A Minor Perk

So I've bragged plenty about the fabulous changes in my life in the last few months. I mean, I have a job that's just ... not very job-like. I live in my own little part of paradise. The food's great.

 

But there are the little perks, too. The things that may have occurred to me before I signed on but weren't necessarily part of the decision itself -- things like health insurance and nearby trails and weather that I happen to love even when it's totally screwing with me.

 

Enter ... this thing.

 

This pedometer is a bonus unto itself, as I get straight-up cash from my health insurance company just by wearing it. But what is far more intriguing to me has been what it has revealed.

Prior to this, my jobs have required a lot of desk time. Not surprising; engineers use computers. Computers require desks. That's pretty much just the way it goes, unless you've got a laptop in the back of a pickup somewhere (I'm talking to you, inspector-types and geologists.) The rest of us have to be very, very careful about our break-room-snack intake as we're just not going to burn anything off.

Here, however, it seems I cover about five miles on foot on an average workday. No extra effort required. It's kind of intense.

And a fabulous perk. I'm just glad I decided to buy a couple good pairs of shoes ... Hopefully they last through the summer.