Working Out the Work Thing

I know you've all been dying to know how the new work situation has been working out (see how I did that?). At the risk of totally jinxing myself for completely hideous shifts for the rest of the week, I will tell you.

In November, I was on the fence. I couldn't decide whether the new situation was better than the old situation.

In December, I was still on the fence. (One thing you should know about me--if you don't already--is that I've never made a decision I didn't second-guess to the point of making all of my friends completely and totally frustrated.) To wit: I was second-guessing the whole job debate with the dear husband one fine day, and he finally spoke his mind (he hardly ever does that, but I'd been circling the drain with this debate for MONTHS now) in the form of an e-mail that went something like: Do you think I wouldn't love to work from home two days a week? Do you think I wouldn't love to skip my two-hour commute two days a week? Do you think I wouldn't love more time with the girls? Duly noted. It should be noted that he was not yelling. He was just pointing out some pretty awesome perks (and not for the first time).

Now it is January, and I've jumped the fence. Or the shark. No, I think that might be the wrong euphemism here. What I mean to say is that I am not on the fence anymore. I've been through a few months of possible scenarios: holiday weeks where I didn't quite get the number of billable hours I need to make ends meet, Friday night shifts that involved 300-page websites, Tuesday morning shifts that were so hopping I barely had time to pee. But I've also experienced the upsides: quiet days where I manage to get the house cleaned or get a run in or take a nap. Schedule flexibility that enables me to go to the aquarium with the family on a Tuesday (even if that also means working Tuesday from 3 to 10). Reading stories to Sadie at 2 in the afternoon--a time that is THREE hours earlier than the time I am normally home from work.

Some days are crazy. Some days are ideal. But I'm finding that I prefer my work-at-home days to my work-outside-the-home days hands down. And that, I guess, is your answer.