happy is worth it

Being a "consultant" has it's ups and downs.  Luckily, my husband has great benefits so we don't need me for health insurance, etc., but I also don't have a personal pension/retirement.  We've opened an IRA for me, but we need to contribute to it more often.  I also have usually a few months in between campaigns/jobs, but never more than a couple.

After this landslide of GOP love in Wisconsin, I was offered some "real" jobs...at the Capitol...back in the legislature where I started out in college.  I was flattered.  I thought I was excited.  Two weeks before Christmas I said yes to a job in a high ranking Senator's office.  They gave me a bit of flexibility and it was a great job.

It was also like a black cloud hanging over my holiday...didn't know just how black until I came to my senses/talked to Chris on December 26 (in some loud voices on our way home from his parents' home).  He didn't know how much I did NOT want to return to the world of 8 hour-dress up every day-30 min. lunch break-10 days of vacation/year-rush out the door-scramble to make dinner nightmare.  As Emma said "our family doesn't work like that."   My Mom said she could tell I wasn't happy about it...said I made a funny noise whenever the subject came up.  That's not to say I am "better" than a "normal" job, but my kids are used to me being home.  I love working from home.  I can put in crazy, 50+ hour weeks during a campaign, but I'm doing it from home.  My breaks include walks with George, doing the laundry, making dinner, making the beds, arranging flowers, picking them up and driving them any where and at any time, blogging (!), not worrying about days "off".  It is a good life.

And, I've already got a new client.  A Supreme Court Justice's re-election campaign...three short months until election day and I couldn't be happier at 9:15 a.m....blogging, laundry going, Charlie on my lap, waiting to hear from the campaign manager about our plan, walking George after lunch, picking up Emma at 2:30 (early release day) and coming home to make gumbo for dinner.