TempThief...

This week I have been a full time temp at a Portland electrical engineering firm. I wish I could say that it's been the best week ever - because it hasn't BUT it has been a very quiet week.

Last Friday my annoying head cold became a combination of black lung and tuberculosis. It was not pretty. And as a rule - I cannot abide coughing - even my own. I am tremendously improved now, a week later - but still have a special cough that gets going when I laugh. And it's a good thing this job is so...quiet...because then there is no chance of me heading into a coughing jag.

This company needs a temp receptionist while their newly hired bookkeeper learns her job and doesn't have to worry about interruptions, etc. As a temp receptionist my main job is to answer the phone. In doing so - I screen the calls and then transfer the caller to their desired party. I play operator. But the phone only rings about three or four times in an hour. HUH. Then the mail usually arrives and I get to sort that, opening items that might be checks or bills, and then distribute the mail to its intended recipient. There is very little foot traffic, even from the six guys who work here. But sometimes messengers deliver things or the FedEx guy comes in. And then it's lunch time.

I do get an hour break for lunch which is nice - and I bring my lunch, so I drive down to a water front park that is near the office and listen to the radio, eat my lunch and watch the people. Then after that hour of serenity - it's back to the office for phone patrol. One day this week I made some copies. Another day I made a simple Excel spreadsheet. Seriously. The days are very long because there is SO little to do. So I read a lot. I read actual books and on the interwebs. But wow. That's been my week. And I'm here for another week, at least. I'm not sure how long this "gig" will last...and it's hard to know what to wish for. The boredom isn't that painful - but I'm more exhausted when I leave here than I am after a full day as a sub!