Crap

I have gotten the shit beat out of me this week emotionally.

I have a very bad client - they don't pay on time, they always change the project without consultation with me and insist that I do free work - I'm truly sick of it.

This week just put me over the top . I have one more project that I have to finish for them and it is a very complex project. As I have been having excruciating problems with the construction phase of simple projects that I've done for them in the past, I've finally decided to punt on the project. I've lost SO much money and time on the project, but it will be worth punting if I can get away from these guys. I took my name off of the plans, burned a CD with the files and sent them to the client.

I feel somewhat free!

Right now my company is slowing down, which we usually do this time of year. I'm pretty happy about it because it means that we've been able to get rid of most of our deadbeat clients and will allow us to concentrate on going after municipal clients - who are wonderful to work for.

My cleaning woman ended up bitching at me about how we haven't been picking up the house for when she comes. I've been paying her a little extra when she does, but last week J paid her and she didn't get the extra that she was expecting. Then she informed me that she didn't want to come to the company Christmas party because she doesn't work for me (I guess she means that she doesn't work for the company) and that she feels uncomfortable around A's wife, C. A works for me for the past 3 + years and D, the cleaning lady, has come to our company Christmas party for the past three years - hey, it's a free dinner at a nice restaurant . . . We went to The Melting Pot last year and are planning on going to Buca di Beppo this time. I had scheduled the party on Monday to fit with D's schedule. Then she said that she wasn't going to come.

We do a lot for this woman. I've bought several (yes, several) plane tickets for her over the years so she can go home to see her family. I feed her and pad her check occasionally when she does a little extra or seems to need some more cash. For her to pull attitude on me because she didn't get an extra $10 in her check pisses me off. She's been cleaning our home over eight years. I honestly don't understand where all this is coming from. J and I are going to cut her loose. We spend way too much for this service and will do fine with a company that comes in once a month. I certainly won't be dragged through the emotional roller coaster if I do.

What a crappy week.