Ad-Agency Sinecure

I'm working at an ad agency in Brea for two and a half weeks while the full-time proofreader is on vacation. Almost immediately after saying "yes" to the gig, I had regrets. I would be missing out on my spring break from Cal State, which is next week. Also, I had wanted to spend some time with Aaron, who is on spring break this week.

As it is, he is working this week, so I wouldn't have seen much of him anyway. And the workload is extremely light--I've probably only spent an hour doing ad-agency work during the past six days there. And when there's nothing for me to proof, I'm free to do other work.

I had worked there twice before for much longer stints when the former proofreader had been out of town, attending to ill parents. So far it's been great, as I've been able to grade papers, record grades, check email, and get lots of editing and correspondence completed for Long Beach Magazine.

The copy writer has just published a book, "Good Dad, Bad Dad," a comedic parenting primer. I'm sure that he must have written the manuscript during down time at the agency. Such a deal!

It's mind-boggling when I consider all the millions of hours that office workers around the world spend doing things other than the work they are paid to do. How many novels and screen plays are written on company time? How many online businesses are managed from 9 to 5? How many Internet romances are launched on the company's dime?

At least this is one way workers can stick it to the corporate machine that otherwise drains the life blood out of them.