February 22--When in doubt, go with the cat

[zyzyly]

I put those two big TVs out on the driveway this morning to be picked up by some place that recycles them. I used a furniture dolly, because they weigh about 100 pounds each. I got home this afternoon and they were still there, because the pickup is next Monday, not today. And none of my neighbors wants them, apparently. So I hauled them back in again.

I finished updating another lecture this morning before we had one of our long faculty meetings. There's always a fair amount of bickering in them, but I just kind of sit in the back and stay out of it unless it is something I have a strong feeling about, which is almost never. I had a long talk with my mentor this afternoon about an issue that has been bothering me for a while now with a colleague. She was sympathetic, but reinforced my thought that there was nothing really to be done about it, because of "tenure". "Not that we haven't tried," she added. And so it goes.

I start my big lectures this week with "Fluids & Electrolytes". It's not one of my favorites, but it does set the stage for the ones that are coming. I am teaching from the new textbook this semester, so I learned a few new things, which was cool. For as much as I know about this stuff, it always amazes me how little I really know. Lifelong learner, for sure.

After work I took a bunch of boxes of stuff to be shredded. When I was cleaning out the closets a few weeks ago, I found boxes of bills and stuff from the 80s and 90s. I'm pretty sure I don't have to keep them any more. I did find some of my pay stubs from my first days working as an RN. My starting salary was $12.70/hr, and I was pretty happy with that. My students, when they are hired into a hospital for their first job out of school, now make about $60-70/hr. Much more than their teacher, who will likely still be paying student loans into his retirement.

I am listening to a stream of Peter Frampton's upcoming new album, which is all acoustic. It is really good.


Mook and little Hello Kitty have fun on my desk.

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

Around here electronics vanish as soon as they hit the curb, if you're lucky. If you're not, they get smashed and the copper gets pulled out and then you get to clean up all the smashed bits.

Man, $13/hour for nursing work would be painful.

[katbyte.livejournal.com]

Just for my curiosity, since I am a little new, are you an RN? What made you decide to take a pay cut and teach?

How often to you go to your house in Thailand?

[thoughtsbykat.livejournal.com]

That was aggravating hauling the tv's out only to have to haul them back in. Glad you have a dolly.

Learning new things keep our brains sharp.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

Sacramento pays insanely well, and it sounds like it's gone up quite a bit even since I graduated.

From what I've seen of RN pay in other parts of the country, I have it pretty good here, especially considering cost of living. But it sounds like I'd be getting paid at least twice as much in Sacramento.

It's tempting to try to come back. I'm already staying overnight on worknights. What's an additional 6 hours of commuting on top of that for that much of raise?

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

At the time I was working as a nursing assistant for about $7 an hour, so it seemed like a pretty good deal to me.

I was thinking that a pile of smashed bits would be easier to manage than these two behemoths, but probably not.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

I am an RN. I kind of stumbled into teaching part time about 11 years ago when I was taking a break from working in the ICU, and eventually grew to love teaching. I had the opportunity to teach full time at the college I graduated from, and took it. A job that I love is worth more than the money, for sure.

We go to Thailand about every year or so, but I will stay home this year because of my doctoral work.

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

It was more aggravating until I realized that it was me that got the pickup date wrong, and then I cut myself a break :)

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

It has gone up slowly but steadily since then, and will likely take off again as they have more trouble filling nursing positions.

I know people who do that--come down and work three or four shifts in a row and stay down here. I guess it is a question of whether that money is worth the time you would lose.

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

*Smiles* I remember my first job right out of college - packing clothes in boxes for Koret of California. $3.25 an hour and I was delighted with that!

[zyzyly.livejournal.com]

My absolute first job (other than paperboy) was washing pots in a hospital kitchen, with a starting salary of $1.68 an hour, and a raise to $1.73 shortly thereafter. It was enough for gas, joints, and music, which was really all I needed back then.

[ineedcoffee.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Where you live starting salaries are more than twice what we'd expect here in the South. Woe!

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be all that much a time loss over where I am currently.

But realistically, I'll most likely be looking for my next job closer, not further.

It does surprise me a little that they are having trouble filling positions. We had someone commuting here from Vacaville a few years ago because she couldn't get a closer job. She ended up getting a job in Carson City, so I don't know what's happened since.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

It is more than twice what you'd expect 200 miles away (and probably closer than that). It's twice what you'd expect in areas of California with a lot higher cost of living than Sacramento. It's a weird little bubble.

My theory is that salaries in the Bay Area are so high that it drives up salaries in surrounding areas, because nursing, where it's common to have a three day workweek, is very amenable to long commutes.