I've been at the real job for about ten weeks now and the verdict is I like it. The days are long and unpredictable, but they always are in service. I'm repairing burglar alarms. Most jobs are simple but go smoothly, find out what the problem is and fix it. Some don't. Today a job i thought would be quick and simple took hours, and i had to change out the panel. But that's how it goes. It's like Berties Every Flavor Beans, you never know what you're going to get.
It also involves a LOT of driving. My territory is the state of Ohio. My office is my truck. Those who know me understand I really enjoy driving. I'm alone in my truck with NPR. And Ohio can be a really beautiful place to drive. Much of it is boring and urban, but Ohio is rich in farmland. It has hills and trees, and Southern Ohio can be quite hilly indeed. Many of my customers live in small towns. So I often find myself on twisty roads in National Forests, going around hills, curves and sweepers.
Makes me wish I was driving my SVT Focus rather then a full-sized Chevy
van. AT least when there's
pavement.
At first I drove quickly, speeding just a bit. But lately I'm doing that less then ever. After all, I'm probably going to average 60,000 miles a year in this van. Most cops are reasonable, they'll give you 10% over. But I will inevitably pass through small towns where
community fundraising is a major police goal. And my truck has a
GPS so that if I go too fast management will get an email. Wherever I go, I'm tracked.
But the biggest reason is when you're driving down a two lane road, with a small river to one side, surrounded by trees and rock faces, green leaves and tall forests, you want to take the time to see, to notice how beautiful the world can be. My company pays me to get there, and I will-- provided my Tom Tom picks the best route (and it sometimes doesn't). They pay me for the
destination but there's no reason not to enjoy the
journey.