Side Hustle Observations

I'm home now from an 11 day dog/house sitting gig. I enjoyed my little side hustle job but was definitely ready to come home to my own dogs. Some observations I made about myself while there were ....

 

I eat terrible when no one is watching.

It sort of feels like a vacation when I house sit. This is bad thinking on my part. If I am going to make this a side hustle for real, I need to give this a lot of thought and plan what I'll need to take with me to eat well. A bag of chips and buttermilk, not so much.

 

No matter my plans for reading, if there is a movie to watch it will trump time with a book.

I don't know. I don't think I need to beat myself up over watching movies. I don't do it very often so it felt like a huge treat to myself. Due to my lack of technology, I ended up watching a free movie channel that plays movie after movie with no choices. I watched movies that I would not have ordinarily picked from a line up. This, me thinks, was a good thing. I watched The Last Castle (starring Robert Redford), The Gambler (starring Mark Wahlberg),The Duchess (starring Kiera Knightley), and a couple others whose titles I forget already. I also watched Netflix on my phone and finished the latest seasons of House of Cards and Shameless. Glad to check those off my list.

 

I don't think I can ever live alone. I need people. But, I did enjoy watching whole movies without interaction or interruption from anyone. 

I did go out and meet a friend for dinner one evening but for the most part I crashed after work each day last week. We have had 4 winter storms in the last 14 days and it was stressful. Today, we are in the middle of our 5th winter storm, perhaps a record for February in eastern Washington. Weather can be isolating.

 

My gig included a home
sauna. It was heaven.

I had many ideas

I really like dog/house sitting for dog lovers. It is a service that is sorely needed and I am glad I am in a position to be able to do it. It isn't about the $$ because trust me, there are easier ways to make money but the reason I really love doing it is that it creates a different path for what seems like a rut in my life. My dogs hate going to the kennel and I know most people would much prefer to have a house sitter. I get to enjoy other people's dogs and it feels a bit like a vacation for me. While I was sitting alone, I was thinking that I would like to start a business (side hustle) that goes beyond dog sitting. I would like to be that girl that gets called to do things for other people that they either don't have time for or they just hate doing.  Little side jobs. Gigs that don't take more than 2 hours but pay enough to make it worth getting dressed for and driving across town. Let me be the girl that helps you sort and file those huge stacks of paper on your desk. Call me if you are expecting company this weekend and need someone to come do some topical dusting, change the sheets, do some grocery shopping, wash windows, whatever. It's not that I need the money. I really like helping others in ways that are to find help for. A personal assistant, that's what I envision. It would be word of mouth kind of thing.  Hey, I hired Susan to come straighten up my garage. It only took her 2 hours and didn't cost me an arm and a leg and now it's done! The dog sitting gig has been word of mouth and has really caught on. I have a job line up again for this coming weekend but it is only 2 nights. I'm glad it's a short one.

 

I have soup in the crock pot and I'm going to kick back the rest of today and just pet my dogs.

 

How about you ... if you could hire someone to do a job you hate doing, what would it be?  I can use your ideas!

 

(photos below are random from this week)

 

love, susan

 

 

This is Brady. He sat on my lap every day for 11 days. So
stinking sweet.

 

Jill and Jax. They were my bed buddies.

 

This was at the end of 11 days. We're getting another half foot today.

 


This is our granddaughter on her first official
paid photo shoot. It was for a bridal company.
Can you believe she is only 17? She is as sweet as
she is beautiful.

 


My roommates for 11 days.