Advice from Uncle Matthew

It's almost a done deal. I'm going back east now, but there's definitely a bitter taste about how it all went down--most of the bitterness directed inwardly, but...

There are some lessons to be learned here. I wish I had chosen to learn them on a six-week long job instead of a six-month long one, but here they are:

Lesson One: Always be ready to walk away.

Lesson Two: No one will ever volunteer information that you don't think to ask about.

Lesson Three: Never negotiate for yourself.

Lesson Four: Never start giving up your time to a project until you have a deal in writing.

Lesson Five: Never assume that you will be treated fairly by anybody.

On at least some level, I screwed myself on all five of these fronts.

Fuck.