I got let go from the census today. I got the call this morning after my graveyard shift was over. I had hoped to last another week to try to overcome my general broke-assedness, but that was not to be.
My friend Mina Millett used to say she could stand anything for eight weeks. I lasted nine. My friend Mike Strickland warned me that I wouldn't enjoy it and he was right. Even so, I think I got in more hours this way than I would have as an enumerator.
For a lot of people in the office, $16.50 an hour (or $18.15 if working hours between 6 pm and 6 am) was a nice boost in pay. For me, it was about a quarter of what I make a teacher per hour and the work was deeply dull, while teaching is almost always an interesting challenge. Of course, the hourly rate for teaching doesn't factor in preparation, but still, I have no plans to leave academia for a career in office work.
To the nice folks I met, I wish you all the best. To my supervisors at the office, which has a small intersection with the nice folks, you'll be happy not to see me and I'll be happy not to see you.
And back to the broke-assedness, with the benefit of not working graveyard shift and riding my bike in the dark.
