I have a new, temporary job cleaning a school this summer. Toilets, windows, wiping, dusting. Minimum wage. Thrills chills and spills. But really, I've heard countless stories of people struggling to find work right now. So only gratitude here. And a little bit of wishing university would start already.And plus, a lot of the time I get to just listen to my ipod and think, often simultaneously, while working. Thinking is much more fun when it's voluntary, and I'm a huge podcast fan. (Please tell me you know what that is....like a radio show, or a lecture...but downloadable....) You're not really my friend until you've heard me say "Oh, actually I listened to a podcast about that once..." at least 10 times.
This was today:
While cleaning the bathrooms, 2 episodes of Stuff You Missed in History Class : Best Innovators in History (Johann Gutenberg, Ben Franklin, and Leonardo DaVinci, apparently) and Victoria and Albert, the non-Emily Blunt version.
While dusting the elementary school office, A lecture from London School of Economics: "Change in the Middle East? Democracy, Authoritarianism and Regime Change in the Arab World." Really good. But hardly any economics at all (except for all the angry economics students demanding that she hadn't paid enough attention to the economics of the situation in Egypt....)
While washing the windows, an episode of Philosophy Bites: "Thomas Hurka on Pleasure" A fascinating topic, but not a very thorough exploration of it, I didn't think. Could you do that in a twenty minute podcast? But I did continue to think about the relationship between pleasure and goodness and care for others for another good half and hour.
Interspersed with Sara Bareilles, Tony Lucca, and conversation in both Spanish and English.
It's possible that this makes me look like something of a dork.
But needless to say, this is nowhere near the worst summer job I've ever had. (That involved two really spoiled bratty rich kids...)
My worst job also included bratty rich kids. Go figure. Chasing those two hell-spawn around and hearing "I'm telling on you when my mom gets home" everytime I wouldn't let them torture to death a small animal or another child was a nightmare. It made me long to clean toilets.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, you're improving your mind. I am impressed with your multi-taking ability.
It breaks my heart when people haven't discovered podcasts.
ReplyDeleteI used to hate doing RNA extractions because you spend a good part of your time mindlessly moving things from one tube to another tube or waiting by the centrifuge. Then I discovered that I stopped screwing stupid things up when I listened to podcasts. Now I look forward to those mindless tasks with Josh and Chuck or Preston and Steve or Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or the Bugle.
Please tell me you listen to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and/or the Bugle.
Also, look into Apologia and tell me what you think when you get a chance <3
Holly: Nothing worse than bratty kids!
ReplyDeleteMarie: I do not listen to Wait Wait or the Bugle. The first mostly because random information frightens me, and the second cause I don't know what it is.
I forgot about the Apologia thing! I'll do that.
Well, since you are now a elementary school cleaner I will apologise about the amount of stuff I left on the floor when I was in elementary. It was insane. I was a very, very messy kid.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry.
But that blue stuff in toilets is pretty neat :)