everything's gonna be all right, rockabye

I thought I'd share a bit about my exciting job with y'all. I was going to call this post One Day in the Life of Millie Milanovich--but that seemed way too highbrow for this blog.

I've got a whole bunch of posts brewing around in my head, I swear that I do, and perhaps with the addition of wifi to my shuttle ride I can learn to type as the bus bounces a long.

So on Monday and Tuesday the alarm cd goes off at 4:00 am. I've now got my routine down to a science: turn off the alarm, quietly slip out of bed, hit the start button on the microwave. Please note that every second counts so the carafe of water is already in said microwave and the time is already programmed. At roughly 4:05 hitting 'start' is all I can muster.

While the water is getting hot I head to the bathroom where everything else, down to jewelry and shoes is carefully laid out. I've either showered the night before or I will at work later on. I usually get my half-way dressed when the water for tea is ready so it's time to steep. By the time I'm finished, I grab my travel mug, a protein bar or shake and head out the door. I try to leave by 4:15 at the latest. Speed down the road chugging my English Breakfast and listening to NPR.

When I get to work I immediately log into instant messenger. Yup, I get paid to chat with people. Then I do a little cutting, some pasting and the occasional save. I even send out emails. Sometimes including what I've cut, pasted and saved as an actual attachment.

I head down for breakfast at around 9 or 10, when my work day is half over. All that control c, v and s really works up an appetite, don't cha know? Today's breakfast was whole wheat pancakes with oodles of organic blackberries. All for $3. Yes you can hate me now.

More cutting, pasting and the occasional save. Sometimes I solve other problems. Recently those problems have been solved one more than one occasion by suggesting that scrolling to the bottom of the page might give them all the info they need. Seriously.

I wear headphones while I work and try not to laugh or cry aloud. Mostly I succeed. Friday, when I got some bad news from a fellow SA traveler I failed miserably. I listen to lots of NPR and the music that comes along with my work.

I may head down to the cafeteria for a few free beverages during the day and also to the special tap with reverse osmosis water or whatever it is. At 1 pm, when other people are going to lunch, I pack up and head in my car for the long drive back.

The rest of the week is very similar, except the clock doesn't go off until 5:00 and I don't leave the house until 5:30. I get picked up by my friendly shuttle driver a few blocks away. On my luckiest days, I fall back asleep. Otherwise I read the paper or talk to my new bff, another shuttle rider.

Cutting, pasting and saving is pretty much the same. Throw in a couple of weekly meetings and that's my week.

I do love being a contractor. I get to ignore all the political stuff and skip tons of meetings. That would cut into my work time too much.

On shuttle days I have an extra hour on campus so I get out for a nice long walk by the water. I see some cool birds and get lots of fresh air. That's actually really nice.

Then there are some cool extras just tossed our way occasionally. Last week we had a free concert by this guy. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the drinks were free and we sat outside and listened to him and his pal. There weren't nearly enough people listening to the music. Many more were inside the cafeteria or working. But I enjoyed the tunes and the moment. And even got a chance to thank him in the parking lot.

Life is pretty simple right now. And pretty damn good.

Everything's gonna be all right. Rockabye. Rockabye.

Comments

[Donna]

I sent an email to your gmail account about the music posting stuff, not sure if you saw that. I too love being a contractor. I don't work on Mondays anymore. Because that's the day I have my riding lesson and I can't miss that. I once worked at a famous Silicon Valley company that got acquired by a large conglomerate in Virginia that still runs commercials for said original company name -- anyway, we also had cool stuff like free music concerts and free coffee beverages. It's nice to know those days aren't completely gone!

[Suz]

Ah! A fellow NPR-cutting-and-pasting-and-saving listener. Occasionally, I mix it up with a little This American Life, but it's mostly NPR. And I get to cut and paste and save from home!

[Pamplemousse]

Sounds totally sweet! I need a job like that. Sponsor me for my visa??

[Red Headed Momma]

Oooh, organic blackberries. Now I have a craving for pancakes with organic blackberries. Maybe I'll make some this Saturday. But I think I'd like them better if someone else made them for me!

Your post reminds me that I should be happy I don't have to worry about office decisions here. It's nice to be out of the politics, isn't it?

[chris]

Wow. I used to think the free bottled water where I worked was a huge perk.

Now I'm depressed.

[Louise]

Neat job!

Jealous of those pancakes! yum!

[Jan1902]

You make getting up at 4 am sound fun - almost! :-)

[Sparkle]

Wow you make your job sounds pretty cushy ... except for that 4am start stuff.
You must love your weekend sleep ins.

[linda]

When I was there I thought it was bizarre that we'd all IM each other...even if the person was right across the aisle from you. It was as if were afraid to break the semi silence...all you could hear was the ticks of everyone's keyboards.

The pancakes sound scrumptious. Yes, I'm jealous. One day, go downstairs and have a double decaf vanilla soy latte for me one day.
:-)

[Amyesq]

Not too shabby. Sounds kinda like my job, but without the pancakes.

[thalia]

sounds like you've got your work life sorted. Rather you than me on the 4am thing, though.