I came home early today. I could probably have made it to $100 for the day, but I came down and got right to work without gassing up before. I did stop to get a morning meal. But I kept at it till gone 2PM, and only made it to $85. I got offered several $2.35 and $3.35 orders that I declined, so my acceptance rate has dropped. I really wanted to see that go up. But alas, no. I took a few that were around $7, but required a lot of miles or double deliveries. We really are stuck between rising fuel costs and people unwilling to tip. But my favorite was the lady who ordered Taco Bell, then asked for extra mild salsa packets and a troll, which she then changed to straw. I got those for her, and she came out before I left and told me she would add the tip in the app. Yup, she was a $3.45 delivery. She did not add a tip. Between her and the many other small orders that came through, I got fed up and called it a day just a little early. People want their food, and they want it delivered. They think that DoorDash is paying us or something. Most of my orders today DoorDash paid me $2.25. Those average about 20 min each, I think. I would then sugget that they are paying as high as $6.75 an hour on a good hour, and more like $4.00 on a normal one. The rest is made up by tips. None of that makes up for the use of my car. I get nothing for that but the government tax deduction. But if you know, that is not money for me. It just helps to cover the wear and tear on the car. It adds up fast.
So, I finally got fed up, gave up, and headed home. I am feeling it for a lot of reasons today, and probably shoud not be doing anything theraputic, but rather, channelling all this into getting my portraiture busienss going. DoorDash would be a lot more bearable if it were supplamanting a growing business like that.
So, I am home. Cup of coffee in my right hand. Keyboard under both hands. Allergies kikcing my butt. Feeling tired. Mad as Hell at the disrespect I got today while trying to earn an honest living.
Today was a bit of a satisfying day. We got ahead on some grocery shopping. I did a full enough Dash. I have been able to come home and work on the web, and a script for the YouTube channel. I have not yet recorded the first script. I would like to see myself ahead by at least one script before I get started. I think it will help me draw the videos together better. I also shared my portraiture page in the DoorDash group online, so someone has seen the page on my website other than me.
I am down to about two days worth of hay right now for the llamas and goats. I think I have just decided that I will scythe grass for a few days or a week and a bit if I have to, then try to buy another bale. I would like the grass to grow some more before I get to cutting it. But there is some in places like the orchard that would not miss it now. There are a lot of places to take it from before I get to where I get my early summer supply from every year.
I want to get some time with my camera. I would really love to get it while working some portraits and selling. But I would like to get some creative time. I have a wood project on the bench that needs finishing, too. That is important. I want it done so I can get on to the next one. But at the same time, I refuse to get in a hurry. Nothing ever gets finished right when that happens.
That reminds me, I am also thinking of intention. I am trying to do everything with intention. That is my Witchcraft. That is how I am trying to live the later years of my life. Don’t be in a hurry to do anything. Finish it with the same desire for a quality item I started out with.
Anyway. Intention is hard to do when everything I do at work is rush, rush, rush. I still focus on it, but the need for money requires it to be done quickly. It just doesn’t feel right.
Oh, I went to bed around 7:30 last night. I went to sleep around 8. Missus came up and woke me up to check on me, and I got up and wwent to the loo then came back, thinking all along that it was 3AM. I don’t know why I assumed it was 3AM, but I think it is because I usually wake up around then on my own to go to the loo. I looked at the clock and what do you know? It was 11:45PM! Man, that really messed with my mind!
Right. This is a pretty loose post. I am just kind of journalling.
Maybe I will go draft out a third script and set myself up to be a little more ahead than just one. Either way, I see myself going to bed soon, and getting warmed up in my thick winter jammies and under my two big winter blankets. It snowed today. It snowed a fair bit. Despite all of it, the ground is clear this evening. We’ll be back up to 70 soon. Up late tomorrow. Get some food together before I go! Goodnight.
This week the payment went through for our webhosting for the next three years, ready or not. We weren’t. But, since it did, this means we need to really push the websites for that time and get traffic to them. So, that’s this one, Antiquary Artisan, my photography page, the Peasant’s Manor Farm, and maybe even The Prospering Peasant.
Still DoorDashing exclusively for income at the moment. I have not had any luck booking photography clients yet, so I guess I am going to have to try something better than luck, like work, marketing, and getting the business out there in front of people. Can that be so hard?
So, things are tight right now. I don’t know how to get them any better, and when I think they can’t get worse, well, that just kind of happens. I feel more disconnected from my external family than ever. I don’t feel like I am getting anywhere near the time I want with my wife and kids. And I certainly am not getting the time I would like to for my woodworking or photography, other hobbies. Even my chores are coming up short. I need to spend too much time behind the wheel to get to the other things.
That could be better, but DoorDash doesn’t pay well. Shit! I got one offer the other day to collect two pizza deliveries from two different places and deliver them to two different customers paying me $2.75 for both. Well, my acceptance rate went down on that one, didn’t it? Then it offered me another right after, similar thing, but different restaurants, for only $3.25.
My brain feels like it wants to do a forced shut down, similar to having too much sugar. I have been letting some corn syrup through, especially in the coffee creamer. I wonder if that’s it? I need some half-and-half. Shit’s too expensive right now. But if it is the coffee creamer that is doing this, then it is affecting me. But the lingering feeling is the same as a sugar crash, but on a lower level.
So, it is meant to snow here today. The weather will come sometime between sunrise and noon. It is not meant to hang around. But I will be out and on the road at that time. I have made sure there is plenty of firewood in the house, ready to go. I will be getting out of be soon and lighting the morning fire, making it easier for Missus to just keep it going today. It’s not terribly cold in here right now, but who likes a chill, even if it is just a mild one?
That was in interesting bridge.
Okay, about the YouTube channel. I have auto-scrolling teleprompter software that is a pain in the ass to edit because the screen keeps jumping ot the bottom of the text when I am typing. I will have to edit elsewhere and import it, I guess. I’ll probably use Word but must remember to use the basic text editor if that doesn’t work. Anyway, apart from that, it is fairly good. (It was $4. I guess for that, you can’t get something that is just plain elegant and working. It feels like it is just one more piece of the enshitifactation culture we live in. Who expects anything to work these days? I was in the back of the photo website this morning disabling ALL of the plug-ins because one of them had caused nothing to show up in the WordPress backend. One quick ftp access and everything was on the up and up again.) And I have the sound worked out. I have two cameras set up to record the A and B roll. The A roll one has the sound device on it, and the B is set up for picture only. That is the poor bugger that will go out the window or to the side for second angle shots. It really is down to laziness now. I need to worry less about perfection and get something uploaded and get some traffic to the channel and let them watch. Meanwhile, I need to just map out some content and get it scripted and recorded. I plan on scripting till I am comfortable in my material and can shoot without the prompter or at least relegate it to occasional use only. I need the extra money that monetization could bring. I could REALLY use enough money to quit DoorDashing, which would only take about $500 to $600 a week. That would top my after-fuel-costs income. Seriously.
Alright. Well, it is getting time to get up and get dressed and get this day going. I can hear the birds outside chirping. That is pleasant. After this strange winter, this ought to be a strange kind of day. The spring weather will be back soon.
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I checked my e-mail tonight and found this in my in-box from 4PM…
So, I walked through the process. I was not encouraged as I still got this screen when I photographed my driver’s license…
I walked past this screen and it worked. I cannot effing believe it. It worked. Not a word about restoring my account, or the suspension at all. Just that e-mail, as though I must have forgotten to work or something.
I despise DoorDash. Two and a half weeks with no income, behind on bills, and an innocuous e-mail I could have easily passed over and missed. No fanfare. Nothing special. I just walked the process in spite of the original error occurring, and it logged me in as though nothing had happened. Well, well, well. Look like I am back to work tomorrow. Finally-effing-ly.
Meanwhile, the others in the Discord group of local Dashers have been saying they have been making great money lately. Bet that ends tomorrow. I am not amused.
I am so far behind on bills!
Time to find other work. Time to work for me.
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I have not yet heard back from DoorDash. I need to get my account reestablished before I can work again, and I was told to send in the appeal and give them “up to seven working days to reply. Do not send in multiple appeals.” I will be impressed if I do hear from them at all, because you know… That is how things go. Meanwhile, we go broke. This is ridiculous! I am so full of anxiety and so irritated with them and their lackadaisical way of dealing with people who are relying on them to earn their money and feed their family. I am coming up on three weeks of not working simply because I attempted to use the paper copy of my driver’s license that I was issued after my plastic one expired. Getting the plastic one was a two-week process as it was. They did not put any kind of reminder in that I could be suspended or expelled from the app for using a paper copy. They told me after, but hey, that is a lot of good, right?
Okay, I know. I am bitching. I am bitching because their process is unfair, difficult, and uncaring. I was a highly rated driver, 98 out of 100 on my score. I can’t wait to see where this leaves me if and when I am finally re-approved. And of course, there is no real, local person to get ahold of. Just a support center in India.
So, it has been another day off, and I have spent it doing something, right? But what?
Well, Missus taught 4H this morning, so I took my youngest with me to see our younger son and his family. We went to the thrift store together and had a nice little hang out at their house. When all that was done, we came home and I went out to do some cleaning in the yard. Well, by the time I got there, I found the bikes and got them out and filled up their tires and brought them around for the kids. Grandson had come home with us for his fortnightly night over, and I was concerned about helping him to get his head around riding. He still has not mastered it. The yard will be messy tomorrow. The kid will be a day older. I know where my priorities are. So, I got my bike out too when Missus came out and gave hers a test ride. We all had a great time riding around the yard.
We had supper eventually, and now I am tired from the bike riding. First time in a while! So I am sat here moaning at the kids as they play Roadblocks and one of them is stacking firewood in the game but won’t come out and help me to do that in the yard with the REAL firewood! Clearly, they know how! Kids! Useless!
I am probably going to give it till Monday or Tuesday, and if I still have not heard from them, I am going to be on the phone raising hell. Meanwhile, the best thing to do is use this as an opportunity to see if I can get my own businesses going and spend time with my family. It has been a year since I have had time off for anything other than car problems. It is so good to see them all, and spend the time with them. It is hurting financially, but such a better way to spend time. I fancy some peanut butter and graham crackers! Don’t have any, but I fancy them.
So, I opened the Firewood Stand for business officially yesterday. Today I got the label maker working after much effort, and finally tonight got a couple of simple instruction labels printed to put on the honor box tomorrow morning. I also added a measuring stick to the front of the stand today so someone can easily compare to it and see what they are getting. I am trying to make it easy and convenient, and a joy to use.
The many scenic views of our firewood stand as seen yesterday when we opened officially. It keeps the wood off the ground, and when I sell enough to reimburse Missus for the honor box, and then get enough, I will get some roofing screws to put the metal on top. That will keep the wood under shelter while it faces south to catch the most sunlight to keep it dry.
I topped it off to 100 pieces today, making the first real fishing expedition for $100. With any luck, we will catch some of these fishes!
As a side note, I have the appeal on my suspended DoorDash account submitted, and am waiting for a reply, which they promise could take a full seven working days, making it possible that they won’t get back till next Wednesday. This is so stupid.
I have the electrical in the shop sorted so I can use the oven to season my cast iron without giving Missus too much trouble breathing. Better to do that away from her!
Still no customers on the photo business. I need to get out there and start talking to people. They are not looking for me at this time.
Well, we had a good look at the Chevy Cobalt today. It’s hosed. The thing has lost compression and the cost to repair it would be far too high for me to worry about it. The car is not worth the repair. So our son wants it junked, but keep the wheels and the battery, and anything else worth keeping, then take out the parts to return to O’Reily’s, and buy the gaskets needed to fix the Honda. Well, that’s the plan, anyhow.
I also worked on the sign for the wood stand today. I am pretty satisfied with it. Is it perfect? Heck no! But that is what makes it perfect. It’s what I am going to run with as my attention getter. I will burn some instructions and such tomorrow or the next day, depending on how tomorrow’s chores go.
I am in forced time off from working with DoorDash due to my driver’s license having gone expired. We are falling behind on bills as the days go by. It is a painful situation. But I am at home with my wife and kids and working on how to make a living doing other things, which for us is making things on the farm.
I have almost got the roadside firewood stand ready to open. I have the wood for the roof on and the metal ready as soon as I get the roofing screws for it. I have the honor box in place, and I am working on the signage. I know how it is all going to come out, apart from cutting the lettering into the main sign, and burning an instruction sign with the laser. But everything is coming together. I plan on selling loose firewood, rather than packaged, so someone can just load what they need. I want them to go for $1.00 per piece, and they will be bigger than what can be bought at the stores around here and will usually made from poplar. I hope it will generate an income more than it does theft. But there is only one way to find out. Tomorrow or the next day it should be done. Depends on what else is going on around here.
One of the kids is coming down later today to work on the car and visit. He will also be welcome to work on the firewood if we are going into business together on this. It will be good to see him either way. In spite of the legends and lore, we parents actually do like our kids.
I have tried and tried to make a video for YouTube. It is nigh on impossible for me, though. Turns out that in spite of all my fanciful dreams, I may not actually be an actor, or even the person with the talents to be one. I cannot even act normal in front of a camera. I know part of it is to do with a lack of scripting. I am not confident and feel like I am reaching for what to say. So I have to give credit to those on YouTube who are making it work, and making it interesting, and making videos where they are conversing to the camera and thus the audience just as though they were talking to a person next to them. I find that hard.
Missus and I photographed many of the candle products I make yesterday, and she set me up with a place to keep them all ready to ship out. She is going to edit the photos and list the products later today, or tomorrow.
contact@kelseybaconphotography.com
Here, for example, is an unedited image of my hand dipped birthday candles. Posh! I’d only ever think someone would buy one for their cake and just use that. But of course, they are welcome to buy as many as they need. I’d love to see a little group of three on a small cake if it were me, and larger cakes maybe two groups of three, for example. Ignore the numbering by age and just use a few to do the trick.
I have candles and wax nuggets for tools and sewing applications. I use some wax on the bottom of my hand planes, and I can see why nobody makes corrugated bottomed planes anymore. It’s just not necessary as the wax permits the plane to slide like butter on the wood, making it much easier to work down those high spots and level out the surface. It lasts a bit, too. It is not like I put it on every few strokes, or something. I put it on a couple of times at most while working a board’s surface.
As I understand it, wax can be run onto a thread for sewing applications, and I would imagine threading a needle. I am not experienced in sewing. But I am aware it is an application.
I have done a little work on the table I am making for the entry. The most important piece of it warped after I thought I had it all settled and shaped. I have tried to recover it by cutting it into three pieces and reversing one, then gluing them all back together. I put in tongue and groove to help hold it, but you know, you just can’t reverse a twist out of a board by putting one of the pieces in the opposite direction. The twist comes back the same! But I will have reduced cupping and bowing, so there is that. I may have to counter the twist elsewhere, such as with stout leg stretchers. This is kind of problematic. But I can leave it to settle again in the final location, I suppose, then see if it returns to straight. Then I can put the stretchers in place, and cut the bottoms of the legs to level it. Goodness! This is a fun problem!
Right! It is coming up to 4:30 in the morning. I am tired again and need the little sleep I can grab before it is time to take the kids to school. Try not to think too much, and don’t worry. Things will have to work out somehow! If not, then at least I will have had a bit of time off to refresh, and a bit of time to work on some things I have been behind on. Relax. Sleep.
Today I got out and did some work on the wood sales rack and put the straight line to the back, or downward slope of the roof. I also put the honor box on it. I need to make signage still and then fill it up with wood. Then we will be officially open for business. I am working on a large sign to get people to stop.
I also tried to record video for YouTube. I am pretty bad at it still, at this moment. I need to script. That seems to be all there is to it.
Tonight I looked at Facebook to see if there is anything I missed in the replies from my birthday and found out some horrible and personal news that I will not share here. I am so at a loss. I cannot deal with it right now. But it has to be addressed. It has to be addressed.
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So, with my DoorDash account suspended, and no money coming in, and my cars too old to use for Uber, I can officially and proudly say that DoorDash is the most monumental pile of ass in existence. It is definitely time for me to see if I can be a better employer. I am terrible at marketing, which I know because nobody knows about my tooty little horn in the photography world. Yet, imagery is my life in my head. It’s where I spend my thoughts when everything else is not workth thinking about anymore. I need to get to work on getting me out there. I am one of those humble, non-self prommoters, though. And I am too cheap to hire a marketer. And broke. I really need to work this out.
I have spent the last two days cleaning up in the woodshop. I mean really cleaning up in there, not just the superficial toss things around from side to side, but getting things out that don’t belong, and fixing some things that needed repairs. Photo business or DoorDashing aside, I want it ready for work over the summer. I will be taking the wood back out that I have up in my den where I have started building a table for behind the front door. I also need to wire up an electrical outlet by the oven I have out there for things like seasoning the cast iron. Time to stop putting that off and get it up and going. I need to build a steam box! I have the steamer. Just need the box.
In addition to all this, I need to build the roof finally for the roadside firewood sales rack. Then I wil fill it and put the honor box on it and see what sells. I have hopes. Not high ones, but hoes, nonetheless. I don’t know. We are so sidelined by our local community that I am always skeptical. There are three people here that do not utterly ignore us. It sure wears on a person when they want to reach out, and when they enjoy people as much as I do, and when they want to be helpful to others like I do. The whole situation is dumb. They are mostly Mormons, and I am not. As far as I know, that’s it. End of story. Whatever.
Alright, moving on. I have plenty of experience down in Logan now. I have been learning about how to make myself a little part of the community there, now. Backstories don’t matter as much there, and I can pass on good humor and especially on being kind and thoughtful of others. I’ll get on that.
Well, it is 5:30 in the morning now. Best get my day started. Things are rough now. Gotts push forward. I have to cut a strip of wood out of the table back skirt and reverse it to counter some twist that appeared in the board. Seems metaphorical, somehow.
