Patriarch wrote:

down her particulars some place where *I* can keep up with it this
time, so I can deal with future problems over the phone.

So why is a certified LINUX geek who can network driving a truck for a
job?

Have you looked at any of the help wanted ads for Linux geeks?

I'm not selling myself short here. I'm just really not remotely qualified
for any job I've ever seen advertised. The home desktop arena where I play
has almost nothing in common with the corporate world. I've never used a
computer in a professional setting, except for a brief stint working as a
typist in a copy center in college, and I have no computer experience. No
training, no education, just a couple decades as a competent hobbiest.
I've never worked in an office environment either.

Plus I guess I tolerate it pretty well. I could talk about it for quite a
long time, both the ups and downs. There are ups, there are downs.
Everything is always a balancing act. Up, having a lot of time off. Down,
having to work ridiculous hours during busy times. Up, being free to do my
job my own way, without being micromanaged. Down, spending long periods of
time by myself, without any coworkers to socialize with. Up, paying the
bills. Down, having a job I'm just not really very proud of, because I
have the intellectual potential to do more exciting sounding things.

I guess on balance, the thing that bothers me most of all is not having any
friends to spend time with in person. I'm not a very sociable guy to start
with, but I used to have some semblance of a social life. That all ended
eight years ago, and I live a very solitary life now. I have my family,
the people on the other side of a computer monitor, and a couple of people
who work in furniture stores in distant cities. Most of that time this
doesn't really bother me at all, but sometimes it does. I guess even
hermits like me like to have a little human contact now and again.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/