The first job for which I actually received money was bucking hay for Mr. Tupper, our neighbor out in Auburn, at the age of twelve. As I recall, I invested both dollars wisely which is why I’m currently listed in the Who’s Who of Bill Gate’s Biggest Competitors.

Not much happened in the way of financial independence until the day during my Junior year in high school, I landed that job moving pianos and organs at the stunning rate of $4.00 per hour. You would not believe where some folks want to put pianos!

I really hit the big time, though, when on August 9, 1973, shortly after graduation from high school, I landed on Kodiak Island, Alaska and went to work at B & B Fisheries for $3.75 per hour. Now that may sound like a cut in pay from the piano moving, but at the cannery, they told me, I’d get to work 80 hours per week! Sweet! Not. More on that career later.

Upon retirement from my distinguished six-month career in cannery work and a return to the life of a student (college, that is), I helped to support my eating habit by washing dishes at the local Mr. Steak restaurant. No comment.

The other vocations I took up during my four-year-college-program-squeezed-into-five were Wedding Singer, Security Guard and Bus Driver, the latter of which would stand me in good stead in later years when, after almost sawing off the four fingers of my left hand while working construction, I had an epiphany and realized that I could be driving for Metro Transit instead of swinging a hammer.

Now, I’ve barely scratched the surface here concerning my storied work life, but it’s almost 10:00 p.m. and time to put this post to bed until “post time!” I’m fading fast.

So we’ll have to continue this tomorrow.

Make yourself at home,
Brad
If you enjoyed this post, please “Digg It!” by simply clicking below.