Lemonade

So my (fairly) new job, which I initially though was sooooo super has turned into a bit of a nightmare. Sort of. I mean it great, I love it, and it pays well – when I’m doing it. But when the project goes on hold for whatever reason, it’s a right royal pain in the ass. I get paid per billable hour, so working one week a month is really not cool. (Even though I have enjoyed the extra sleep).

My project has been on hold since the first week in June (un-f-ing-believable). Obviously this distressed me a bit more than it would normally since I now have to budget for two, and also since I vaguely suspect I have 4 months left to save up as much as possible before I go on maternity leave.

Not to whine – but it’s not really like I can just go for another interview at this stage, is it?! But another source of income is definitely something that I need right now. And whilst obsessing about this a bit it finally came to me what I could do. Ideally the thing I needed to do would have to be something that I could do on the side if my project work picked up again, it would also have to be something that I could do from home so that I could carry on with it when I go on maternity leave, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a solid thing set-up that I could run with for extra money when I eventually get round to doing my articles either.

I’m baking – believe it or not. I have a friend whose mom put 6 kids through university on cookies, I can’t see why I can’t keep one baby going with mine.

So the first step of the plan is baking rusks, once I find a workable rhythm on that I’ll add cookies, and then possible later on some frozen dinners – like lasagne. But first the rusks.

I’ve baked my first two batches this week and they both came out beautifully. See here, where they’re busy drying. The first batch was a Buttermilk one and the second one is a Buttermilk-Bran rusk. I am incredibly proud and excited about how this is going.

And wouldn’t you just know it…as soon as I stopped panicking about what to do and got busy doing something my client phones and tells me that they have a new project for me to start on Monday. *does a dance of joy*

This is magnificent news. And the timing leads me to think that the whole point of all the thumb twiddling over the last few weeks was to get me to make this other plan and to be ready (readier anyway) for what’s to come. I’m still going to carry on with it – because really, it’s a near perfect solution and it’s fun to do on top of that. I know now why the ladies from way back when were all so subdued and relaxed, kneading dough will take aaaall the stress out of you – it kicks any stressball’s ass I ever came across that’s for sure.

Win-win situation.