolution

Recently I think I started a transition and now that I'm in the thick of things, I'm not quite sure when it started.  When people talk about time flying, it usually means that milestones stack up with very few unique markers breaking them up.  If you have children your signposts are probably the start of school, the winter holidays, spring break, and the last day of school.  Then a short summer and do it again.  Rinse, repeat.

Now that my kids are grown, I'm finding different markers in my life.  Some of these are sad (co-workers get new jobs, friends move away, death comes too soon) but many offer the potential for happiness. I am overwhelmed with the possibilities and find myself trying to decide where I go next.  My client shifting has opened up a ton of free time for me.  My kids moving out means I have lots of extra space to spread out for new projects. My bookshelf is full.  It's almost too much freedom after being so structured for so long.

While I hem and haw about the next "big thing" I've decided to help my aunt get her book published, to help my Dad sort through his house and to clear out the project pile in my workroom.  Each one of those activities will teach me a new skill that might open up more freelancing and will help me come to peace with my middle age.  My mom's passing showed me how a lack of planning impacts the next generation, I'm not doing that to my kids if I can help it. 

Freelance: What it means to me

My culling post generated some interesting conversation which made me go consider the definition of a freelancer and what it means to me.  I googled the term and liked the description from Merriam-Webster https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freelance.  I never considered the mercenary Middle Ages concept before (but duh, an extra lance for hire makes sense) but the word seems to trigger different reactions.

To me, freelancing means freedom, but I think to a lot of other people it means free. I like the freedom of learning new things, helping my clients, and being able to help cover some expenses while doing that. I think for many people looking to hire talent, it is a way to get "free"  or very cheap help.  The global world makes this possible up to a point. I'm curious to see how it continues to evolve.  

Culling client list

I made one of the hardest decisions any freelancer can make yesterday. I terminated a client contract.

This client connected with me almost three years ago, he had seen my work via a friend of his and he wanted me to work for him.  I had pretty steady work with his company until several months ago when he changed the terms of the workflow. There were now additional steps that he wanted for each of the completed projects in order to consider them finished.  These tasks doubled the amount of time I was spending on his work, but there was no noticeable change to my compensation.

When I sat down to do my taxes and realized how much time I was spending on his company I realized that I was losing ground.  My freelance business is a small part of my week compared to all of the other things that I do, so I need to make every hour count to justify taking that time away from my family.

I sent a request to update my profile with his company to change the types of projects I was being asked to complete and the result was a complete lack of work for two weeks. 

Thus, I decided to end the working relationship.  This is a really hard choice for a freelancer to make. There is always a fear about not being able to replace the client. However, at this point in my professional career, I know that I am worth what I charge.

WCAG

I had an opportunity to talk to one of my clients yesterday about the WCAG initiative. That acronym stands for the web content accessibility guidelines. You can start to read them all at https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/   The goal is to make all web content easily enjoyed by all viewers no matter how they access that content. If I can help you with a website, please reach out!

26 Shirts (Again)

My second sponsorship day for 26 Shirts will be Sunday, March 11.

 Check out their designs at https://www.26shirts.com/ this week and help someone today!

Purging old content

In the new age of changing tools and more privacy needed, I've made the decision to purge another blog I started.

I've always loved the idea of writing, but finding the time to just write for fun doesn't always happen. There is always another chore or task to be done. So, I just deleted something I started in 2011 when my oldest was looking at colleges.  Seven years later I posted a whopping 13 times as the meanestmother.

Real life is just way more interesting than a virtual one.

PS: When I deleted the blog, I realized that I had created a Twitter account in tandem with it.  Will be purging that too.  But I did love this little avatar I made for that.  I have three kids and while they are similar in many ways, they are also doing different things all of the time.

PPS: I also appeared to have created a new email account for that Twitter feed that I completely forgot about (and hadn't used for three years).  Now I'm wondering what else I started and never used again.  Does anyone else have this as an issue? 

Three Buffalo Shirts Today

Well, I hit the jackpot! Off Peak is sponsoring three special Buffalo shirts today at http://www.26shirts.com/. Buffalo is Awesome and The Frosty Buffalo benefits Amanda Jakubowski and they brought back Eric Woods shirt Front and Center to say thank you for his career and to help his charity one more time.  Visit and order today!

26-Shirts Update

The team at 26 Shirts decided to up the ante for the people sponsoring a day with them.  I had originally planned on being the sponsor for Sunday, January 28 (just cause it was the next open day when I visited the site to donate) and was waiting for my instructions or followup etc.

Yesterday, they announced that they were expanding the sponsorship package and because they changed their mind in the middle of the month I would be getting a second sponsor day (partly as a thank you and partly to be sure I'd benefit fully from my sponsorship).  So, I think I'm still sponsoring Sunday, but now I'm also sponsoring Sunday, March 11 (day 70). 

There are still lots of day left to sponsor (http://www.26shirts.com/sponsor-a-day) and they do a lot of amazing work in Buffalo (as well as other cities).  Visit and help if you can. Or buy a shirt! I get tons of compliments on the shirts I own, they are really high quality and unique.

Internet Access

It appears I'm spoiled where I live and work. No issues ever accessing the internet. Lots of wifi connections I can make and when I absolutely need to do it, I have easy access to the cloud and can turn on my personal hotspot. 

Last week I visited northern California along the coast.  It was a place called Jenner, about two hours north of Oakland.  Very limited wifi access.  My phone did not work, the house we rented had SLOW access and the towns nearby only worked in the wide open spaces.  Normally on vacation this is not a bad thing, but I had a freelance deadline in the middle of the trip.  So, I got a little freaked out when I could only get my computer to connect when standing in the middle of the bedroom.

I managed to meet the deadline and also managed to avoid jobs before I headed back to the airport.  But it was an eye opening moment to realize a few things. First, how dependent I have become on internet access. Secondly, how I never considered California to be remote. Finally, how the lack of land lines will be an issue if the internet gets throttled.