Earning the daily bread

The distance from my house to my workplace is almost exactly 13 miles, and about 10 of that is interstate. The morning drive takes about 45 minutes or so, and I don't complain because - a few years ago - for one hellish three month stretch my average commute time was two and a half hours. Each way.

My current job is ok. I've told my 'boss' that I'll put up with a lot of crap because I like the commute. I've seen the worst it could be, so I appreciate what I've got. Frank Zappa said, "there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over", so I will speak up when the situation calls for it, but mostly I just let it slide.

Notice how 'boss' has those little quote marks? That's because I'm a consultant and I work on-site full time, so the person I work for on a daily basis is my client, not my supervisor. My position is also a one-man project, so I'm the only person from my company working here. One reason my company likes me is because I succeed with minimal supervision.

How minimal? Well, basically I email the home office timesheets, and they mail me paychecks. I might talk on the phone to the company once every couple months or so. Actual face-to-face time with someone in the company averages once every two years. I like it that way. And as long as the client is happy with my work, then my company is fine with it.

Now that is sweet.