Just a little after 9:00 on Friday night as I start this. This has been one long, tiring week. Four ten hour days, one eleven hour day, plus an average of 2.5 hours commuting time each of those days. With one hour of overtime I grossed $900 this week, so it was worth it. Not that I hate what I do, though. In fact, this week was really enjoyable, work-wise. Worked for two very cool photographers, also worked with very cool support staff.
Two major annoyances this week, though. First off, UPS is fucking stupid and can’t figure out how to deliver a package when someone isn’t home. Maybe I missed a memo about things working completely differently in Chicago, but all my life they’ve had the policy of leaving something with a neighbor if they couldn’t get you directly. Or coming back at a time when you ARE home. They’ve already tried delivering it three times, and will try one last time on Monday. Except I’m working on Monday and won’t be around… I hate UPS.
Second, I can’t get to a hardware store that’s open. I’ve been trying every day since last Sunday and so far it hasn’t happened. I need threaded rod, nuts, big washers, degreaser, shop rags, a replacement nut for something, black spray paint, reflector tape, and white stick-on vinyl lettering. I’m mostly concerned about the threaded rod, nuts, and washers. I need these to make a headset press of sorts so I can finish building up my new bike (the frame came on Tuesday). I need the spray paint to paint it black, the reflector tape to help ensure I don’t get killed riding it at night, and the vinyl letters so I can put the words “fuck taxis” on my down tube. Tomorrow morning at 9:00 (or….noon) I will be at Kim’s Hardware down the block and I will return with all those things. If they don’t have what I need, I’ll find some place that does. I’m pissed and motivated. Hence, I’m fucking dangerous.
Maybe I’ll go for a ride later tonight. Anyone want to go with? I know that’s not going to happen, but oh well.
Right now I’m listening to Killswitch Engage too loud and looking at mediocre photo sets of a mixed bag of goth and indie girls on SuicideGirls. Yeah, I actually paid the $9 for it. Why the hell not? Alright, so there are reasons, but I felt like it.
Speaking of $9, people currently owe me that much plus about $2,116 on outstanding invoices. This is osmething that is really pissing me off about the industry again. If you’ve heard me bitch about this before, skip to the next paragraph. Anyhow, industry standard practice is payment within 30 days. To most people, though, that means payment at 30 days. So in essence, for any given job you work, you will likely not get your check for a month afterwards. Pretty shitty, eh? So far I’ve worked for two photographers who have been pleasant exceptions to this. Jim Wheeler and Brett Kramer are both good about paying in a timely manner and I appreciate that SO much. It makes life so much easier. Unfortunately, and granted I haven’t run into this yet but I get the feeling I’m about to, there are some people who don’t pay you for a loooooong time past 30 days. I’ve heard of invoices going 7 months without being paid. At that point, I think I’d go with a collection agency. At 30 days, you start making calls and you keep calling until the check is in your hand. It shouldn’t come to that, but it does. All the time, apparently. What a shitty way to run a business. Not only do photographers generally not pay their assistants what they should (rates haven’t gone up in 10 years), but they’re slow as hell to pay even that. SO not cool. I think what I may start doing is note on the invoice that after 30 days, I will start charging fairly heavy interest. I figure it’s only fair.
The other night on eBay I picked up 2 things that I’ve been needing (or justifiably wanting, anyway) for a little while. Got me a Kiev 4, which is a 35mm rangefinder camera made in Russia as a copy of an old Contax rangefinder (or was it Zeiss?). Nice and compact, easy to carry in my bag (as opposed to my Nikon, which I love but which is fucking HUGE), and it only set me back $30 plus shipping. Score. Also got a new Timbuk2 messenger bag for about $20 off the regular retail price, new with tags and everything. Still want another, smaller bag for when I’m really packing light, but I’ll worry about that later.
And now I’m going to get ready to go hang with Scott and Jen. I need to relax. Big time.
