I considered writing a post this week titled "My Life As a Rabbit" but was so busy being a rabbit (and watching the Olympics) I never got it done. I'm barely getting this post written. Some form of blogger's block maybe?
Oh, you probably wanted me to explain that bit about being a rabbit, didn't you? When we moved to Austin (almost exactly one year ago), I left my job and we decided I wouldn't start working again for at least a year so that I could be as available as possible to helping the kids get oriented into our new hometown. Unfortunately, with one thing and another, our budget wasn't interested in giving us a full year so I began looking for part-time work that didn't have me out nights and weekends.
(Still nothing about the rabbit. When is she going to get to the part about the rabbit?) <picture that spoken in my best Jim Gaffigan internal monologue impression.
About March we sent out an all-call for job references, suggestions, offers. We should have known that the gracious and creative people of Austin would rise to the challenge. People called me, emailed me and sought me out after church to share great part-time job ideas: personally assist a speaker and life trainer, copywrite for a sales company, provide childcare. All I wanted to do was to get paid for reading books all day. Among my favorite offers: shovel out horse stalls every morning and sculpt balloon animals in Austin restaurants each weekend.
My new friend Jan mentioned a company who connects busy people with friendly, reliable people right in your neighborhood who can help them get the items on their To-Do list done. Enter TaskRabbit. A perfect fit for me during this season of transition. And, depending on your perspective, a perfect opportunity for a new Austinite to become familiar with the city and with my new "keep Austin weird" neighbors.
This week's tasks had me cleaning a house while the tenant took a bath because his shower curtain was packed away, cleaning a B& B cabin while the next guests sat on the porch drinking beers I scrounged up for them when they surprised me by arriving early, surveying small local businesses about their lease and tax frustrations, delivering clean laundry to a man standing behind his door naked because he needed clean laundry so badly and careening around downtown Austin trying to deliver nearly-melted cupcakes to new local business startups.
My best story for the week is a toss up between the man without clean clothes and the frantic fifteen minutes I stood outside in 105 degree heat, digging through garbage bags trying to find the cabin key I'd accidentally dropped. (I found it, thankfully.)
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Well, this poor quality photo from my little phone might give her a bit of proof. These guys want me to get out so they can enjoy their surprise cupcake delivery.
One afternoon, after telling the girls I had to work on a task Natalie said, "How do we KNOW what you're actually doing? You could be a SPY for all we know!"
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Is this proof enough, Natalie?
Enjoy a beauty-filled weekend!
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