Friday, January 16, 2009

My Typical Work Day (Sort Of.....)

Every once in a great while, I get into a rut when it come to my minimum tri-weekly blog requirements. Today is one those every once in a great whiles.

It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, things come to a screeching halt while I search for something to write about.

Now normally, this is an exercise in futility, but while writing these past few paragraphs, I came up with the bright idea of telling everyone exactly what it is I do during a typical non-deadline work day.

My day normally starts at 8a. I say normally, because my official schedule is 8a to 4:30p with a half hour lunch, but my day usually starts whenever I stroll in to my cube, which in most cases is about 7:50a (I know, such dedication).

After unpacking all of my crap, turning the computer on and settling in, I attack the days work. If' it's a non-deadline Monday, the day goes something like this:

(8:00-8:15) check the voice mail and e-mail.
(8:15-8:30) grab a cup of herbal tea from the cafeteria.
(8:30-12 noon) whip out the handy dandy notebook I usually bring in with me and while away the hours, creating blog posts; or whip out an old short story to edit; get up and walk around to stretch my legs {can't sit for more than 15 minutes at a clip}, making sure I don't disturb my co-workers; answer any incoming e-mails or phone calls.
(12-12:45) half hour lunch.
(12:45-4:30) answer phones, check e-mail, and write.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A non-deadline Tuesday goes roughly the same way, but the following changes are made between the hours of 8a-1:30p.

Print out spreadsheets for use as a checklist for checks and a checklist for timesheets; sort direct deposit stubs into ones that go out to the locations and ones that get mailed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A non-deadline Wednesday goes almost the same as Tuesday, except remove printing timesheets and sorting direct deposits and add live checks.

Also, you can add in whatever little projects I can find for myself to do and whatever filing I have leftover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As you can see, if I compressed my work day, I would have one full day of work and two days of nothing. Which as an employee, I have no problem with. As someone who has learned excellent time management skills at his previous stop on the career ladder, this is the end result of having too little work to get done during the course of a long, dull day.

Now as a taxpayer, thus someone who pays MY SALARY, I am simply appalled at this blatant wasted of my hard earned dollars. I mean, who do you think you are, wasting my money and not giving me more bang for my buck?

I swear you are the classic definition of a state worker. You are someone who does the following:

1) props his feet up
2) reads his newspaper
3) swills his coffee
4) ignores the phone
5) plays computer games
6) ignores the customers
7) ignores his co-workers

If I had half a brain, I would.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my typical non-deadline work week, which actually starts on the Thursday after my payroll is officially completed. I really have about six days of nothing and four days of something, of which two of those four days are extremely stressful and one of the days of nothing is actually half and half.

Yes indeed, I am both fortunate and cursed to be working for state government.

Here's a little known fact for everyone to ponder: Two of my favorite work related songs are, "Blue Collar Man" by Styx, and "Working For A Living" by Huey Lewis and The News.

I'll leave it up to you good people to figure out as to why I love these songs.

11 comments:

  1. I hope with all your free time, you are churning away more novels, LOL :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. With my job, it's often feast or famine.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pink: Oh if it was only that simple. :-]

    Actually, I did part of my editing of my first novel at my previous stop on the career ladder. Was busier there and more stress, but I was able to work it in during my breaks.

    Charles: I can completely understand. My late father was a professor of computer science, and he used to describe his the same way

    ReplyDelete
  4. At least you have time to note-take and consider your writing during the day. I find that for blogging it often helps with ideas to have some sort of schedule worked out, or notebook of ideas to tap into.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I did some of my best blog creations while at work. It's very easy for me to get into trouble sometimes, so I found that this is the easiest way to keep out of trouble.

    As for a schedule, that's very true. I have been on the same schedule of posting every other day since the beginning, so it's been really easy for me to map and plan what I want to blog about.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Styx were no Journey

    Although in fairness I don't know anything Styx sing

    I couldn't write at work, I need music in the background that isn't the radio...

    ReplyDelete
  7. True, Styx were no Journey, but the only thing that they had in common, was that they were huge arena rock bands in the late 70's/early 80's.

    Honestly, I can probably write anywhere (work, home, the mall, the library, the park), but I can't do it with music playing in the background. I need normal everyday background noise in order to write.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't know why I find other people's work schedules fascinating but I do. :) I carry a notebook everywhere. If I don't write the thought down I am having at that particular moment I will forget it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm a little bit the same way.

    During my slow periods (or break time) I'll take out my notebook and start fleshing out an idea for blog topic/short story.

    If I don't get at least a few words down that'll convey the basic idea, I'll wind up losing the basic idea.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds a lot like the government job I had a long long time ago, except I went to a meeting once. At least I think I did. And I wrote a letter or something.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Believe it or not, all but one of my stops on the government career ladder (five and counting) I was able to goof off like this and get paid for doing so.

    So long as I got all of my work completed (and I did), I was left alone.

    ReplyDelete

Go on, give me your best shot. I can take it. If I couldn't, I wouldn't have created this wonderful little blog that you decided to grace with your presence today.

About that comment moderation thingy: While yes, it does say up above I can take it, I only use it to prevent the occasional miscreant from leaving thoughtless and/or clueless comments.

So remember, all of your comments are greatly appreciated and all answers will be given that personal touch that you come to expect and enjoy.

G. B. Miller

The Legal Disclaimer

All the content that you see here, except for the posting of links that refer to other off-blog stories, is (c) 2008-17 by G.B. Miller. Nothing in whole or in part may be used without the express written permission of myself. If you wish to use any part of what you see here, please contact me at georgebjr2006@gmail.com