Some days I really think I’m getting a little bit too old to do this sort of thing. At least I didn’t understand how physically demanding the work would be when I first started!
Of course, when I think about getting a new job, I have visions of sitting in an office being micro-managed by an insecure boss. At that point, I realise that I’m very happy being a window cleaner.
A few days ago, I decided to take my i-pod with me while I washed store windows. The store was on ground level so I didn’t need to worry about safety issues so much. It was really hot that day and I wasn’t feeling very motivated. I thought that the music would motivate me.
I didn’t realise that I was singing along rather loudly to the music and doing these cool moves with my brushes. Since I have a horrible singing voice, I attracted quite a crowd. Either that or the crowd was impressed with my window washing skills! Once the windows were clean, I turned around to see the crowd watching me. They started clapping and one guy threw me some change!
Today, I made some friends with the pigeons that were roosting on the roof of the building next to the one I was cleaning. One pigeon was particularly friendly and landed on my head! He or she stayed there quite a while looking into the glass and cooing. I am really glad I wear a hat or things might have gotten a little bit messy! I guess you could say I have learned an important lesson about pigeons: never make eye contact or talk to them. They just never go away.
The weather was pretty humid today, but it is summer. According to the weather reports, the temperature was over 100 degrees. It sure felt like it. I brought lots of sports drinks with me and took frequent breaks to stay safe. Although I don’t like working outdoors on really humid days, at least I can say I got to work on my tan. Not too many people get to do that while they are working.
My contracts for the rest of the week are mostly inside jobs. This means that at least I’ll be in the air conditioning for at least some of the day. Tomorrow I’ll be cleaning the windows for a veterinarian’s office. This is one of my favourite jobs because I love animals. I really like this job because the vet’s dog stays at the office all day and often “helps” me with my window cleaning. The dog is a really nice golden retriever and he reminds me of the dog I had when I was a kid. He’s mostly helpful, except when he decides to rub his nose on the part of the window that I’ve just cleaned! I have to remember to pack some dog treats for him.
I read an article on my lunch break today about exercise and calories. I wonder how many calories are expended by “vigorous window cleaning”? I’ll have to figure that out one of these days.