Working Girl

No, I'm not working the corner of 5th and Elm in Sweetwater or walking the streets of Abilene's downtown. I haven't headed over to the strip club in Tye yet, either.

Although...it may be more fun than what I am doing now.

Instead...

I am working with the 2010 Census.

Let me tell you...there are those of us who can successfully work for the government. Then there are people like me.

Good thing it is a two-month gig and nothing more.

Gosh---it is so ridiculous. They are paying me to...do...nothing. And the pay isn't exactly shabby either. I get $.55 per mile driven alone.....and out in the middle of nowhere parts of West Texas...well, that can add up really fast.

Today was only my second official day out of training. I was sent to Sweetwater to conduct testing sessions. No one showed up. No one showed up yesterday, either, when I tacked on 120 miles to administer these same tests that have yet to be attended. Tomorrow I head even further into the far reaches of nowhere...and I am guessing the trend will continue. I'll let you know.

So, you ask...what is SO BAD about this picture? You are getting paid to drive around with the radio blasting; your pay-day starts from the moment to plunk down into the driver's seat; you have yet to do any real work.....sounds great, right?!

Perhaps. But I am not the type who can pretend to work then boast about how much I did all day. I saw way too much of this up in Alaska working with an Interagency conglomeration of governmental entities. Rare was the day that much actually got done. Oftentimes was the spending of money so gross that I wanted to scream.

And here I am again. I am in the middle of what I hate. Utilizing precious tax-payers' money to lounge around and pretend to be doing something.

Okay, yesterday I managed to keep myself really busy. I spent hours driving around a little town in the middle of nowhere, hanging pro-census signs. My enthusiasm waned upon seeing the 'SECEDE' bumper stickers and pro-life propaganda everywhere. But I held my own and did the job. Of course, I have 8 more weeks of work to come up with and, frankly, I did it all yesterday.

No offense to anyone....but if I was a true government employee I would have turned my efforts yesterday into about....ehhh...three weeks' worth of 'work'.

Am I right?

But today, my second whole day, I couldn't take it, and found myself chit-chatting with friends and neighbors more than actually doing any work. Maybe it is because I was in Sweetwater, the epicenter of the Tenasty soap-opera, where I refuse to make contact with the people who are attempting to construct a chemical-laden death box in my backyard.

Instead, I sat around a pecan shelling business with an older couple also opposed to the coal plant. We laughed and joked, conspired and questioned. These two---probably in their late 60s---have lived here since day one. They know all the town secrets. What a hoot this afternoon was. Rare is the day that I meet people who I really feel comfortable around and feel that I can truly express my opinions to. Here they are. They are absolutely amazing people...

Then I headed over to my neighbor's barber shop. Nothing like kickin' back in a Texas barber shop. Let me tell ya....

So, my day was good...and I did the work they set me out to do. I hung signs and showed up to proctor the tests....but....

Maybe I realize that, since no one is going to show up to the tests anyways, why kill myself trying to 'spread the word'...?

Oh well. Guess I shouldn't complain. In the end, my short stint's earnings should cover the entirety of next semester's expenses and maybe even the following. Working for the government always looks good on a resume and my efforts will keep me busy through the holiday break.

(If I can hold on for 8 weeks. Gosh, I hate being bored.)

Plus, I turned down the SCA Internship that I was offered in Albuquerque today. Not for me. One of those decisions that you question for a while afterwards. Was it right? Wrong? Should I have gone and tried it out? I'll leave that door unopened....and hopefully find another one waiting to be unlocked, with ample opportunities on the other side.