Friday Five

Another week, another trip to Houston. The flight back last Friday was cool for one reason - there were power outlets in my row! In all the planes I've been on, I've never seen that in coach. It was great to be able to get work done (and I got quite a bit done I might add).

The travel this week was very uneventful. No crazy women or the like.

The one personal note I would add is that Roscoe will turn 4 this weekend. Since Karin and I won't have kids (sorry Mom), Roscoe is a great surrogate. And Karin certainly spoils him as if he was a child. It seems amazing that we've had him for about 3 and a half years now. He'll also be approaching 30 in dog years this year, but he seems to be approaching it without any noticeable neuroses.

As for the five, I'm going with another anonymous suggestion - my 5 worst jobs (in reverse chronological order)

1. Full time developer. I got into programming because it's fun. I quickly realized that programming for a living sucks. I tend to be opinionated, and I have discovered that programming teams loathe change, even if it's for the better. I take pride in my code, but found out that most people don't care what it looks like, or even if it works, just is it up on the server yet.
2. Tech support. [Tech sup-port (n): A job where people call someone up and yell, scream and complain, as if the person answering the phone was the cause of their problems.] Two years I did this. There are few jobs that can induce more stress in one's life than one where you're screamed at every single day.
3. Copy room at a law firm. I know - you'd think this would be a great job, with lawyers being renowned for being fun-loving people. But strangely enough, it wasn't.
4. Telemarketing. Whenever I mention to people that I did telemarketing, they immediately give me this look like I was trying to fund my crack habit. I was a poor college student trying to make ends meet. You do what you have to do. I still have the scar from selling plasma.
5. Food service. I "did time" for many years. And I hated every minute of it. It's why I'm so generous when it comes to tipping. I grok what they go through in a day.

Now don't get me wrong - I don't regret the time I spent at any of these jobs. I'm not a big "believer" in regrets. They are part of my past and a part of who I am today. But I would never go back and do those jobs again unless absolutely necessary.