Hmmm...Interesting....

Anny Cook asks an interesting question this morning: What's the strangest job skill you've acquired?

In my short working life, I've been:
-Babysitter
-Teacher's Aid in 1st grade class
-Teacher's Aid at Head Start
-Dishwasher for small restaurant (hated it!)
-Bus person for same restaurant (enjoyed it better)
-Worker in craft factory; I folded the items and sealed them in the bag along with the instructions. (Routine; I let my imagination take over and wrote like crazy during the breaks! Most of Love Finds A Way was written during this eight-week temp job!)
-Volunteer at Battered Women's Shelter (Showed me how my budding counseling skills were developing in a good way)
-Cashier for parking lot (again, did a great deal of writing during the down time)
-Rivet polker for semi-trailor factory (enjoyed this one; I was only one of three women and the rest were men! Gave me great ideas for Book #4!)
-Wait staff at a country club (Enjoyed my regular customers and became a favorite with the kids)
-'Bus' driver for pre-school (in actuality, it was a station wagon) (Hated driving in ice and snow!)
-DST for Special-needs children and adults (Taught daily living skills to the developmentally and mentally challenged; my group was at the higher-functioning level)
-More babysitting, plus a two-month foray into the 'get-rich-quick' sales (I hated walking up to people to convince them to buy something they either didn't need or couldn't afford!)
-Concession stand manager (Loved, loved, LOVED this one! I got to be my own boss, and did inventory, worked my ass off during games, counted money, and made some valuable friendships.)
-Bus Monitor for emotionally or special-needs kids (More stressful than it seems!)
-Published Author (I absolutely LOVE book signings and talking to people about writing, books, and how to get started/published.)
-Cashier for fireworks store (enjoyed this, as it got me out of the house for a while and away from moody spouse!)
-And most importantly, Domestic Engineer aka MOM (Again, I get to set my own hours:)

But have I acquired any strange skills? As I told Anny, I can now change the tape in a price sticker thingy. And discovered I really enjoy doing inventory.

This Weekend:
I'll be doing my final signing of the year at our local Santa Stroll. The parade begins at 6:30, and the stores downtown stay open until 9pm with special sales. I'll be at a friend's new art gallery, and the weather should be better than last year's Big Freeze:) On Saturday, the kids can have breakfast with Santa; there are free carriage rides and entertainment; and down the street at the Bible Bookstore, a local children's author, Roseann Perry, will also be signing copies of HER new book. I've not met her; I'll be going down to meet her between 11:30 and noon.

And Sunday begins Operation Clean-Up, as we are hosting Thanksgiving. K's girlfriend and her family will be here, as will my 'other' daughter and her family, and my friend J and her hubby. I also have to deep clean the car seats and stroller, since the new arrival will be here in a month. Plus, we always have 'strays' who wander in an out, knowing they will be well fed at Aunt Molly's.

Have a great weekend, and I'll be back on Monday!