Hey, Matt, whatcha been up to?
For those of you who haven’t caught on via my Twitter posts, I’ve been working a temp gig for the U.S. Census Bureau as an address canvasser since the beginning of April. The work involves going neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block, door by door comparing actual physical addresses to the ones in the Census database so the Department of Commerce knows where to mail the census in 2010.
I’ve been seeing a lot of different parts of my town, and I have to confess being a little surprised by the huge range of evident prosperity… or lack thereof… in this region. Not so surprising is the number of abandoned, condemned and empty foreclosed homes I’ve seen, or the number of middle-aged men who are at home at all hours of the day. Not a few of those folks were very eager to learn how they could get this job.
I can count on one hand the number of folks who reacted negatively to my presence (as in, “get off my land / I’m not telling you anything.”) One of my co-workers who is canvassing a fifty square mile region of mostly dirt roads and chaparral populated by, shall we say, gentleman farmers has been less fortunate. I’m not sure if $16.50 an hour is worth getting dogs set on you or having people challenge you with shotguns, and neither is he. Stay safe, Paul!
Fortunately, the worst I’ve had to deal with was a very excited pit bull puppy who almost peed on my shoes in his enthusiasm to get a few pets and maybe gnaw on my fingers a little. The piddle stayed on the porch and my hands are no worse for wear post-puppy teeth. Oh, and there was one literally stuffed shirt (why oh why do people tuck polo shirts into shorts? Are they proud of that gut?) neighborhood watch dude who was, after all, only doing his volunteer duty when he approached me, clipboard in hand, to say, “May I ask, sir, what it is you’re doing here?”
I held up my official credential, a badge on a lanyard. “U.S Census. Federal government.”
“Oh, okay.”
That’s right. I’m the Man, at least for the next three or four weeks.
I’m getting my exercise, I tell you what. I’m walking an average of four miles per day, so that’s good. Haven’t had to hop on the treadmill for a while now. It’s good to be out in the sun… except for that day when it never got above 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind was blowing tar paper off of roofs and the skin from my poor chapped lips. But overall, it’s been a great change from sitting in my office.
Here, let’s say it, because I can: It’s pretty good for government work!
On other fronts, I continue to pursue freelance stuff. I’m working with three clients right now — one fairly regularly, the other two less so. It’s tiring to do both the day job with the walking and the walking and then come home and do more brainy work — I’m finding my energy reserves are not what they once were!
Still, I can’t afford to shut down freelance opportunities just because I’m doing the day thing. The Census hires you for a series of temporary jobs that could have weeks or months between assignments… when this gig is over in a few weeks, I’ll be glad for the freelance stuff… and glad I have months left on my unemployment insurance. I’m gonna need it.
Also, I’ve been working on a semi-secret project that will have a soft launch on May 1st. It’s a writing thing, and it involves my Sovereign Era setting. That’s all I’ll say for now…
So that’s why I’ve been blogging less frequently this month. I’ve been busy and mostly away from the ‘puter. Not a bad thing once in a while, especially when it pays.
No related posts.
Just think of all the interesting characters you’re meeting as well, Matt. You know that stuffed shirt is going to wind up in a story somewhere. I’m glad you found some work to tide you over between jobs.
Oh, no doubt about it…. I’ve been taking notes in my Moleskine; these people will end up in something, eventually!