Still, I often peruse Craig'sList, and the newspaper. Once in a while I imagine myself having lots of fun visiting with customers at the local nursery, or the corner market, or (heavenly) at a bookstore. Then I remember what it's like to stand up all day. Then I reassure me that I'd only work parttime.
Isn't it nice to be grown-up and all settled down? (It does happen.... ... ....doesn't it??)
I spent much of the last couple of decades on this junior college campus:
Pretty, huh. I still like to sneak the dogs out there for a run, once in a while.
As a Theatre Arts Department worker and instructor, I was in this building most of the time.....
....and didn't have a clue what the weather was like outside.
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Sometimes I painted sets. Like this door (for the musical "The Full Monty"). Most of the time I painted drops, flats, and floors, but every once in a while I got to paint something special, like petroglyphs on the side of a bathtub ("Off the Map"), or this Mary and Jesus icon ("Agnes of God"). I got to paint gold flake onto the halos. Actual gold! It made me a little nervous, at the time....
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I worked at most of the local theaters. Once in a while they put me onstage. This photo is from an ongoing "soap" improvisation called "Wild Human Kingdom, " which ran for six weeks, some years ago. My characters were: a business partner in a winery that made "white merlot," a wanna-be sheriff (photo below), and an alien. As an alien, I wore an old-fashioned metal colander on my head, large angel wings, and spoke using only beeps, weird noises, and whistles. (Riff thinks it was type casting.....) The improv was fun to be in (along with 10 other folks), but it was not a box office success. (And you wonder why...?!!! Haha!)
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My favorite activity in theatre (besides teaching, and painting) was directing. This photo is from "Collected Stories," put up many years ago at Actors Theatre. We loved this play! These two actors were terrific, and knocked it out of the ballpark. I was very proud of this production.
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People still ask me to work in theatre, but I'm tired of being cooped up in window-less places. The only work I've accepted is as a photographer. As a theatre photographer you get to slide in and watch a final dress rehearsal (very closely, with a lens like this one), then spend a few hours on the computer at home, and voila! You're done. Cool job. It's great to see old buddies, too.
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Now I'm thinking it might be fun to work in a bookstore (if I don't get caught reading books too often).
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A few years ago I made a list of "Paid Jobs I Have Had." For some reason it seemed important to make a list, before the brain cells faded too much.
A few years ago I made a list of "Paid Jobs I Have Had." For some reason it seemed important to make a list, before the brain cells faded too much.
...
1. Thoroughbred Horse Ranch - baby-sat owner's two little girls
2. Department Store - sold nylons (seasonal job)
3. Telephone Company - long-distance operator
4. Donut Shop - glazed donuts and bussed tables
5. Record Store - clerk
6. City Library (Southern Calif) - from shelving, to check-out desk, to interlibrary loans
7. Investment Company - library assistant
8. City Library (Northern Calif) - repaired books, typed catalogue cards, worked check-out desk
9. Typist for antiques appraiser (temp job)
10. Typist for writer who was working on a book about William Shatner (temp job)
11. State College - registration desk (temp job)
12. Typist for college professor (temp job)
13. Insurance Adjusters - secretary
14. Welding Company - bookkeeper (temp job)
15. Construction Company - bookkeeper
16. Lumber Company - typist (temp job)
17. City Maintenance Yard - dispatcher (temp job)
18. Income Tax Service - from secretary to income tax preparer
19. Self Employed Income Tax Preparer
20. Self Employed Horse Training Stables
21. Junior College - Theatre Arts Promotions assistant (work/study)
22. Junior College Summer Repertory Theatre - stitcher-dresser, wardrobe supervisor, promotion assistant, stage manager, assistant director, scenic painter, production manager
23. Community Theatre - box office, dresser, stage manager, scenic tech, props tech, light and sound board operator, lighting designer, assistant director, director
24. Regional Theatre - assistant director
25. Health Maintenance Organization - from claims processor, to secretary, project manager, and business systems analyst
26. High School - taught drama and public speaking classes
27. Junior College - taught theatre management, and worked as production stage manager
28. State University - taught stage management
29. Self Employed Theatre Photographer
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Looks like I couldn't stick with one thing for very long! But I left home at 17, so these jobs are spread out over a few years (and interspersed with being a college student). Some of the career activities lasted many years. Oh, and I got married and raised children.
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My all-time favorite job? Being a mom! Maybe that's why I like these crazy-goofball border collies so much.
:-)
1 comment:
Wow, what an amazing list! I used to think that I wanted to live my life like that--random jobs, not staying in any one for very long. But mostly I've been working in high tech at similar kinds of jobs forever. Guess there are advantages to both lifestyles.
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