Our Pick of Jobs

I was offered a chance to play a gig on Christmas Eve. Two services, one rehearsal, $250. I thought about whether or not I could take it, but in the end I decided that if I did it, I would either have to drive back four hours after a midnight service on Christmas Eve (not appealing), or drive back Christmas Day (also not appealing).

I always complain that there aren't enough paying gigs, so it's unfortunate that I had to turn down even one. But since I'd already gone to my parents house, it would have meant 8 hours of driving either way. Perhaps it might be a good time to ride Amtrak, but then I'd have to resort to the kindness of friends to drive me around. No good.

I've been connecting this in my mind with my middle brother's situation. He's just been hired for a job working software support for a university in St. Louis. They hired him to a contract, with salary and benefits, etc. He's now making more than $30,000 a year, plus any classes he wants to take with the university are completely free.

I don't begrudge him the job; I believe I heard him say that it's his dream job. Besides, I don't really know much about the inner operating of computers, so I couldn't have it anyway. I am slightly jealous of having a job that you like that pays well. I have a job I like, but when you're freelancing, it doesn't pay *well*. Ahh, so it goes. Perhaps when my brother starts throwing parties at the fancy hotels, I can play trombone out front for nickels.

I may be excited for my brother and his new job, but not all of his friends are. One in particular was decidedly unimpressed about the whole thing. Maybe it's that he's smoked a vast amount of marijuana, so is relatively laid back about EVERYTHING. Or maybe it's that my brother called to tell him while this guy was at his job, delivering pizzas. Perhaps he's jealous of my brother. I always thought this guy liked his job, because he got to use his cell phone camera to take pictures of all the hot girls that he delivers pizzas to. Does this mean that happiness in life isn't just about fuzzy, voyeuristic pictures of unsuspecting women holding pizza coupons?

Unpossible!