Side Gigs?

[Yooper]

I’ve been fortunately since I stopped working full time at the age of 46 to still find work. I worked at the same hospital as a ‘fill in’ for years, until about 2018 or so. I’ve helped out with some article writing, some help desk stuff here and for another company, and that’s been great, I also rent a house on airbnb, etc.

I volunteer at animal shelter when I’m up north, and a state wildlife park when I’m in Florida. Those of course don’t pay, but I love both of those jobs.

Yesterday I took on another side gig! I’m going to be First Mate on a local tour boat here in Florida. I was part of a manatee release on Monday (that’s the volunteer part) and as the First Mate, I’ll talk about the history, wildlife, the reason there is a Monkey Island, and of course a lot of manatee talk and viewing. It’s a lot of fun and the customers are great. We want them to have a great time, and so while it is definitely work, it’s also a good time.

A cop I met the other day is wonderful- but he works at a marine/boat supply place for his fun money. So that got me wondering:

What do YOU do, side gig or volunteer, that brings you joy?

 

[Minbari]

Don't really have paying gigs, lol. Beside brewing and giving beer away.

I go to the range and poke holes in paper

 

[Donoroto]

@Yooper Aye Matey, best be practicin’ yer Arrrs…
(Your middle name isn’t Gilligan, is it?)

Ahem.

After retiring, I did a little bit of paid consulting, but that’s done. I also wrote regularly for two national magazines (unrelated to brewing) and edited one, again for pay, but not a lot of it, and that’s essentially done too.

I’s still mentoring a FIRST Robotics team (my 21st year) and I play a lot with Amateur Radio. I work wood, metal and plastic, less for artistic reasons and more for practical needs for myself and friends, but get creative with beer tap handles. Gardening so I can eat good food. Repairing my cars, garden equipment and house so I get it done correctly. Writing (small) software to solve various needs. And a bunch more things that I certainly could get paid for, but then I’d have a schedule and quality demands so, meh, I do it for free.

I guess my only ‘paying’ gig at the moment is moderating this forum. For which I’m paid with a premium membership. I think I am getting the better part of that deal.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I’ve been fortunately since I stopped working full time at the age of 46 to still find work. I worked at the same hospital as a ‘fill in’ for years, until about 2018 or so. I’ve helped out with some article writing, some help desk stuff here and for another company, and that’s been great, I also rent a house on airbnb, etc.

I volunteer at animal shelter when I’m up north, and a state wildlife park when I’m in Florida. Those of course don’t pay, but I love both of those jobs.

Yesterday I took on another side gig! I’m going to be First Mate on a local tour boat here in Florida. I was part of a manatee release on Monday (that’s the volunteer part) and as the First Mate, I’ll talk about the history, wildlife, the reason there is a Monkey Island, and of course a lot of manatee talk and viewing. It’s a lot of fun and the customers are great. We want them to have a great time, and so while it is definitely work, it’s also a good time.

A cop I met the other day is wonderful- but he works at a marine/boat supply place for his fun money. So that got me wondering:

What do YOU do, side gig or volunteer, that brings you joy?

If you have a good jacket, the First Mate thing might be very neat when it starts to get cold and the Manatee come in the springs. The water started getting a little too chilly to see them at my normal spot this morning.
I have seen hundreds of them in the run at Blue Springs when it has been cold.

 

[Sunfire96]

Data Annotation. It's helping to train an AI chat bot. It can be incredibly dull at times, but the hours are flexible and it pays $20-24 per hour (more if you have coding experience). My favorite tasks are open ended "have a conversation with the AI bot," and then I get paid to do research for my own interests and hobbies (homebrewing, gardening, fishing, etc.). They have a referral compensation, so if anyone is interested in trying it out, please let me know

 

[jmcnamara]

I do customer support, social media, playtesting, and some other odds and ends for a board game company out 9f Vancouver, Off The Page Games. Our thing is to turn cool, creator owned comics into really thematic games. We've done it for MIND MGMT, Harrow County and Manifest Destiny, with a few more in the pipeline

 

[Yooper]

If you have a good jacket, the First Mate thing might be very neat when it starts to get cold and the Manatee come in the springs. The water started getting a little too chilly to see them at my normal spot this morning.
I have seen hundreds of them in the run at Blue Springs when it has been cold.

Oh, yes, the manatees are in huge numbers now. Yesterday it was really cold, and we even saw a very active aggregation (mating ball). I was part of a manatee release last week with my State Park volunteer job.

I volunteer at a wildlife park where we have rehabbing as well as resident manatees. Critical care manatees go to Sea World, Zoo Tampa, or Clearwater for that and then we get them for possible release. The Vet is great and we have two potential releases (but not very likely) that we are monitoring as well as our usually permanent unreleasable residents. We have a TON of snook in the springs right now, along with a lot of other cold-intolerant fish at the park. But they don't pay me, so it's strictly for the love of all of the animals. My favorite is a Florida panther who loves to try to 'stalk' me as well as an old hippo that snorts at me when I talk to him.

The first mate job is going well! I only wore three layers under my jacket yesterday.

 

[Sandy Feet]

Is the Hippo the old one from Homosassa? If so, that would make sense as the park isn't that far from Crystal River.

 

[Craigerrr]

Oh, yes, the manatees are in huge numbers now. Yesterday it was really cold, and we even saw a very active aggregation (mating ball). I was part of a manatee release last week with my State Park volunteer job.

I volunteer at a wildlife park where we have rehabbing as well as resident manatees. Critical care manatees go to Sea World, Zoo Tampa, or Clearwater for that and then we get them for possible release. The Vet is great and we have two potential releases (but not very likely) that we are monitoring as well as our usually permanent unreleasable residents. We have a TON of snook in the springs right now, along with a lot of other cold-intolerant fish at the park. But they don't pay me, so it's strictly for the love of all of the animals. My favorite is a Florida panther who loves to try to 'stalk' me as well as an old hippo that snorts at me when I talk to him.

The first mate job is going well! I only wore three layers under my jacket yesterday.

As long as you didn't take part in the "aggregation"

 

[Yooper]

Is the Hippo the old one from Homosassa? If so, that would make sense as the park isn't that far from Crystal River.

Yes, he's 64 years old, going to be 65 in January. When I was a little girl, I remember going to that park when it was the movie animals park. I saw him then, and I seem to remember my dad paying a dollar or so, and me throwing him marshmellows. Now, no marshmellows or other junk food- but his teeth are in pretty rough shape. He's got a good vet, and he gets great care, so he's pretty darn healthy for being the oldest hippo in the world!

My first mate gig is on the Homosassa River.

 

[Yooper]

As long as you didn't take part in the "aggregation"

Um, no. But we did watch! Live action manatee orgy porn.

 

[Hawkbox]

I am lucky in that I'm financially solid and don't need any side gigs, but I do a lot of side projects for free which might be worse?

 

[Tim Bulin]

I'll be 50 in about a month, carpenter out of Local 314 Madison, been doing concrete in some capacity sinse high school, occasionally I do a small project on the side, also been doing DJ and karaoke work for about 25 years now...I'll keep doing it as long as it's fun.