A new fragrance for him or her from Den’váir of CastleRain.  Dough, Bleach & Shame.  It combines the smell of a minimum wage pizza job with the essence of having done dishes for an hour and gives you the feeling of the sum of your life is less than what you dreamed.

I’m being fairly silly about this.  The idea just came to mind the last night I worked, that I have been coming home smelling of raw pizza dough and bleach.  Also, it is somewhat depressing that this is where my life ended up.  I know I said I’d give it a go.  I just can’t help but feel like its somehow makes me a lesser person over all.  That edging feeling of shame for doing it.

It’s not all bad.  When you actually break it all down.  Wages, plus mileage, plus tips, equals on average $14 per hour.  That’s not actually bad income for this neck of the woods.  It’s actually more per hour than I’ve made in years.  I’ve never dreamed of being rich and I don’t want to be.  Never have and never will.   As long as the bills are paid and I can have some fun every so often.  I’m perfectly content.

As I’ve said though, I enjoy being a geek.  I like solving problems and helping folks with their gadgets and computers.  I think my resume is fairly impressive.

I haven’t given up looking for a tech job.  Just every one here has a Mom and Pop computer business.  (and it seems there are a boat load of them)  I don’t have the start-up capitol.  I will still do computer repair and consulting on the side.  I still like to design websites.

The pizza job though works out well for me mostly with my physical limitations.  It’s not standing in one spot for long periods of time.  I’m not repeatedly lifting heavy things.  I get exercise by walking and using stairs.  I get to use my brain by figuring out the addressing system (relying less on GPS) and counting change in my head.  The money is pretty good.  I dress comfortably.  I’ve always hated suits, slacks, button up shirts and uniforms.

Upsides?  The money will be better once I move closer to my new job.  Because right now about $12 to $20 a night goes into my gas tank for driving from Gaylord to Petoskey and back.  Not to mention, the appeal of a fairly good hospital there.  If I end up in Otsego Memorial for anything major, I may as well just call the crematorium now and reserve a shoebox for my ashes.  Plus the drive between EJ and Petoskey is so much nicer than the roads between EJ and Gayrock.

Downsides?  It’s hard on my car.  It’s not exactly prestigious.  That whole, “Oh, you’re a pizza delivery driver?  I think I have to wash my hair for the next century or so.” issue.

As I say goodbye to what is likely my last free weekend.  I brace myself for the coming changes.  I’m struggling with the eventuality of having to let go of a job I really like.  Though it’s not by my choice really.  It’s not my fault the company I work for doesn’t advertise at all.  I’ll hang on as long as I can, but the time has come to take on a new job in the evenings.  It’s not like I haven’t done Pizza Delivery before.  I have done it frequently for quick or fill in cash flow many times.  It’s an easy job and if you get the right location, the tips can be more than the take home pay sometimes.  Especially during the major holidays.

However, this time it isn’t just a fill in job.  I’m going to try to move up the ranks and stick it out.  I’ve tried for months on end to find a job in my field of computers and technology around here.  The closest I came was a job doing tech support for fluid monitoring systems and software.  For like tanks and wells in fields.  That alone sounded mind numbingly boring.  I want hard drives, video cards, memory, motherboards, CPU’s, GPU’s, smartphones and tablets.  Not some goofy thing that measures the flow of liquid.  Yippee Flippin’ Skippy.  Plus, they have this weird on duty thing where one week a month, you’re on call.  You work your normal hours, then go home and wait by the phone for someone to call.  Even if it’s at 3 a.m.  I don’t want to take a call from some dude in Alaska whining about he can’t see his readings from his oil well.  At that hour, I had better be sleeping.

Don’t get me wrong, if a tech job that’s more my type comes up, I’ll certainly try for it.  I may have not made a lot of money where I am now.  But I’ve had a blast and the people I work with are awesome.  They have always treated me well.  Once I got rid of the “issue”, the pay was just fine.  Well…  (When I say “well” like that, why does it always sound like David Tennant’s Doctor Who voice in my head?)  Until the hours got cut.

I’ve done the pizza game before.  Though I was 25 years younger.  The new boss seems patient with my health issues and is willing to give me a go.  Now all I have to do is dust off my skills and show them off.

Sadly, the place I work for, is out of town.  Way out of town.  Hence the area code on the car top sign.  But, it’s in a town I lived in for a year and a half prior to my shipping off to the Navy.  I loved that town.  Walking downtown during sunset was always a good thing.  Riding my bike down the path that goes from one end of town to the other.  So hope to find a place to live that’s closer.  Especially since all I need for my day job is a good internet connection.  The one I’ve been using here has been absolutely smashing.  Sadly they don’t have a call center near here or I’d go for a job with them.

I’m beginning to seriously consider changing my career path.  Going back to before I rediscovered computers in 1994.  Prior to that time, I spent a good deal of time working in the fast food field of Pizza.  Starting at Little Caesars, then Domino’s where I went from a driver to manager in a short time.  I’ve also worked at Pizza Hut and a few others over the years as part time fill-in jobs.  But I never stayed with one place for long.  The thing is, it’s something I know and I don’t totally despise.

I’ve spent the past 5 months searching for a new job.  The one I have now is merely hanging by a thread and can end at any time.  But since I’ve moved back to Northern Michigan I’ve found that tech support jobs are few and far between.  I can either freeze my nuts off and do installs for Charter or Frontier, or I can do support for tank and well monitoring software.  The latter sounds mind numbingly boring and completely uninteresting, while the former is simply out of the question for me.  And I’ve dealt with Charter installers.  Nice fellas, but not as smart as they should be.  I never did thank them for wrecking my home network because they said it would never work with Charter.  Funny, I put it back and it works fine for me.  Dill-holes.

Yesterday I interviewed for a part time position at an office supply store nearly an hour drive away.  They offered a hair more than minimum wage and then explained how you basically need to lick their boots so you can get offered more than a handful of hours.  They apparently do the “lets hire 20 people and see you sucks up the best” method.  Can’t say I’m real revved up to lick boot for next to nothing and no benefits.

As it is, I’m just this side of handicapped now.  I get dizzy just bending over moving my own stuff around.  I can’t do long standing and I can’t do heavy lifting anymore.  Even though I’ve lost 60 pounds and have been unfortunately hovering at the same weight since I moved here.  Summer I lose some, winter it comes back as I stay inside.  I hate winter, I hate snow.  The place I’m living in I can’t get an exercise bike put up.  I don’t have the room for it.

I’ve had no luck even finding a clerical job of any sort.  Though perhaps employers like women for such jobs.  Sexist as that is.  I’m sure it’s an unspoken rule.

Up until now I’ve been avoiding fast food like the devil.  Same goes for retail jobs.  Though I did apply for and was turned down at the Dollar General as I have no register experience.  Are you fucking serious?  I make computers dance and sing.  I think I can handle an elaborate calculator with a credit card reader.  That’s fine though.  I really didn’t want to work there.  But seriously.  My “register” experience was with a locking wooden drawer.  You had to make change by using your brain to calculate.  I delivered for several years.  I can make change from a wad of ones and fives in my pocket.  Which is why I get annoyed when I see the young person at a fast food place struggle to make change.  Especially when they have a display telling them what to give me back.  It frustrates me that our education system now not only allows, but requires calculators in school.  My generation was not allowed.

Back to my issue.  I love what I do.  Sure the customers can be frustrating.  But I love a challenge.  I love to solve problems.  I love how I amaze people by doing things from memory.  I love computers, I love technology.  But all we have here is office supply stores, a Radio Shack or two and a hand full of small mom and pop computer shops.  None of which really need any help.  I don’t have the capital to open my own.

So now I’m considering going back to Pizza.  Where I started.  I’d make less than I do now for a while until I moved up the ranks.  I wouldn’t totally despise the job.  Though I’d need some work done on my car.  Turns out the front bearings are going out and replacing them will require new struts and springs.  About $850 in repairs.  Regardless of my choice, I need to get that done anyway.  Anyone know where I can get a loan?  Sadly chipping away at medical bills and past marriages have made getting credit difficult for me.

Anyone have an opinion?  Should keep plugging away for a tech job?  Or just change careers?