Guess if I had to pick one,it was being a reporter in a old-school newsroom at a local paper in the late 90's. Before the internet ruined media). I was a rookie and hungry for ALL the stories...Loved meeting people and having something new on my plate every day. Had a routine of morning headlines and banter with the older, grizzled reporter who was my mentor... editorial meeting, then off to get the stories and make calls etc., then the afternoon was for writing before deadline...and I was also the "weather girl" so I had to lay out the inside weather page before they sent it off to press @ 5:30.

Fun side note: I had started my journalism/PRinternships at the local community college. So when we had the "Environmental Summitt" with President Bill Clinton and VP Al Gore, I got tapped by the college as the one to help the Washington Press Corps as a runner for ABC News! I got the same credentials as everyone there and even met Bill Clinton! (It was just before the whole Monica thing broke, so he and AL were still besties and they were at the top of their game...the energy in the room was electric!!)
After meeting him, I called my Editor and told him I couldn't write about it from a 3rd person POV, it had to be a personal column - that column won me an award with the Nevada Press Association in 1998.

I guess I peaked in my 20s... that explains a lot lmao

"lay out the inside weather page"

Like as in old-fashioned paste up and mechanicals? 📐 :tsquare:

After some basic tasks right when I start, I am waiting for something to happen so while I wait for the alert I read, crochet, research things I'm interested in, taught myself to acid-etch glass, sew (brought my machine into the office), taught my co-worker (young kid) sone basic cooking skills (induction unit in kitchen), etc.

But my longest was as an HVAC tech for a school district. I loved that it was a great mix of physical and mental work. Most of our equipment was controlled via computer systems, so there was a fair amount of "programing" issues to work through.

Also, unique to the field, I worked Mon-Fri and had holidays off (unless I was on call). AND we all had our own buildings to take care of, so never had to clean up another techs mistake or sloppiness.

Also, I just liked the fact that the kids were seeing a woman working in the trades.

And most importantly at this stage in my life, I've got a pension.

I was one of those accursed government employees providing services to people.

I was able to help a lot of people. Not through heroic interventions. Not life-changing stuff. But just helping them with everyday aggravations.

I'm proud of the work I did. It hurts to see what we are putting our government employees through today. The Republicans have demonized Federal workers and I, for one, think it is a crock of

Cruising the San Juan Islands.
Wheelhouse views.
5 weeks of vacation.
Retired after 25 years.
Watching birds soaring outside the windows was always enjoyable.

... being retired, I picked up another career that I loved and did it for another 10 years til the cancer thing.

My wife just snorts now when I am looking at jobs now, I am the unpaid consultant at a local restaurant that is opening in the next several weeks.

Never worked with kids. I can handle any kind of adult. Kids just intimidate the bejeebers out of me.

One as a senior move manager where we come in and help downsize and then pack seniors to move to senior communities or smaller residences. I love at the end when we have moved them the smiles I their faces that some stress in their lives has been eliminated.

And as a substitute teacher when I enter a room and the kids are happy to see me. I share with them some of my salt and pepper shaker collection and they love them. If I get a lesson plan the night before I pick particular ones to show that has to do with the lesson. And I also use them as bribes, if you’re good I’ll show them the best for last. Kids come up to me at the schools that I’ve substituted for and ask me what ones did I bring? My best ask was from a very devout Muslim family and I’ve taught three of the daughters who wear hijabs. Their mother picked them up one day and the daughters made a point of introducing me to their mother and she asked to see some of the shakers!

It was so quiet and low stress; I absolutely loved it (tho' I didn't necessarily like having to take the bus to get there, LOL). Sometimes, my supervisor would leave on business trips, and I would be there by myself. It was such a pleasant change from the job I'd had before that (very high stress). When I got laid off, I sat outside on a bench and cried.

I love being a remote worker! I also have almost total control over my schedule. I submit the hours I can work every month, and am scheduled accordingly.

Especially my last 20 years.
The executives had no idea exactly what my department did, and even less about how we did it..
All they knew was we made/saved the company over 10x what it cost to run the group every year, so they left us alone.
Once in a while, something might be causing heartburn on the exec floor that didn't show up as a big deal in the data.
They might then call me and ask if we could look at it. The operative word being "asked".
I didn't take an order for at least 3 decades.

It wasn't a glamours job but definitely one that affected every person, section, and patient in our hospitals and clinics. We'd order, receive, warehouse, and issues medical supplies, drugs, and oversee service contracts. Early in my career, most of our orders would go to a medical depot and for items the depot didn't carry we'd order through pre-negoitated contracts. I'd call businesses and it was fun talking to their sales departments. Another aspect of the job was to build, maintain, and deploy field hospitals/clinics working with different organizations on-base to deploy them.

But really, the best things about being in the AF is there was a visible promotion system as well as the opportunity to serve oversees which enabled me to see parts of the world I probably wouldn't see in a civilian job. Also, the retirement plan when I enlisted was terrific where I'd get 2.5% of my base pay times the number of years I served (28). I also received healthcare through military hospitals/clinics after I retired.