Fīnis

Today I concluded my Enumerator job, so I'm no longer an employee of the Census Department. Before I could be released, I attended a meeting where I completed the final paperwork and turned in my handheld computer and name badge.

I actually finished all my work on Saturday. Tony came with me again, which was helpful because a portion of the area had houses spread out on a busy street with no sidewalk or curb to walk along. Tony drove while I jumped in and out of the car, so I was able to save a lot of time. It felt good to mark the area complete, then watch it disappear from my handheld. It felt even better this morning when the rain started coming down; I was extremely grateful that I didn't have to work in the nasty weather today.

From the start, I knew that this was a temporary position, but it was a chance to make a few extra bucks and be part of an historic opportunity. I had some great adventures and talked to a lot of friendly people...and a couple that weren't so friendly. I found some subdivisions in my area that I never knew existed, and I know two small sections of Jefferson County like the back of my hand.

Now that the job is over I'll have more free time. For the last month my alarm has gone off 45 minutes earlier than I'm used to. I've already set it for the "normal" time, so tomorrow I get to sleep in a bit. I've let things around the house slide, so I'll start working on the backlog of indoor and outdoor chores.

Of course the census doesn't officially happen till 2010. There will be a handful of jobs available over the next several months, and more next year at this time, but I'm not going to wait around for them to call me. If I still have free time next spring, though, I'll certainly consider doing census work again.