I have a bit of a love hate relationship with my binding work. The hate part comes from the friction caused by Mike and I working together under the same roof and never being able to separate business from personal. (Word of advice...Don't try this without a net.)
But recently, Mike decided that I was done binding. He had a call out to a local binder to see if we could afford to outsource our books. He had the best reasons.
Mike can not help it, he micro manages everything in his life. And I can't help it...I don't.
Two polar opposites.
It drives him crazy and he'd had enough. We talked it through and I was finally convinced that there was no getting away from it. It's just too stressful for Mike to work with someone as quirky as I am. And his stress affects me, even when he tries valiantly to hide it.
I pointed out to him, that he might still be just as stressed working with a new binder. To which he replied, "Yes, but I won't be living under the same roof with that person."
Soooo, I agreed to his plan. But inside I was feeling like a jealous woman. Here he was "leaving me for another binder. After giving him the best years of my life!" All the clichés fit the situation.
I kept telling myself I should be happy to be done with it. I have way too much on my plate. But I couldn't help it. I very much identify with being the binder for Pegana Press and I feel good about the job I do. Especially since I am self taught.
The phone call from the prospective binder came just after lunch. And I found myself muttering under my breath as Mike stepped out to the porch to take the call in private. "Fine! Go ahead and leave me...grumble, grumble."
"You're jealous!", I told myself. "So what!", I retorted back. But I suddenly knew, that she wouldn't take the job. After all, she's a professional master binder. She's not crazy!
When Mike got off the phone, he confirmed what I already knew to be true. She wanted more than we could afford to pay. (She would actually be making more than we would per book if we could somehow convince her to even take the job.)
She had also checked out our website, and she couldn't understand why we needed a binder. She thought our work was well done, and after reading about my process, said that I was doing all the steps.
My inner voice said, "You tell him, my sister!" Mike also said that she sounded relieved when he told her we couldn't afford it for this current book. Like I said--She's not crazy!
Hand binding is very detailed, labor intensive, plain ol' hard work! I picked it up out of necessity and found that I liked doing it.
I know that by trying to find a binder, Mike was trying to give me a break (and give himself a break from the difficulty of having to trust that it will all get done on time, and look just fine). But I feel like my personal stock just went up. Because there is no way around it. I am the book binder for Pegana Press.
He ended our conversation with, "I guess you're stuck with it. A normal wife would have told me --there is no way I'm doing this!
I responded with, "Yes, but then a normal wife also wouldn't do her dishes outdoors using the wheel barrow as a sink, so that you can mix a tune for a client and not compete with that noise."
And if you think I'm kidding, here is proof.
I know, but eccentricity rules!
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