.

Hi.

Hello.

How's it going?

Man. Am I beat. Of the last 48 hours I've worked 21 of them, and I am truly fucking exhausted.

Yes, I've been partaking of the forbidden Two-Job fruit. By day I'm a clerical assistant at a high-profile law firm, by night I operate a lucrative leather tannery out of my attic.

I kidd … I don't have an attic.

Actually, I'm employed as a "maintenance technician" for the Campus Dining facilities on the Cal Poly campus. It's a good job in that I learn a lot of practical skills I would otherwise miss out on … because I'm a liberal arts student … I'll never get a job.

Campus Dining is a division of the Cal Poly Foundation, a non-profit (yeah, sure) corporation dedicated to "providing a diverse range of services and resources to students, faculty and staff."

Here are some people that might work in the payroll department…

I like Upper-Left … she's a foxy piece o' ass.

During my tenure at the maintenance shop … I've learned how to replace fluorescent light ballasts. I can appreciate the genius of the aluminum pipe wrench. I can solder copper piping together for water lines. I've acquired basic plumbing and electrical skills. And, I get to mess around with this bad-ass plasma cutter. Seriously, you can bore through an inch of steel with this mother fucker.

Those are the cool parts of the job. However, the not-so-cool parts are numerous. I get paid just above minimum wage. Professionals with the same skills get paid not once, not twice, but thrice as much as I do.

Some facilities managers are put off by the fact that I, a student worker, have more technical knowledge than they do. Fine Chefy, you're right, that's not oil dripping in the muffin batter. It must be glaze ... a delicious, lubricating, 30 weight glaze.

I've been working there for the better part of 4 years, and the pros and cons have more a less cancelled each other out. I spend most of my time away from the maintenance shop, driving around in golf carts, taking walks, or foraging for snacks. Basically, I avoid any kind of actual work, while still getting paid for the hours I'm there.

It's a delicate balance, I know.

Though I am getting paid for face-time only, the maintenance job doesn't pay too well. So, last week I took on another job at SLO Billiards, the cornerstone of the Central Coast billiards industry. I've been working afternoons after my shift at Cal Poly. The job involves setting up and general maintenance of pool tables all over San Luis Obispo County. It's an interesting field, and I'm learning a new skill, but after only a few days on the job, I'm having second thoughts. My boss, while a great guy, is somewhat demanding. I'm also not getting much more money per hour than I do at Cal Poly. We'll see how it works out.

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