How to "Not Work" for a Living

What do I do all day while I'm "not working?" 

• Squidoo
  I love playing with Squidoo and testing the features of the lenses. I did web design for 8 years and have all but abandoned my former methods of creating niche sites because Squidoo works so much better. I have a lot of things started but they're slowly filling out as I learn new techniques and methods for making money and attracting attention. I'm also the Editor of the SquidU Review weekly newsletter and Citizen Squid.
• CafePress
  I've been running CafePress shops and writing about using CafePress for profit for nearly two years. At my lensography you can see some of my CafePress business tips. I admit, I've started more projects here than I've finished, and my shops keep getting so huge that I have to constantly re-niche them. My goal for this spring is to finish everything I've started before opening new projects.
• Non-Fiction Books
  I'm currently in the process of writing several non-fiction books with one to be published soon by Happy About and several more in the line up. I have several writing related workbooks published that I've been reformatting to republish, and additional workbooks waiting to be completed.
• Fiction Books
  One of these days I might finish one of the thousands of fiction books I've started either in print or in my head. Many are close, but they're just not a priority compared to other projects.
• Top Secret Projects
  I recently started some top secret writing projects. I'll let you know when they make me famous. ;)
• DNR Wildland Firefighter
  In the spring I work for the Medford Ranger Station as an LTE rider. This means when the station approves it, I come in and work with the full-time crew. I've been assigned to the three-ton, also known as our bulldozer rig. It's pulled by an ancient 18-speed truck (I didn't know they made 18-speeds) and our job is to push stuff over, dig into things, go where no other vehicles can go, plow fire lines, and knock over trees.

A random day in the life of Kimberly 

Monday, March 12, 2007

• 8:26 AM CST Awaken to the sound of the phone. Grab the phone, but not in time. Get up and let dog out, feed dog, check message.
• 8:35 AM Open "morning coffee" tabs on computer. Start logging in to various sites. Return phone call to schedule school board meetings. Check stats and emails on several sites, open forums to check messages.
• 8:48 AM Use bathroom, clean up. Put on clean pajama pants - my normal uniform for a day at home. This will have to change soon. Once I get my EMT training permit I've told the hospital I can be on call during the day to do transfers. I'm sure sick people don't want to see my flannel pjs.
• 8:57 AM 42 new emails in inbox. Approve Squidoo guestbook comments, deny spammy group requests, reply to email. I won a digital camera through one of my affiliate programs for an increase in sales. Yay!
• 9:01 AM Reply to SquidU Forum messages and check AllFreelancing.com.
• 9:06 AM Bookmark a great article on the four types of writers. Check LinkShare and Suite101 sales and traffic stats. Check list for next Suite101 article idea.
• 9:25 AM Finished short article submission for Shape Magazine. Google Alerts notifies me of a forum where people are passing around a link to one of my articles. Start article for Suite101.com.
• 10:04 AM Finish Suite101 article and break for breakfast. Excited to see it's 52 degrees out! Much better than the 20 below it was a few weeks ago. Decide to spend some time outside today.
• 10:18 AM Shower. Record notes on voice recorder while cleaning bathroom. Dress, hair, make up. Empty bathroom and office trash, do a load of laundry.
• 10:56 AM Clean up outside around house - leaves and garbage from snowpiles, dog piles, other projects I've been putting off. Rearranged and cleaned garage, swept, planned new workbench and shelving systems.
• 12:49 PM Break for lunch. Check phone messages and email. Took screenshots of webpages to help a Squidoo user.
• 1:04 PM Back to work. Finished cleaning garage, took out garbage, cleaned trash off front curb, brought tools out of basement to garage.
• 2:44 PM Checked email, cleaned up, changed clothes, put laundry in dryer.
• 3:07 PM Left the house, went to post office, stopped at fire hall, dropped off paperwork at hospital, drove to Mom's house.
• 4:10 PM Had dinner at mom's.
• 5:04 PM Left mom's house, drove to class. Class from 5:30-9:30 PM.
• 9:49 PM Left class, drove home.
• 10:42 PM Got home, checked email, unloaded truck, opened mail, made list of project ideas, designed logo for a custom CafePress order.

Fun "work I'm not doing" for a living 

• Fire department
  Besides the rude awakenings at 2am for car accidents and chimney fires, I spend 60 hours each fall teaching kids about fire safety, 20 hours in January and February organinzing entries for the statewide poster contest, several hours each month doing Fit Testing, and several days each month doing fire inspections.
• Special rescue teams
  I'm certified in ropes rescue, trench rescue, and heavy collapse rescue (about 36 hours of training each), along with NIMS 100, 200, 300, 700, and 800 (avg. 16 hours each). I won't dare bore you with what NIMS is. ;)
• HazMat
  I'm certified in CAMEO which is computer-aided management of emergency operations, a complex multi-software system to manage pre-planning and response of large-scale incidents, and databases of community resources and hazardous materials. I have 64 hours of training so far and will be doing 56 more over seven days this May and June. I do this for Taylor and Marathon Counties in WI.
• School board
  I'm clerk of the Medford Area School Board, on the policy and nutrition/health committees, chair of two staff negotiations committees, Wisconsin Association of School Boards delegate and CESA co-op delegate.
• Soon to be EMT
  I'm currently training to be an EMT. Then I'll be on call for up to 200 hours each month, which gives me a perfect excuse to stay home, within hospital range, and "not work."