Not Just Any Job

February 3, 2011February 3, 2011 ~ JodiLea

I have had my share of jobs. Nothing I wanted to keep as a career, but I needed the money. I have done fast-food, bookkeeping, alarm monitoring (yawn), receptionist & clerical work. One of my favorite’s was working for an answering service & towing dispatch. I am glad I moved on before technology eliminated it with the cell phone. And yes, I am that old.

I like the kind of work I do now. My position description is: “Senior Computer Support Technologist”. It is a Government job classification, so it does not tell you anything. What I do is provide tech support for my organization, and outside users of our system. I help them with questions/problems, troubleshoot software/hardware issues, do software testing and try to keep up with our documentation. It is a customer support job.

Most people would hate working in customer support. Having a job no one wants is nice. It keeps me from worrying about backstabbing bitches & getting laid off. But enough about my current job.

Top Ten Jobs I Would Leave Mine For:

Stephen King’s Assistant
Write a syndicated column for a major newspaper
Publish my novel(s) and hit the Best Seller’s List
Work for a Bernese Mountain Dog breeder as a “Puppy Entertainer”
Join the Blue Collar Comedy Tour
Stephen King’s Assistant (did I already say that?)
Professional Sleep Number Bed Tester (think of the naps!)
Guest appearance on Leverage
Cast in a movie with Sam Elliot
Work with the writers for Saturday Night Live

Now this is between you and me – so don’t tell my boss!

An Optimist or What? – That is the Question

February 1, 2011February 1, 2011 ~ JodiLea

And the answer is… It depends.

A more accurate question to ask me is: “How are you feeling?” I am a creature of ebbing and flowing emotional currents. Most of the time the current moseys along and I can tolerate whatever comes my way.

Occasionally, a tsunami will occur. There are warning signs that lead up to this phenomena, and if taken seriously, danger can be avoided. I have discovered not many people pay attention to signs. Probably the same folks that don’t read manuals, or assembly instructions. You know who you are.

When a tsunami hits, the optimist and those in close proximity, are swept far, far, away. What rises up from the angry sea is not an optimist OR a pessimist, but rather a Tasmanian Devil disguised as me. (No, not the one wearing lipstick, silly!)

If you have seen the cartoon then you have some idea of how I feel on one of those days. I don’t know what I look like as a Tasmanian Devil, but I have seen the look on other people’s faces when it happens. They seem very frightened.

So, when Bill Engvall says, “Heeeere’s Your Sign!”

Read it.

Please, Don’t Take My Cell Phone Away!

February 1, 2011 ~ JodiLea

I love technology. We are so spoiled with our appliances that cook and clean for us. I shudder to think that I could have been born before indoor plumbing, like my grandmother was. You may not think of appliances and toilets being technological. But they are.

I would really miss my iPod, TV, DVR and HBO. I would not want to do without my coffee maker or dishwasher, but I could deal. But my cell phone is absolutely essential.

I don’t chat or text much at all. Some days my cell never comes out of my purse or off the charger. The point is – it (and the technology behind it) exists. My days of trudging off to find a phone (because my haunted little car, dies – again – in the middle of an intersection) are now over. I can whip out my little phone and arrange a rescue while standing on the side of the road watching the drivers honking behind the broken car in the left turn lane. You would think an empty car with flashing lights might be a clue. Sometimes I wish my phone had a camera so I can capture these moments …