Jobs of Bob
"People who romanticize the blue-collar culture for the most part...are idiots; and, probably never worked a
real physical job in their entire lives - academics; politicians; fools; media hacks; con-men; and, the like."
- Bob Keith -
Scroll down on this page to find a more orderly chronology of postings of Bob's work exploits. Each posting is a vignette about Bob's many, and often quirky blue-collar jobs over the last 40 years.
Some of the jobs Bob has had in his life are:
Dairy farmer; saxophone player (rock band); gas station jockey; Army Engineer; scoop loader operator; dump truck driver; furniture delivery person; feed mill worker; cargo truck assembly factory worker; basic welder; bouncer; bartender; school bus driver; park keeper; roadside mower operator; landscape chemical pesticide applicator; grounds maintenance supervisor; small landscape business owner; auto mechanic; auto parts customer service desk worker; janitor; armored car builder; fork lift driver; lifeguard; ambulance driver; emergency medical technician; Emergency Room volunteer; nursing assistant, Alzheimer’s patients’ assistant; YMCA customer service desk worker; therapy pool attendant; college student - treated like a job; college paper opinion writer and restaurant review writer (Wisconsin Friday night fish frys); paid college note taker for students with disabilities; college library assistant; home health aid; YMCA grant writer internship; grocery store worker; disabled college students’ assistant; older college students’ assistant; in-country cultural writer Laos, Viet Nam (post war), Turkey, Iraq (active war); newspaper circulation worker; newspaper delivery person; parcel/package loading plant worker; newspaper truck driver; animal shelter volunteer; newspaper mail room worker; County Board Candidate; community radio station news copy writer; Iraq experience presentations; foreign language newspaper expeditor; cultural blogger fish-frys/taverns/war-casualties/jobs/strip-clubs/church-dinners; Nowadays, Bob just tells people, "...I fuck'n write books."
Job Chronology
Bob adds to his history from time to time, and not always in chronological order. As memories pop up or when ever it fancies him, he goes back and adds stories to previously posted jobs. The Daily Dadio Blog "Jobs of Bob" Category has them listed as he posted them. The below list places them in chronological order starting from the first job.
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part I - Things learned
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part II - Dad; Ol' Uncle Art; Lima; and, back'n up a wagon
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part III - Milk Cooler; Kitchen Table; No Tubes or smoking allowed
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part IV - Binary; Weather; Woods; Creek; Rocks; Kids; Sandy the Dog
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part V - The garden; the buildings; the barn; the house; the rhubarb
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part VI - The Hammer; a right of passage
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part VII - Never lost a digit; Dad could kill you with just a look
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part VIII - The marsh Cat and a sunburn to remember
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part IX - The hunters; Ol' Adam and his hickery nuts, "Can I borrow a ladder son, got'a coon treed up yonder?"
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part X - Jackknife
First Job of Bob - Dairy Farm - Part XI - The farm kitties
Second Job of Bob - Rock Band
Third Job of Bob - Gas Station Jockey
Fourth Job of Bob - Shore Retaining Wall Project
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - The Decision
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part I - Basic Training
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part I-A - Advanced Training; dozers, diggers, and trucks oh my
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part I-B - Advanced Traning; Walk to the back, where's the hat boys?; Franz tries for West Point
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part I-C - Advanced Training; Held hostage in Dugger, Indiana, 33 Bucks and 17 Cents ransom demanded
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part II - Welcome to Nuremberg, West Germany
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part III - VW-Beetle; Girls; Suicide Mission; Colleagues
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part IV - Heavy Equipment; Grafenwoehr; Targets; Black Berets
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part IV-A - Heavy Equipment; The Five-Ton Dump Truck; perennial Reforger war games
Fifth Job of Bob - Army - Part IV-B - Heavy Equipment; Hold up in the boonies; almost blew up Comrade; pseudo-live-round cowboys and Indians
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part V - Forgotten in an outpost of paradise; American soldiers in Europe? 25
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part VI - Kirby has a plate in his head from 'Nam; no Pfennigs for the shitter door-lock - then just shit in the goddamned urinal
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part VII - Home and Retrospect
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part VIII - Too important to have a beer with a buddy
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part IX - I believe in mail call, you sexy thing; touch the cookies in the Pringles can and die
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part X - The Mad Shitter
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XI - Free time - Penetration Theory, McDopple, walk, bike, VW Beetle, schnitzel, "The Wall"
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XI - leave-time entry 1 - Trek around Western Europe
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XI - leave-time entry 2 - Return to the Spanish scene of the crimes
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XI - leave-time entry 3 - Walkabout the British Isles; Comrade stole my damn new bike at "The Wall"
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XII - Crazy Jimmy's Polizi chase
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XIII - Bunker duty retrospect
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XIV - Mash Unit; first major blood episode
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XV - Baker blew himself up; seeds of EMS
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XVI - Dumptruck load of sand in the middle of the strasse
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XVII - Sergeant Bob? No Sergeant "Jack"
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XVIII - You owe Uncle Sam a Scoop Loader
Fifth Job of Bob - Army Part XIX - The Archer affair; Sunshine the car
Sixth Job of Bob - Corn and Soybeans
Lost Job of Bob - Yard work for a former teacher
Seventh Job of Bob - School Bus - Part I
Seventh Job of Bob - School Bus Part II - pre ADHD; bus shop; Charlie the dog
Seventh Job of Bob - School Bus Part III - paint shop; amphitheater; bus wreck
Eighth Job of Bob - odious labor service - Potato chip chicks; "Plastics"
Ninth Job of Bob - Furniture Store Part I
Ninth Job of Bob - Furniture Store Part II - Don, 350 Yamaha 50
Ninth Job of Bob - Furniture Store Part III - misery economy, delivery turck, daily duster
Tenth Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Part I - consummate factory
Tenth Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Part II - Crazy Jim
Tenth Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Part III - safety, shop gossip
Tenth Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Part IV - lay off; and, Haul to Pennsylvania now
Eleventh Job of Bob - Feed Mill
Twelfth Job of Bob - Bowling Alley Part I - tavern,bar, disco, bowling alley, bouncer, bartender
Twelfth Job of Bob - Bowling Alley Part II - to-go-girls, Murry, Hanny's
Twelfth Job of Bob - Bowling Alley Part III - Walter, consummate bar fights
Twelfth Job of Bob - Bowling Alley Part IV - Art's truck, Victorian Inn, cycles, cops, girl-fight
Yet another Lost Job of Bob - Food tent at the annual fest - a one day affair
Thirteenth Job of Bob - School Bus Redux Part I - two-jobs, engagement, comrade-caveat
Thirteenth Job of Bob - School Bus Redux Part II - family biz, too-young colleague dies
Thirteenth Job of Bob - School Bus Redux Part III - married, crappy economy, good-bye Wisconsin
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part I - Dallas, Houston, Reagan Ranches, cancer, crime, work
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part II - Charles, Big Max, Cowboy Marvin
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part III - Glove box Bible, Republicans, Ol' Sonebitch
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part III-A - Graveyard epiphany
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part IV - Hedges, Little Danny, hornets, Pyracantha blues
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part V - Chemical Room, Kent ain't no Texan, Ol' Papa
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part VI - Chemical Applicator, Dealey Plaza, Kenneth and where did Kennedy get shot?
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part VII - I killed the grass on the "Grassy Knoll"
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part VIII - and, Job Interviews from Hell number one
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part IX - some actors, '71 Buick in the pool
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part X - Joe 75
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XI - special events, facilitaters of art, Robert Mitchum films in the barrio
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XII - pinned down by Balcony Man in Green Bay Park
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XIII - conferences and panels
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XIV - Robert Lee
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XV - Charles
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XVI - Slick
Fourteenth Job of Bob, Park and Rec Part XVII - Here one day gone the next
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XVIII - Fuck those trees and fuck you too
Fourteenth Job of Bob - Park and Rec Part XIX - Them damn fire ants
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part I - entrepreneurial seeds, Sidney
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part II - the part-time endeavor grows
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part III - unsustainable grind - shop cats
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part IV - the help - the car culture - the wry comedy
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part V - Parting the waters of the Mixmaster
Fifteenth job of Bob - Lawn Service Part VI - The long road home
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part VII - Want season tickets to them Cowboys? - Employee perks
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part VIII - Small business health care; Son, I can pull that tooth for 19 Dollars!
Fifteenth Job of Bob - Lawn Service Part IX - Could have been in Saudi
Sixteenth job of Bob - Lawn Service Redux - home after years
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service Part I - paycheck shock, the Amish, and pay no attention to Bug-eyes
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service Part II - old grumudgeons, old tractors, the new life begins again
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service Part III - chauvinism, assistant rube, crazy Tim
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service - Part IV - Payroll vigilante, enter cell phones
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service - Part V - musical houses, motorcycle redux
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service - Part VI - Tourette's in the shop, is it Dave's fault and where would I be now? 100
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardware, Retail, Auto Service - Part VII - Time bandits, weekend shift, one last critique
Seventeenth Job of Bob - Farm, Hardward, Retail, Auto Service - Part VIII - Fraido takes a little trip to St. Louis?
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part I - job interviews from Hell, campus janitor
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part II - yet another job interview from Hell, air base
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part III - A few last job interviews from the gates of hell, not actually hell; and, missed State opportunities
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part IV - The ethical Bug-Eyes, go to Hell and see white!
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part V - Abandoned bikes, Clinton takes over, no heat in the '67, cold isthmus, warm duplex
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part VI - late for X-mas, wrong side bottle
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part VII - college can't be that hard
Eighteenth Job of Bob - The all-mighty "State," Part VIII - No sleep, overwhelming fatigue, for my troubles...a new sequined sofa and a cassette radio
Nineteenth Job of Bob - Landscape Maintenance Company, Part I - drawn to the land
Nineteenth Job of Bob - Landscape Maintenance Company, Part II - The Whisperer, a bottle of Jack, chainsaw phony, tight ship lawn mower guys, weekends at the farm store
Nineteenth Job of Bob - Landscape Maintenance Company, Part III - Missing arms but 10 snow shovels, '67 pickup redux
Nineteenth Job of Bob - Landscape Maintenance Company, Part IV - Gun rack smart alec; giant lunch box; pay check ethics; nepotism; system favortism for the displaced; never look back
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part I - Driver, EMT, the beginnings of the return to college
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part II - Finally - the front of a police car; CPR - relentless smell of plastic
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part III - Classes, books, skills, nursing assistant, ERs, and time
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part IV - Testing; Clinicals; Beware the ER Nurse
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part V - New service member for a day
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part VI - A year of actual pay for weekend shifts; hours of college studies
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part VI - No longer your father's volunteer fire department; better not call 911 on Tuesday morning; no one dies on Thursday night just after midnight...they wait 'til Monday morning
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part VII - You can't save others if you don't save yourself; meet interesting people at their worst; Vagal-down dudes!
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part VIII - Bystander Syndrome; the new demographics
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part IX - A couple vignettes; an upside down girl; the errant shoe; an unexpected lap dance
Twentieth Job of Bob - Rural Ambulance - Part X - EMT-Intermediate; EMT-Paramedic; end of another road 125
Twenty-first Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Redux - Part I - Armored car blues; the Japanese Rubric
Twenty-first Job of Bob - Truck Assembly Redux - Part II - 100 miles of wire; you didn't weld that yet did you?
Twenty-Second Job of Bob - School Bus third go-a-round - Part I - cameras; beatings; actors; 100 kids
Twenty-Second Job of Bob - School Bus third go-a-round - Part II - CDL, no time, libility lunacy
Twenty-third Job of Bob - Emergency Room Volunteer
Twenty-fourth Job of Bob - Nursing Assistant - Nursing Home Part I - Old Campus; Road Warrior
Twenty-fourth Job of Bob - Nursing Assistant - Nursing Home Part II - turning 40 in an old folk's home
Twenty-fourth Job of Bob - Nursing Assistant - Nursing Home Part III - Sternal Rub really works (xiphiod process)
Twenty-fifth Job of Bob - Alzheimer’s Center Part I - Group Construct
Twenty-fifth Job of Bob - Alzheimer's Center Part II - Fistula Dude Affect
Twenty-fifth Job of Bob - Alzheimer's Center Part III - Don't mock the Metro; Another job bites the dust
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part I
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part II - Days of boredom followed by minutes of terror; abundant breasts
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part III - "Affect" Schlong Dude
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part IV - Crutches poolside; can you even swim?
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part V - Lady cop on the early AM prowl
Twenty-sixth Job of Bob - YMCA Lifeguard Part VI - Last Official Day of Work September 11, 2001
The Job that never happened - - Wanna load beer? - Day late - two years short
Twenty-seventh Job of Bob - Therapy pool attendant and Lifeguard Part I - Sociological Perspective, gazelles vs hippopotami
Twenty-seventh Job of Bob - Therapy pool attendant and Lifeguard Part II - "You ain't got no life old guy"
Twenty-seventh Job of Bob - Therapy pool attendant and Lifeguard Part III - "Can't you call someone?"
Twenty-eighth Job of Bob - YMCA customer service desk worker
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part I - took it like a damn job
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part II - the stage is set for a long academic run
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part III - early setback in nursing; 180 "degree" turn; word of my Best Man 150
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part IV - Total retool; kid in a candy store; not a typewriter to be found; prevailing myths; god bless "cut and past"
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part V - Favorite profs and their delivery of knowledge: Cobbs; Brien; Galliger; and, Neider
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part VI - Collective Undergraduate Classroom Silence
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part VII - Date with fate post 38 - A year in a wheelchair
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part VIII - On to UW-Whitewater; Bob's private dorm "Keith Hall"
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part IX - Don't let the 9/11 attack interupt your lecture; the emergence of the new student military Veteran; students ship out in Vietnam redux; from no Vets to a culture of Vets; another favorite prof
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part X - College Grad, a Harley to myself
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XI - A run at grad school; same old dead theorists as undergrad
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XII - More favorite profs and teaching styles: Frandy; Penn; McMahon; and, Irwin
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XIII - A few more favorite profs and teaching styles: Haney; Rosen; Harding; and, Newman
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XIV - Some more favorite profs and teaching styles: Berger; Koz; Klug; and, Searls
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XV - A few more memorable profs and teaching styles: Cantrell; Stokes; and, Hansard-Weiner
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - College Student Part XVI - One last tip of the hat to an influential professor, and a thoughtful instructor: Coates and Roseberry
Twenty-ninth Job of Bob - Colege Student Part XV - Bought and kept every college text book
Thirtieth Job of Bob - College Newspaper Part I - Write for a stipend; fish frys rule the news
Thirtieth Job of Bob - College Newspaper Part II - Generational semiotics: "Didos" (shenanigans) verses "Dildos" (well...you should know what it is)
Thirty-first Job of Bob - Paid college note taker
Thirty-second Job of Bob - College library assistant
Thirty-third Job of Bob - Home Health Aid Part I - Make a Decision or others will
Thirty-third Job of Bob - Home Health Aid Part II - "Where's God?"
Thirty-third Job of Bob - Home Health Aid Part III - Whoosh
Thirty-fourth Job of Bob - YMCA Grant Writer Internship
Thirty-fifth Job of Bob - Older college students' assistant - What the hell is "Adult Resouces"?
Thirty-sixth Job of Bob - Grocery store worker - five interviews to cut fuck'n lettuce
Thirty-seventh Job of Bob - Private ambulance service 175
Thirty-eighth Job of Bob - Disabled college students' assistant; van driver
Thirty-ninth Job of Bob - Newspaper circulation worker - Youngest worker by 20 years at 50 years old!
Fortieth Job of Bob - Paper Boy semiweekly publication - at least I can still walk at 50
Forty-first Job of Bob - Parcel/package loading plant worker - I'm 50, next oldest worker...19 years old
Forty-second Job of Bob - In-country cultural writer: Laos, Viet Nam Part I - Finally landed in Saigon
Forty-second Job of Bob - In-country cultural writer: Laos, Viet Nam Part II - "Where's Cambodia?" "You're in Campuchia, you stupid men!"
Forty-second Job of Bob - In-country cultural writer: Laos, Viet Nam Part III - Chicken and contraband bus across Laos
Forty-second Job of Bob - In-country cultural writer: Laos, Viet Nam Part IV - Hanoi, "Many tricks" in 'Nam, "And don't say, 'Nam!"
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part I - life-changing project
Forty - third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part VIII - One rubber-stamp date away from Third World prison
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part II - Oneway street into Kurdish machine guns - taxi dude ...., "Idiot"
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part III - Never shot at once, but still bleeding to death in Iraq
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part IV - Asleep in Munich
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part V - Shoot out with the Kurds
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part VI - Lost in Mosul looking for the temple of Lalish
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-country war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part VII - "Syria good, Syria very good!"
Forty-fourth Job of Bob - Daily paper contract delivery - paper boy with a car - frozen to death
Forty-fifth Job of Bob - Newspaper mail roomworker - right out of the movies
Forty-sixth Job of Bob - Animal shelter volunteer; you can't save them all...or can you?
Forty-seventh Job of Bob - Newspaper truck driver
Forty-third Job of Bob - In-county war-culture writer: Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey Part VIII - The editor said, "Gosh, it sure was fun to follow you in a war zone" - Fun! Wha'd'fuck?
A run for County Board - "The people" decided otherwise
Forty-eighth Job of Bob - Community Radio Station - News copy writer
Forty-ninth Job of Bob - Presentions; Iraq experience - "Please sir, don't use the word Mafia at a dead animals' club"
Fiftieth Job of Bob - Foreign language newspaper expeditor Part I - What the fuck is an expeditor? 200
Fiftieth Job of Bob - Foreign language newspaper expeditor Part II - Most of these fuckers would get you killed in a war zone; if we were in 'Nam we'd all be dead
Fiftieth Job of Bob - Foreign language newspaper expeditor Part III - Ensconced in the "new norm" work culture of part-time, no-benefits, no-merit, no-future-of-retirement, languishing-'til-you-die, going-to-work-sick jobs
Fifty-first Job of Bob - Cultural blogger (the final employment indignity) - Fish-frys/taverns/war-casualties/jobs/fate/strip-clubs/church-dinners
Nowadays - Bob just tells people, "...I fuck'n write books."
Click on the Daily Dadio Blog "Jobs of Bob" Category to read the ongoing "out-of-order" gaggle of vignettes about Bob's many, and often quirky blue-collar jobs over the last 40 years.
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