I worked at a group home for kids with mental disabilities my first year out of college. I came in at 10, cleaned bathrooms, got up at 5, got the kids ready for school, gave medications, breakfast, wrote in logs, and escorted them to their buses. I went home, took a nap, wrote, climbed, hung out with friends. It was a great job.
Deron, I seem to remember your talking about this before, here on clusterflock. And now I seem to remember my talking about my favorite job, too. Have we asked this question before?
I really just enjoy my jobs pretty well, so it’s kind of hard to pick. Each have their own fond points and annoyances.
My favorite job that I got paid for was working the help desk at a small state school near Albany, NY. “Wait, you enjoyed working tech support?” Yeah, actually, I did. On top of that, my boss was absolutely amazing.
My favorite job overall (which I was not paid for in this case) was working as a veterinary nurse in a small practice in southern IN. Because the practice was small, I got to do many things which I might not have been able to do otherwise. The people were great, most of the animals were awesome.
I have two favorites: working at the Brentano’s bookstore where I met Cindy (although it was really just the meeting Cindy that made it the best), and teaching martial arts for a number of years at Texas Karate Institute.That was fun because I would have done it without pay–except for needing to make some money somehow. A job I envied, though, was held by a friend who worked for a big plant nursery in the area. There was a big dank room where they kept piles and piles of bulbs over the winter, and they were powdered with sulphur to keep them from spoiling. Sometimes they would spontaneously catch on fire, so somebody had to sit in there all the time to jump up and put fires out when a little puff of smoke came up. I sat with him in there often, drinking bourbon and playing cards through the night. Great job; I wanted it but he had it.
My favorite job was one summer during college. I introduced two new powdered drink mixes to area grocery stores. My area was about a 50 mile radius–from McKinney, TX to South Oak Cliff in Dallas. I’d get up very early and go into these great grocery stores–many of which were Mom & Pop shops, and most were old. They all smelled and felt wonderful. I got to know neighborhoods, small towns. Kids would be in the stores, their bikes thrown on the front sidewalk, buying Popsicles–their skin dark from the sun, their bare feet filthy. It wasn’t a job that gave me a sense of accomplishment or purpose, such as the job I have now, so I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to do that job for more than a summer or two. But, oh, it was great to be able to plan my own days, move about the city, see people going about their lives. I just loved it.
I work as a sysadmin now… and it keeps me busy, which is how I like it.
Other than that, I’d say I loved when I worked at a 7-11 while in Jr. College. There was a job where I kept busy the whole shift.. most of the customers were nice, but the owner also had said not to take too much shit from people, so that was nice. Sometimes in a retail job you’re supposed to just grin and bear it, or refer them to a manager, who then gets to tell Mr or Mrs. Ass-hat to leave or whatever. At club Sev, I would be there 8 hours by myself… so it was up to me to be that guy. There were only two sketchy incidents when I was working. Once I was working graveyard and a transient gentlemen with some severe mental health issues got in a fight with himself in front of the soda fountain, and I had to break it up. Another time the cops pulled some teenage car over into the parking lot in front of the store, and 3 more cop cars pulled up and they all drew shotguns pointed at the kids in the car/the store.. and then the police dispatcher called and told me to tell everyone to move to the back of the store and crouch down behind the aisle. Of course when I said that, I was the only one who did so, everyone else was up looking through the glass… nothing happened… but it was alarming.
I had some fun times at my very first library job more than a quarter of a century ago. elimae can’t count as a job, I guess, since I don’t make a salary.
I like to draw. But I don’t make a salary at that either. Hehehe.
Walt: do you know the poems of Thomas Lynch? (not the film maker) He is an undertaker and has made many fine poems about the experience. If I recall, the title of one of his books is Skating with Heather.
I liked it when I “worked” on campus as a Pool Supervisor. We felt like kings. Really, we were geeks who liked sports, knew CPR and didn’t want to find real jobs.
I worked at a group home for kids with mental disabilities my first year out of college. I came in at 10, cleaned bathrooms, got up at 5, got the kids ready for school, gave medications, breakfast, wrote in logs, and escorted them to their buses. I went home, took a nap, wrote, climbed, hung out with friends. It was a great job.
Deron, I seem to remember your talking about this before, here on clusterflock. And now I seem to remember my talking about my favorite job, too. Have we asked this question before?
If so: Nevermind.
I really just enjoy my jobs pretty well, so it’s kind of hard to pick. Each have their own fond points and annoyances.
My favorite job that I got paid for was working the help desk at a small state school near Albany, NY. “Wait, you enjoyed working tech support?” Yeah, actually, I did. On top of that, my boss was absolutely amazing.
My favorite job overall (which I was not paid for in this case) was working as a veterinary nurse in a small practice in southern IN. Because the practice was small, I got to do many things which I might not have been able to do otherwise. The people were great, most of the animals were awesome.
Dave, I’d like to know more about the animals that weren’t awesome.
I have two favorites: working at the Brentano’s bookstore where I met Cindy (although it was really just the meeting Cindy that made it the best), and teaching martial arts for a number of years at Texas Karate Institute.That was fun because I would have done it without pay–except for needing to make some money somehow. A job I envied, though, was held by a friend who worked for a big plant nursery in the area. There was a big dank room where they kept piles and piles of bulbs over the winter, and they were powdered with sulphur to keep them from spoiling. Sometimes they would spontaneously catch on fire, so somebody had to sit in there all the time to jump up and put fires out when a little puff of smoke came up. I sat with him in there often, drinking bourbon and playing cards through the night. Great job; I wanted it but he had it.
My favorite job was one summer during college. I introduced two new powdered drink mixes to area grocery stores. My area was about a 50 mile radius–from McKinney, TX to South Oak Cliff in Dallas. I’d get up very early and go into these great grocery stores–many of which were Mom & Pop shops, and most were old. They all smelled and felt wonderful. I got to know neighborhoods, small towns. Kids would be in the stores, their bikes thrown on the front sidewalk, buying Popsicles–their skin dark from the sun, their bare feet filthy. It wasn’t a job that gave me a sense of accomplishment or purpose, such as the job I have now, so I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to do that job for more than a summer or two. But, oh, it was great to be able to plan my own days, move about the city, see people going about their lives. I just loved it.
I work as a sysadmin now… and it keeps me busy, which is how I like it.
Other than that, I’d say I loved when I worked at a 7-11 while in Jr. College. There was a job where I kept busy the whole shift.. most of the customers were nice, but the owner also had said not to take too much shit from people, so that was nice. Sometimes in a retail job you’re supposed to just grin and bear it, or refer them to a manager, who then gets to tell Mr or Mrs. Ass-hat to leave or whatever. At club Sev, I would be there 8 hours by myself… so it was up to me to be that guy. There were only two sketchy incidents when I was working. Once I was working graveyard and a transient gentlemen with some severe mental health issues got in a fight with himself in front of the soda fountain, and I had to break it up. Another time the cops pulled some teenage car over into the parking lot in front of the store, and 3 more cop cars pulled up and they all drew shotguns pointed at the kids in the car/the store.. and then the police dispatcher called and told me to tell everyone to move to the back of the store and crouch down behind the aisle. Of course when I said that, I was the only one who did so, everyone else was up looking through the glass… nothing happened… but it was alarming.
Enjoy? Job? Wow.
I had some fun times at my very first library job more than a quarter of a century ago. elimae can’t count as a job, I guess, since I don’t make a salary.
I like to draw. But I don’t make a salary at that either. Hehehe.
The current one. Funeral director.
You have no idea how rewarding it for me to help someone through a difficult time like the death of a loved one.
Yes. I’m serious.
The fact that most days my work stays at work doesn’t hurt, either. There’s a huge separation between home and work for me.
Walt: do you know the poems of Thomas Lynch? (not the film maker) He is an undertaker and has made many fine poems about the experience. If I recall, the title of one of his books is Skating with Heather.
I liked it when I “worked” on campus as a Pool Supervisor. We felt like kings. Really, we were geeks who liked sports, knew CPR and didn’t want to find real jobs.
Lynch is like a patron saint to me, Daryl.
If you get a chance, go to pbs’s Frontline site and watch “The Undertaking.” It’s about the Lynch family firm.
Thomas Lynch is one of the reasons I became an FD. I’m glad you saw the connection.