ODD JOBS: Portraits of Unusual Occupations

Schiff, Nancy Rica. Odd Jobs Portraits of Unusual Occupations. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2002.

Examples -

Condom Tester
Page Turner
Baby Handler
Bra Designer
Dinosaur Duster
Tampon Tester (he' a man)

I, myself, was very intrigued by the clockmaster. If only I didn't have a fear of heights.

Or, the solfeggist sounded like a cool job. But, I'm half-deaf from years of walkmans and ipods.

Then, there was the riddler. No, he's not the archenemy of a superhero. He "riddles" wine bottles so sediment doesn't build up. 40,000 a day. Sounds like a great internship opportunity if I wanted to be a sommelier or vintner, but I don't think I could spend the rest of my days doing that.

Can anyone tell me what a "theriogenologist" is? Before I read this book, I had no idea.

A golf ball diver can make $64,000 a year.

A diener can be found in every hospital.

This is a good book to flip through when you're unhappy with your job. You'll either be inspired to break out or be quite happy to discover that there is something worse than your job.

"About Me" - September

LOVEBIRDS - 1998

The train creeps in at midnight. A single sign rises out of the dark. The stark warning is bold: THOU SHALL NOT KILL. When I call the B&B from the station, my host gives explicit directions, “Say ‘Ber-GUN-dy,’ not ‘Burgundy,’ or you’ll get dumped in the projects and we’ll never see you.” In my room, I feel buzzed from the danger. I wake up in a comfy chenille bed. Exploding clouds mar the spanking new blue sky; two lovely mutts knock me down with sloppy kisses as I leave my room. I swing the courtyard gate open and enter the beauty of a New Orleans day. The boxy shotgun houses are washed in bright colors highlighted with white or sea green piping. Every now and then, a rebel pink or purple peeks in between. I shuck my inappropriate pants and oxford shirt for honey linen shorts and a red bippy shirt, Chuck T low-riders. The mutts bark approvingly as I bounce out on my second try. I drink in huge exotic blooms on winding vines; shiny beads hang from wrought iron balconies. Calliope music from a riverboat bubbles over the Quarter and imbues a spirit of bonhomie. Spiced coffee and sugared beignets by the riverside absolve the city’s sins from the previous night.