Notes from a Hired Pen: I Worked a Holiday Weekend

1. I could. Given the COVID-19 situation, I wasn't going anywhere other than to my mom's for a BBQ (and she lives 10 minutes away). Plus, given how Annie reacts to fireworks (bad) I knew I wouldn't be partying it up (though I don't really do that anyway).
2. I took off time in June, both because of my brother's accident, and then because I went hiking in the Catskills. I already feel rested and restored (as much as you can be during a pandemic). I'm also going to be taking some time off this month for my birthday. This work shores up what I'll lose/have lost for those already scheduled breaks.
3. It's a good client, and they were in a pinch. I had the time and energy to help out, so I did. This same client had come to me right before I left for the Catskills with another assignment, and I turned it down. They weren't mad then, and I doubt they'd have been made if I turned this work down too. They're good people, as we say, so I said sure.
4. The topic fascinated me. That's important too! 
5. I can break my own rules. I know this isn't a unique thought, but it's one I keep in mind: once you learn the rules of grammar, you can break them. I feel the same about my own rules of freelancing. I felt I could break this rule this one time, so I did.

• The Heir Affair by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cox. Hooray! The long awaited sequel to the The Royal We. It comes out on Tuesday and I highly recommend it as a dishy summer read. But if you haven't read The Royal We, you must do that first. 
• Somebody's Gotta Do it by Adrienne Martini. I loved this! It's about how Martini was so mad about the 2016 election that she ran for local office – and won. It's a bit of a how to, but it's also hilarious and touching and a wonderful read. I met up with Martini while I was in the Catskills and I apologized that I hadn't read the book earlier. But I think I read it at exactly the right time.

• Toast of London. I don't even know how to describe this show except it's about London Theater, absurdist, with some DNA from Curb Your Enthusiasm thrown in. You can also watch it in a flash: it's three seasons with seven episodes per season, and each episode is only about 23 minutes. I enjoyed it immensely even if I didn't get it all the time.
• Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. I feel bad for this movie, which was made and timed for release with the real Eurovision contest. It was very silly, but I wanted silly. My friend who live/lived in Europe and watched Eurovision every year said it was side splitting funny. I enjoyed it even though I realized I was probably not the target audience for it.
• Julia Bradbury's Coasts & Country Railway Walks. Once again, AcornTV giving me a show that sounds like a parody. But it's not: it really is just walks around England. I put it on in the background mostly. I did so while working this weekend. It makes me want to go to England, though that right now is obviously not possible.
• Disclosure. A fantastic documentary about trans representation on screen. I watched this on the Fourth of July. It seemed fitting as this year's holiday is a lot about thinking who is really free. I'm also reading a book about asexuality, which I didn't realize was an orientation until Bojack Horseman. The more we read and watch and learn about people who are not like ourselves, the better off we all are, I think (though before I consume that content, I always do a quick search to see if any members of those groups found the content questionable, because anybody can get out there for saying anything these days). 

Until next time!
Jen A. Miller
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