So I’ve  had some jobs. Here’s the list. In as close an order as I can recall. Some of those jobs didn’t last long.

  • Hardee’s Restaurant
    My first job. Spent a couple three weeks as a burger  flipper and fry chef. Quit when I was scheduled to work 3-hours for the week.
  • Little Caesars Pizza
    My uncle Dean knew the manager. Worked as a pizza cook for a year and a half. Forced to quit by my folks because of declining school grades.
  • Farmer Jack Supermarket
    I did the whole bagger, bottle return, cart chaser thing right after high school.
  • Great Lakes Beverage Company
    During one of the beer strikes I was a can crusher and driver’s helper. Thanks to my step-father for getting me in.
  • Norton Communication
    Worked for Comcast as a subcontractor doing first cable TV installations and then laying cable in underground construction.
  • Star Carpet Cleaning
    Residential and comercial carpet cleaner and supervisor of a two man crew using a grainular dry cleaning system.
  • Sunshine Party Store
    Spent a couple weeks as a convience store clerk, working the register, watching the coffee pots, and reading adult magazines.
  • Nation Wide Security
    Uniformed security guard. Boring. Quit when they assigned me to guard the Christmas train at the mall.
  • Mike’s Deck Building
    Built decks & retaining walls with Mike, who stiffed me and a couple friends in the end to the tune of $800.
  • Mervyns
    Did the whole floor associate, cashier thing.
  • McCarrick Handyman Services
    Started my own business as an independent handyman for a condo association. Eventually they wrote my services out of the budget.
  • American Lumber Supply
    Went to Florida and Grandma found me a job as a yard worker and delivery driver for the lumber company she worked at.
  • Firehouse Diner
    Came back from Florida and became a short order cook.
  • Mitch’s II
    A brief stint as a pizza cook
  • Perry Drugs Warehouse
    Spent time on the loading dock filling the trucks, moved to “non-convables” (stuff that didn’t go down the conveyor belt), and then to a position as staging controller (operator of the conveyor belt).
  • Thompson’s Plumbing Supply
    Worked as stock clerk and floor help in a family business. Problem was, it wasn’t my family. Wasn’t a particularly good job.
  • Kmart
    Didn’t work here long, but I was a floor clerk
  • Nichols Heating & Cooling
    Went to work for my uncle, different uncle this time. Started as a helper and worked my way up to a full fledged HVAC technician doing service, install, & new construction work. Six good years.
  • UUNet/WorldCom
    Hired in just after the WorldCom buyout. Started in the Operations NOC and advanced to the Telco Vendor Management group. They laid me off during the whole bankruptcy fiasco.
  • MCI / VerizonBusiness
    Hired back into WorldCom/MCI six months later for less money and crappier hours in the Customer Support NOC. Did my time and got moved to Customer Data Analysis. Then got laid off again.
  • Nichols Heating & Cooling
    Went back to work for the new owner of the company my uncle Therm started. Went in as part time, I was in school, and at a lower payrate than I probably should have. But it got my feet wet and my mind back into the business. Left when I was done with school and I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to get the things I wanted there.
  • Jones Lang LaSalle – Mobile Engineering Services
    Came onboard with the Bank of America team, but reorged into the MES team 4-months later. Unionized 2-months afterward. Not as much HVAC work as I expected or would like, but a great job with a great company.