::Reintroduction, the Third

In which our Narrator Grouses about Work

This is a perfect time to jabber about work, because it’s almost time to get out there and deal with it.

As I have for many years (on and off), I’m working nights and weekends. Mostly because it’s oodles more amenable to my school schedule.

I don’t have the usual graveyard-shift gig, though. I’ve done enough of those: when I’m cooped up in a heated office mumbling into a phone, while looking out at the empty parking lot. No, this is very different from late night tech support.

I work at a very well known freight and logistics company. Hell, I think I’ve mentioned it by name in a previous entry. Stalkers may go looking. My job is to work on teams that offload giant freight containers from jet planes and send them off to be sorted. Sometimes for bonus hours, I stick around and load the sorted containers back onto a plane so it can be launched.

Lots of upsides and downsides here. Upsides: it’s the best hourly rate I’ve ever commanded — better than doing tech support. The benefits are nothing short of incredible. It’s about 25 hours a week and jives perfectly with my school schedule — about 11:30pm till 4am. And I get to play with gigantic heavy equipment. Mmmm, Tonka toys for grownups.

The downsides? I work outdoors. At night. In the wintertime. And during the summer, that’s actually more of an upside — it’s pleasant, I work in a T-shirt, as opposed to sweating in a non-airconditioned building. But it’s November. It’s been RAINING all week. 25 MPH winds and freezing temperatures. And I work outdoors. All night. Without breaks. Eh — the weather is kicking my ass, that’s all. I can deal with bumps, bruises, stress… but being cold and wet? Ugh.

Yeah, so anyone wonder why my bronchitis is back… again?

I also fill in at a pizza shop, delivering on the weekends. Honestly, I don’t work there very much. Before I started college, I was pulling 30 hours a week there in addition to my airport job — working to make ends meet. I slowly cut down my hours more and more as school started, and now I pretty much just fill in if someone calls off and they can’t cover the spot. A shift every few weeks, just some extra spending cash. That’s pretty nice, really.

Last but definitely not least, I’m participating in a business start-up. After months of slaving we’re about 5 days from being “open to the public.” It’s a tech gig, similar to the last one I did except I’m part-owner. Verrah nice. We’ll be doing pro web design and web hosting. Trying to concentrate on the market of teens and bloggers. So…. If you know anyone who needs a website, tell me? I want to get this business profitable so I can pull a paycheck (we’re working for free till we make money). I want to ensure my future. I really, really want to get rich off this. Someday.

And for kicks, here’s a list of jobs I’ve done:

• Paperboy
• Dishwasher at a restaurant
• Graveyard shift waiter at a Denny’s
• Two weeks as a scrub laborer at a screen printing plant
• One day as a perfume salesman (door to door… ugh)
• Many, many gigs delivering pizza
• Phone technical support for ISDN and Internet connectivity
• Tech support for a Web hosting corp
• Self employment as the Admin for a Web hosting company
• Working at the airport

I’m sure there are one or two things that I tried for a week or two and have forgotten about. But that’s my work life in a nutshell.

Now I’m off to go play in the rain.