I am a numbers guy, always have been. Just seem to really like to revel in them and extract some minor meaning from them. Sometimes it is to save money, sometimes to see what I lost.
In that vein, I was looking at our house. I know that a house, like your 401K, is supposed to be a LONG term investment. However, I am looking at the real numbers we really spent here and what we will likely spend at our new urban digs. Apples to apples.......or as close as we can get.
Once we sell this house we will have lived here for almost exactly 1 full year (2 and a 1/2 weeks shy of it). We put down 3% towards the home (and fees associated with such) and have dutifully paid our mortgage, gaining about $350 each month towards equity. We will have therefore earned about $4K over the year. However, with estimates ranging to nearly 8% depreciation over the last year (our neighbors property has depreciated about 20% in the four years since these were built), even being conservative, you couldn't argue that we have truly earned anything. You could only argue over exactly how small or great a sum was lost. So, one could easily argue that you aren't so much building equity at this point as you are bailing out water without fixing the leak.
We also pay a small monthly fee for external upkeep. All told, we feel fortunate to walk out of this house with somewhere around $1500 (inclusive of the additional equity built up over the next 2 payments). Some things are just not good investments and this was assuredly not. We bought low enough that it is possible that eventually it would have proven worthwhile (though I dare say it would never be the case for our neighbors), but it would have been awhile. But, I digress. Ultimately, we will walk away having paid approximately $2700/mo to live here (inclusive of our up front costs). That is a rough estimate and is probably a little on the conservative side. Gives me the shakes just thinking about it. Had we pushed out another year (even with the downward trend slowing and our equity slightly increasing as the principle of the loan slightly dwindles), we still would be looking at nearly $2300 a month at our current sell price, a number we would likely not be able to get at that point in time.
So, as we move to a fairly pricey apartment in a desirable locale, we will still save a princely sum. When you take into account that NONE of our money will need to be put down (the deposit was $99) and that the non-refundable start up fees include only the $84 application.........while objectively you can look at the two numbers and it would appear we are saving only a few hundred a month, it is actually much much more. Including utilities, we will save about $900/mo over what we spent this past year. Had we moved to the same apartment one year ago instead of here it would have saved us nearly $11K. From a strictly month to month cost, we will save about $4K. Probably nearly another $1K in gas (although that will likely we eaten up literally........via happy hours and coffee shops).
But, ultimately, it is all a sunk cost. If you stare too hard at your investments (bad or good) in the past, you will never be able to move forward. It is best to just let go and move on. Home ownership has its perks to be sure, but presently those perks are not fiscally sound ones unless you are willing to think longer term than I dare. In the meantime, I am just looking forward to being a renter again with the landlord on speed dial should anything go awry :)
That isn't to say that I do not understand that houses, by and large, are emotionally purchases. There is more (for most people) about their house than its monetary worth. It is a place of family and friends and memories. It is, for some, the ultimate goal and part of the American dream. As Tia says, some people wouldn't move out no matter how much they are upside down because their house means that much to them. A house isn't always an investment of money, but is sometimes more an investment of hope and a fulfillment of dreams. Its just not how I see it.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The house is officially sold!
It feels like a HUGE weight has been lifted now that the counter offer has been accepted. Truly, we didn't win in this situation so much as we didn't entirely lose. Ultimately, we walk away without having to write a check to do so and that, in my book, is a win. We will lose the money we put down (thankfully not much) and what little equity we built over the year..........but a valuable lesson was imparted along the way: home ownership is not a place we want to be right now. Maybe when the market isn't so awful or maybe when I am older or maybe when we move somewhere else where buying makes more sense then renting (it doesn't here), but for now I just feel a sense of freedom that not having a 30 year mortgage allows. We are incredibly lucky to have found a buyer in this market at all honestly. So, farewell suburbia.
Whats next, well, a year of urban living. Specifically in the Pearl where we can walk to happy hours, coffee shops and even to work (I will only be 9 blocks from my new job and Tia will be a 2 mile bike ride away). We will be moving into about 1/2 the space (probably slightly less than) and will go back to sharing walls and living in close quarters with others...........but I think it will be fun. If nothing else, it will be truly, remarkably different. A fun experiment and hopefully a successful one.
In the meantime, now starts the purging process. Time to whittle down what we have to what can reasonably be accommodated within the confines of the apartment walls. It is a process I enjoy and dread because, despite my propensity for ridding and my general fear of accumulating stuff, I do like most of the pieces we have (some I will not be sad to see go though). Ah well, you can always buy it again down the road if you need to. Must stick to my mantra: absolutely no pay storage!
Off to relax and bask in the little successes. 4 days on the floor (one at EM) is enough.
Whats next, well, a year of urban living. Specifically in the Pearl where we can walk to happy hours, coffee shops and even to work (I will only be 9 blocks from my new job and Tia will be a 2 mile bike ride away). We will be moving into about 1/2 the space (probably slightly less than) and will go back to sharing walls and living in close quarters with others...........but I think it will be fun. If nothing else, it will be truly, remarkably different. A fun experiment and hopefully a successful one.
In the meantime, now starts the purging process. Time to whittle down what we have to what can reasonably be accommodated within the confines of the apartment walls. It is a process I enjoy and dread because, despite my propensity for ridding and my general fear of accumulating stuff, I do like most of the pieces we have (some I will not be sad to see go though). Ah well, you can always buy it again down the road if you need to. Must stick to my mantra: absolutely no pay storage!
Off to relax and bask in the little successes. 4 days on the floor (one at EM) is enough.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Updates
Just a few quick blurbs since I haven't had much time to update of late.
- The court case I was called in to be a juror for ended up as a mistrial. The case dealt with a theft of some items from a Fred Meyers. The theft wasn't in question however. Whether or not the accused used a knife when confronted outside of the store by their loss prevention officers was. Due to a number of issues regarding witnesses and the like, the case was declared a mistrial and an entirely new jury will have to be selected and sworn in to hear the case when it comes back to trial. When that is I have no earthly idea. So, got to see a peek inside the justice system, but not much of one sadly.
- We are firing our Realtor. I know we are high needs clients. I need to be informed of what is being done to promote the property and I need to be given updates about people who go through the house. I expect, for about $9000 and mixed change, that something will be done besides sticking a sign in the yard and posting some pics online at RMLS. I guess that makes me high needs. Anyway, we feel like we can just do it ourselves just as well. Guess we'll find out. If..........
- Well, if the offer that is forthcoming falls through and/or we cannot find a happy middle ground. For all I know the offer could be ridiculously low.........or full of strings. Hard to say, but I am definitely speculating like crazy. Can't wait to see it, though I have a sneaking suspicion I will be disappointed.
- Accepted a new job........at a clinic doing triage. M-F, 36 hrs per, slight pay downgrade. No bennies change though because I stayed in the family. Not confident about the move, but it was my best chance at the moment to try to jump back into school. Trying to think a little longer term. We'll find out soon enough if the move was a mistake or not.
- Looked at some of the 'high=end' waterfront apartments for shits and giggles this past weekend. Good lord are they enormously overpriced! It isn't even so much that they are expensive, it is more that you get so little for your money. Unless you consider 1100 sq. feet of shoddily carpeted, poorly laid out, and overwhelmingly furnished (not the highest end fixtures or appliances) living space in the middle of never-ending construction with views that could only generously be called average worth north of $2000 a month. Yes in NYC or San Fran..........but not in Portland. I predict a severe price adjustment forthcoming.
Last weekend of work for awhile forthcoming and sooner than I would prefer.
- The court case I was called in to be a juror for ended up as a mistrial. The case dealt with a theft of some items from a Fred Meyers. The theft wasn't in question however. Whether or not the accused used a knife when confronted outside of the store by their loss prevention officers was. Due to a number of issues regarding witnesses and the like, the case was declared a mistrial and an entirely new jury will have to be selected and sworn in to hear the case when it comes back to trial. When that is I have no earthly idea. So, got to see a peek inside the justice system, but not much of one sadly.
- We are firing our Realtor. I know we are high needs clients. I need to be informed of what is being done to promote the property and I need to be given updates about people who go through the house. I expect, for about $9000 and mixed change, that something will be done besides sticking a sign in the yard and posting some pics online at RMLS. I guess that makes me high needs. Anyway, we feel like we can just do it ourselves just as well. Guess we'll find out. If..........
- Well, if the offer that is forthcoming falls through and/or we cannot find a happy middle ground. For all I know the offer could be ridiculously low.........or full of strings. Hard to say, but I am definitely speculating like crazy. Can't wait to see it, though I have a sneaking suspicion I will be disappointed.
- Accepted a new job........at a clinic doing triage. M-F, 36 hrs per, slight pay downgrade. No bennies change though because I stayed in the family. Not confident about the move, but it was my best chance at the moment to try to jump back into school. Trying to think a little longer term. We'll find out soon enough if the move was a mistake or not.
- Looked at some of the 'high=end' waterfront apartments for shits and giggles this past weekend. Good lord are they enormously overpriced! It isn't even so much that they are expensive, it is more that you get so little for your money. Unless you consider 1100 sq. feet of shoddily carpeted, poorly laid out, and overwhelmingly furnished (not the highest end fixtures or appliances) living space in the middle of never-ending construction with views that could only generously be called average worth north of $2000 a month. Yes in NYC or San Fran..........but not in Portland. I predict a severe price adjustment forthcoming.
Last weekend of work for awhile forthcoming and sooner than I would prefer.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Houses and juries and interviews oh my!
Quick update about the interview. It went............well, mediocre in all regards. Had a double interview of sorts. One with the office manager and clinic manager and one with two other nurses. The first interview read really well. The second was harder to get a vibe on. But, regardless of that, it really isn't something that I can see myself doing. Why? Well, because in the RN role there you spend almost your entire day (probably around 90% of it) on the phone doing triage and almost 0% doing anything with actual patients. Despite the good hours (and guaranteed ones at that), it sounds pretty soul crushingly boring. I think I would be able to do it for about 3 months until I got the hang of it, and then I might want to hang myself. Ah well, the beat goes on and the applications keep flying out. If you bait enough hooks you are bound to catch something right?
Got called to jury duty today. Can't say much about it, but I did get selected for the trial so I will be going back tomorrow. Since I get paid by my job, I have to say it is a win-win. Get to do something different and interesting and get paid to boot. Nice.
Ah, the house.........what a tangled web. It is interesting how very many different opinions and thoughts there are. Most recently: Should we just rent it out instead? Maybe so. The idea of selling it is grim and we are thinking more and more that our current Realtor (who has thus far been a disappointment) might be a little too pie-in-the-sky. Wouldn't be so bad if she just wouldn't keep stumbling over the basics.
Off to bed. Some deliberating to do tomorrow.
Got called to jury duty today. Can't say much about it, but I did get selected for the trial so I will be going back tomorrow. Since I get paid by my job, I have to say it is a win-win. Get to do something different and interesting and get paid to boot. Nice.
Ah, the house.........what a tangled web. It is interesting how very many different opinions and thoughts there are. Most recently: Should we just rent it out instead? Maybe so. The idea of selling it is grim and we are thinking more and more that our current Realtor (who has thus far been a disappointment) might be a little too pie-in-the-sky. Wouldn't be so bad if she just wouldn't keep stumbling over the basics.
Off to bed. Some deliberating to do tomorrow.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
the movie keeps on rolling, but the story's getting old now
My coworker asked me a question today that I had never thought about, "What would it take to make you stay at this job?" The fact that I had never even considered that probably says more about my feelings about leaving than anything else. I couldn't think of anything. Sure more money and more vacation would be nice, but that isn't happening and, even if it did, I am not sure how much it would take of either. Plus, I am already running out of the energy needed to continue fighting for myself and for the people I work alongside. Such a statement used to not bother me. I used to not care because work was work, not my career. Now I am trying (emphasis on trying) to look long term and the truth is there just isn't much chance to advance where I am.......not for a decade or better unless there is some kind of massive layoff up top. Which essentially means (in Bryan speak especially) an eternity before I would be in any position to affect change in my department (what changes could be enacted remains questionable even then). I am not ready, not willing, to wait it out.
What does it all mean? Well, if things don't turn out well tomorrow, the search continues.......and continues.
I hope to settle on a job one day...........but I doubt I will ever settle for something less than fulfilling. I know its out there, I just need to find it.
What does it all mean? Well, if things don't turn out well tomorrow, the search continues.......and continues.
I hope to settle on a job one day...........but I doubt I will ever settle for something less than fulfilling. I know its out there, I just need to find it.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Interview
Today was another day where one of my coworkers suggested ANOTHER email to arrange ANOTHER meeting regarding what is going on in the clinic. Not that it isn't necessary (as my old supervisor is still pouting fairly openly and there is still a lot of muddiness regarding the role of our new charge even after the last meeting), but I am growing weary of it. It starts to feel like a wheel, no matter where you get on, you end up at the same place eventually.
So, the good news is that I have an actual honest-to-god face-to-face interview (a miracle in this day and age) at a clinic that is part of the same hospital system I already work at. Clearly, the hurdles of do I like them and do they like me exist, but if all goes well it could mean the following:
- A pay cut - yes it is only a few dollars an hour (guessing $2-2.50/hour less), but that can mean a lot over the course of a year (roughly $4K give or take). Of course, that is only if they actually flex me out like I do now. If it represents an actual 36 hours (instead of my theoretical one) than it will probably be a wash.
- No more weekends! - this would be huger than huge. Actual weekends. Whole ones. All the time. Has been a few years since I had those and with Tia's new job, it would be a really nice bonus.
- No more hospital - this is a real pro/con argument. On one hand, being in the hospital lets me accrue acute care experience and do some pretty neat things (PICC lines being the most interesting) while still getting my hand in the clinic work that I really feel at my most comfortable with. On the other hand, working in the the hospital means I get floated around as need be and that I have to deal with the crazy hospital politics (which I can only hope don't exist in the same scale at a clinic alone..........but that is a rather unlikely hope). There is truly no clear winner in this, it is just a matter of preference. Some people really like being in the hospital, some don't. I fall somewhere towards the don't side, but I can deal with it.
- Commute time - Until we sell this house, that could be a biggie. After we sell it, it could go a long way towards clarifying where to live (likely near that area since it would be super close for both Tia and I).
- No real change in any of the benefits etc since I would still be in the same organization. Thats a bonus in itself.
So, cross em for me and hopefully this interview will be as successful as most that I go on and an offer to contemplate will be forthcoming. I am excited about at least going in to talk with someone. Its a step in the right direction.
So, the good news is that I have an actual honest-to-god face-to-face interview (a miracle in this day and age) at a clinic that is part of the same hospital system I already work at. Clearly, the hurdles of do I like them and do they like me exist, but if all goes well it could mean the following:
- A pay cut - yes it is only a few dollars an hour (guessing $2-2.50/hour less), but that can mean a lot over the course of a year (roughly $4K give or take). Of course, that is only if they actually flex me out like I do now. If it represents an actual 36 hours (instead of my theoretical one) than it will probably be a wash.
- No more weekends! - this would be huger than huge. Actual weekends. Whole ones. All the time. Has been a few years since I had those and with Tia's new job, it would be a really nice bonus.
- No more hospital - this is a real pro/con argument. On one hand, being in the hospital lets me accrue acute care experience and do some pretty neat things (PICC lines being the most interesting) while still getting my hand in the clinic work that I really feel at my most comfortable with. On the other hand, working in the the hospital means I get floated around as need be and that I have to deal with the crazy hospital politics (which I can only hope don't exist in the same scale at a clinic alone..........but that is a rather unlikely hope). There is truly no clear winner in this, it is just a matter of preference. Some people really like being in the hospital, some don't. I fall somewhere towards the don't side, but I can deal with it.
- Commute time - Until we sell this house, that could be a biggie. After we sell it, it could go a long way towards clarifying where to live (likely near that area since it would be super close for both Tia and I).
- No real change in any of the benefits etc since I would still be in the same organization. Thats a bonus in itself.
So, cross em for me and hopefully this interview will be as successful as most that I go on and an offer to contemplate will be forthcoming. I am excited about at least going in to talk with someone. Its a step in the right direction.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Here comes the rain again
I am not sure exactly why, but the weather has been a good mirror of my moods of late. A sunny day here and there with a liberal amount of rainy gray. To be sure, a preponderance of events have led to this, but that really isn't something that I can do much about. What I can do something about, or hope to be able to, is finding a way to not let it affect me. At least not so significantly. Usually, for me, exercise helps a lot. It is the cheapest and easiest endorphin rush. It helps me sleep better at night and perform better during the day. It also makes me feel better in general. So, why not just do it then?
Well, excuses come cheap and I have plenty of them. Work has been incredibly stressful and the days have been long and grueling. Family situations have been mentally and emotionally taxing. Selling our house is stressful. And, lest I forget, the ever present shitfest that is the weather here. It isn't that it is NEVER sunny..........it is just not a common occurrence. For reasons of sheer chance, there also seems to be a high correlation between the amount of sun expected and my being at work on a particular day. Last weekend (a 3 day weekend for me), one day of sun. This weekend (counting tomorrow), sun x 3. The past 2 days I have been off, bands of wind and rain. The two days prior when I worked 10 hours shifts, sunny and mild. And so on. I know that statistically it will even out, but it has been an unpleasant run. All I want to do is pack up my stuff, put in my notice, grab Tia and the cats and head south until I find someplace that sunglasses are a necessity and flip-flops aren't something you dust off a few weeks a year. I miss it. I really truly do.
So, whats the answer? Well, hopefully a mix of self-actualization and Tia kicking my ass until I dont need so much motivation. Hopefully the sun will follow and the other issues with subside. Thats the plan anyway.
Tomorrow I am heading to the Big Bad. Not pleased about it, but it is my turn. It fills me with dread like exam days in school. There is nothing you can do to avoid it, and you know it will be largely unpleasant..............but eventually it will be over and you can go on with your life. Until the next trip that is.
Decided against applying for a job that would potentially (nothing is a guarantee) have gotten me away from IV therapy, though I would be doing pretty much the exact same job. The clinic that I shadowed in a month ago is finally looking to hire permanently.
Pros: No hospital work at all. No floating (no other affiliated clinics to float to). Learning chemo administration.
Cons: Staff is, on average, much older (I would be the youngest by at least 10-15 years), nowhere to really go in the department, located downtown which would be a mess of a commute (see Tia's commute).
Overall, I just can't see myself there. Maybe it is a mistake not to apply........but in reality that's all I would be doing. It isn't like I am turning down an offer. That would be much harder to do.
I probably should go to sleep now. 5:30 in the AM comes quickly. How I hate the Big Bad....let me count the ways.
Well, excuses come cheap and I have plenty of them. Work has been incredibly stressful and the days have been long and grueling. Family situations have been mentally and emotionally taxing. Selling our house is stressful. And, lest I forget, the ever present shitfest that is the weather here. It isn't that it is NEVER sunny..........it is just not a common occurrence. For reasons of sheer chance, there also seems to be a high correlation between the amount of sun expected and my being at work on a particular day. Last weekend (a 3 day weekend for me), one day of sun. This weekend (counting tomorrow), sun x 3. The past 2 days I have been off, bands of wind and rain. The two days prior when I worked 10 hours shifts, sunny and mild. And so on. I know that statistically it will even out, but it has been an unpleasant run. All I want to do is pack up my stuff, put in my notice, grab Tia and the cats and head south until I find someplace that sunglasses are a necessity and flip-flops aren't something you dust off a few weeks a year. I miss it. I really truly do.
So, whats the answer? Well, hopefully a mix of self-actualization and Tia kicking my ass until I dont need so much motivation. Hopefully the sun will follow and the other issues with subside. Thats the plan anyway.
Tomorrow I am heading to the Big Bad. Not pleased about it, but it is my turn. It fills me with dread like exam days in school. There is nothing you can do to avoid it, and you know it will be largely unpleasant..............but eventually it will be over and you can go on with your life. Until the next trip that is.
Decided against applying for a job that would potentially (nothing is a guarantee) have gotten me away from IV therapy, though I would be doing pretty much the exact same job. The clinic that I shadowed in a month ago is finally looking to hire permanently.
Pros: No hospital work at all. No floating (no other affiliated clinics to float to). Learning chemo administration.
Cons: Staff is, on average, much older (I would be the youngest by at least 10-15 years), nowhere to really go in the department, located downtown which would be a mess of a commute (see Tia's commute).
Overall, I just can't see myself there. Maybe it is a mistake not to apply........but in reality that's all I would be doing. It isn't like I am turning down an offer. That would be much harder to do.
I probably should go to sleep now. 5:30 in the AM comes quickly. How I hate the Big Bad....let me count the ways.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Here comes the sun
Sunny days here in Portland always amaze me. People attack them with a certain gusto that you just don't see in places like Florida (or other places where sun is common). I find it fascinating, and also a bit sad. Shouldn't the sun be something we take for granted?
The only thing I can reference that is remotely similar growing up in Florida was when it was cold out. It really is the only comparison I can make. We also woke up excited. Cranked on the heretofore unused heat (with the smell of burning dust permeating the air) and unpacked our winter apparel. Then proceeded to dress like a blizzard was upon us. 50 degrees and below brought forth a torrent of downy jackets and lumberjack sweaters. 40 degrees might have brought forth ski pants and masks (it was rumored that such temperatures existed, but I don't know if I ever saw them). And, since this was South Florida, by noon the temps had risen by about 20 degrees and you spent the remainder of the day lugging around all those heavy clothes that you could no longer bear to have on your person. Also, three days later, the temps would return to the low 70s and you would carefully repack everything with the hope that, at least once more, you might be able to repeat the process again before the 'winter' left us.
This isn't to say I am advocating Florida (although I would advocate a winter there). The rest of the year finds us stumbling from AC to AC slick with an ever present sheen of perspiration, temperatures in the mid/high 90s, perpetual afternoon thunderstorms, and humidity so thick it is a presence. But the sun............well that we never missed. It was never a question of if it would come out, but when. That, I do miss.
The only thing I can reference that is remotely similar growing up in Florida was when it was cold out. It really is the only comparison I can make. We also woke up excited. Cranked on the heretofore unused heat (with the smell of burning dust permeating the air) and unpacked our winter apparel. Then proceeded to dress like a blizzard was upon us. 50 degrees and below brought forth a torrent of downy jackets and lumberjack sweaters. 40 degrees might have brought forth ski pants and masks (it was rumored that such temperatures existed, but I don't know if I ever saw them). And, since this was South Florida, by noon the temps had risen by about 20 degrees and you spent the remainder of the day lugging around all those heavy clothes that you could no longer bear to have on your person. Also, three days later, the temps would return to the low 70s and you would carefully repack everything with the hope that, at least once more, you might be able to repeat the process again before the 'winter' left us.
This isn't to say I am advocating Florida (although I would advocate a winter there). The rest of the year finds us stumbling from AC to AC slick with an ever present sheen of perspiration, temperatures in the mid/high 90s, perpetual afternoon thunderstorms, and humidity so thick it is a presence. But the sun............well that we never missed. It was never a question of if it would come out, but when. That, I do miss.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Job jobs jobs
I think sometimes about all the jobs I have had in this lifetime (and I doubt that list is done compiling) and it is interesting how each one affects you. Listing even the jobs I held for so short a time that it scarcely counted (telemarketer: 3.5 hours), either represents a life spent with severe career ADD or, just as likely if not more so, that jobs, especially those gotten in hs, generally suck. In my best guess as to chronological order:
Telemarketer: Still remember the 'cause' - Police Athletic League (nearly 7.5% of donations went there after the 'overhead costs' were taken into account. Probably the longest 3.5 hours of my life. Surrounded by ex-cons and getting hung up on or screamed at on the phone.
Florist/bitch boy: I worked at a florist shop for a number of months off the books. Vague memories of driving around collecting tree trimmings for Xmas decorations and spending hours upon hours dethorning and wiring roses.
Busboy: Ah Perkins.........I remember it well. Every weekend waking up early and coming home bone weary 6 hours later smelling of breakfast scraps (and somewhat covered in them). All to make minimum wage plus up to $10 per shift in tips from the cheap ass waitstaff. Only job I have ever been fired from (for refusing to clean out a dirty toilet stall.........my aversion to poop is longstanding).
PBKC: Off and on for nearly a decade........though mostly off. Started in publicity and finished as an executive assistant of sorts. In between, I bartended, worked as a runner, and was a teller. Lots of pretty fond memories honestly for a place that I probably wouldn't choose to visit of my own accord.
College jobs: Scarcely worth breaking up into individual descriptions since they tended to be pretty consistently low paying and short lived. But, for the sake of the list I was employed at least briefly in the following: Pizza Maker, mall store clerk, event set up, teller (at a local Jai Alai place), teaching assistant, and lab rat (any pay to try this or that project you could think of).
Construction: By far the most physically grueling job. Nothing like pouring concrete in the summer in South Florida. Has to be at least one of Dante's levels. Was proud that I made it through that summer. Don't know how my dad managed it for all those years. Tough work.
Teacher: This job is probably, if not completely, at the other end of the scale from construction. Whereas in construction you are doing a completely physical job, this one took it out of you for very different reasons. I didn't come home and want to collapse from physical fatigue, but rather from the mental gyrations that keeping 30 kids on task at all times takes from you. You are always 'on' and if you aren't, woe is you. I see the arguments people make about the short work year, and I won't disagree entirely, but I will say that they definitely need a break.
Teacher overseas: See above except add in huge cultural and language barriers.
Counselor: I suppose I was no more a counselor than Cambridge College was a college, but that was the title I was provided. For the pleasure of $26K a year, I was to be a coach, crying shoulder, and personal lackey of sorts to a help better fleece the poor misguided souls who attended that place. At the beginning, it was not entirely clear how awful that place was, but it became apparent rather readily and the door never stopped revolving for both students and staff alike.
Admin: The small non-profit (RC), was actually a very pleasant place to work. Mind-numbingly dull, but pleasant. Spent most of my days trying to appear busy though I had little to nothing to do. I sometimes miss it. I miss having periods of time where I can just sit and ruminate or days that I can work harder or less hard depending on workflow and my feelings about the day.
Nursing: There are some serious pros and cons to this profession. It is so very different than my other jobs that I can't readily compare it. I am never idle. I rarely have the opportunity to just sit, and when I do it is usually to chart. You rarely ever have the opportunity to see anything from beginning to end, and never in one chunk of time. You are always left to try to pull bits and fragments from one part of the day to complete them in another......with many more like pieces in between. My lunches are rarely uninterrupted, and never extend beyond 30 minutes (and are never at a set time). Breaks are also infrequent and wholly based on patient flow. I spend most of my day on my feet, trying to cheer on and educate patients at a low point in their lives (which is often very rewarding when you feel you have made a rather unpleasant experience that much more bearable), and otherwise being pulled in any number of directions. I can honestly say that, at the end of most days, I feel truly spent. But, I can also honestly say that, by and large, it is the most worthwhile thing I have done. It is definitely the first (probably the only) job I have ever really taken pride in. Its harder than I thought it would be, and though I sometimes see around the corners I am always learning.
Don't know what comes next.........no idea. For now, I am relatively happy and hoping to push further into the profession. That is unless you have any better ideas :)
Telemarketer: Still remember the 'cause' - Police Athletic League (nearly 7.5% of donations went there after the 'overhead costs' were taken into account. Probably the longest 3.5 hours of my life. Surrounded by ex-cons and getting hung up on or screamed at on the phone.
Florist/bitch boy: I worked at a florist shop for a number of months off the books. Vague memories of driving around collecting tree trimmings for Xmas decorations and spending hours upon hours dethorning and wiring roses.
Busboy: Ah Perkins.........I remember it well. Every weekend waking up early and coming home bone weary 6 hours later smelling of breakfast scraps (and somewhat covered in them). All to make minimum wage plus up to $10 per shift in tips from the cheap ass waitstaff. Only job I have ever been fired from (for refusing to clean out a dirty toilet stall.........my aversion to poop is longstanding).
PBKC: Off and on for nearly a decade........though mostly off. Started in publicity and finished as an executive assistant of sorts. In between, I bartended, worked as a runner, and was a teller. Lots of pretty fond memories honestly for a place that I probably wouldn't choose to visit of my own accord.
College jobs: Scarcely worth breaking up into individual descriptions since they tended to be pretty consistently low paying and short lived. But, for the sake of the list I was employed at least briefly in the following: Pizza Maker, mall store clerk, event set up, teller (at a local Jai Alai place), teaching assistant, and lab rat (any pay to try this or that project you could think of).
Construction: By far the most physically grueling job. Nothing like pouring concrete in the summer in South Florida. Has to be at least one of Dante's levels. Was proud that I made it through that summer. Don't know how my dad managed it for all those years. Tough work.
Teacher: This job is probably, if not completely, at the other end of the scale from construction. Whereas in construction you are doing a completely physical job, this one took it out of you for very different reasons. I didn't come home and want to collapse from physical fatigue, but rather from the mental gyrations that keeping 30 kids on task at all times takes from you. You are always 'on' and if you aren't, woe is you. I see the arguments people make about the short work year, and I won't disagree entirely, but I will say that they definitely need a break.
Teacher overseas: See above except add in huge cultural and language barriers.
Counselor: I suppose I was no more a counselor than Cambridge College was a college, but that was the title I was provided. For the pleasure of $26K a year, I was to be a coach, crying shoulder, and personal lackey of sorts to a help better fleece the poor misguided souls who attended that place. At the beginning, it was not entirely clear how awful that place was, but it became apparent rather readily and the door never stopped revolving for both students and staff alike.
Admin: The small non-profit (RC), was actually a very pleasant place to work. Mind-numbingly dull, but pleasant. Spent most of my days trying to appear busy though I had little to nothing to do. I sometimes miss it. I miss having periods of time where I can just sit and ruminate or days that I can work harder or less hard depending on workflow and my feelings about the day.
Nursing: There are some serious pros and cons to this profession. It is so very different than my other jobs that I can't readily compare it. I am never idle. I rarely have the opportunity to just sit, and when I do it is usually to chart. You rarely ever have the opportunity to see anything from beginning to end, and never in one chunk of time. You are always left to try to pull bits and fragments from one part of the day to complete them in another......with many more like pieces in between. My lunches are rarely uninterrupted, and never extend beyond 30 minutes (and are never at a set time). Breaks are also infrequent and wholly based on patient flow. I spend most of my day on my feet, trying to cheer on and educate patients at a low point in their lives (which is often very rewarding when you feel you have made a rather unpleasant experience that much more bearable), and otherwise being pulled in any number of directions. I can honestly say that, at the end of most days, I feel truly spent. But, I can also honestly say that, by and large, it is the most worthwhile thing I have done. It is definitely the first (probably the only) job I have ever really taken pride in. Its harder than I thought it would be, and though I sometimes see around the corners I am always learning.
Don't know what comes next.........no idea. For now, I am relatively happy and hoping to push further into the profession. That is unless you have any better ideas :)
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