For the past three days, I had searched the job boards for new opportunities. Freshly unemployed, money and financial security started to permeate my thinking. He contacted me through a task app, where people hire people to help them with tasks and chores, and hired me for my first job.
My client messaged me from New York, en route to Miami; he would be on the ground in five hours. He wanted me to leave now and wait in line for him at a pop-up store. The store opened in a couple of days so the line shouldn’t be that long. He sounded stressed and I didn’t want to disappoint. I packed up my laptop and exited the coffee shop.
Pulling into the prominent Design District, I saw a line that spanned the boulevard. The tents and folding chairs foreshadowed the events that would ultimately unfold in the next forty hours. I made my way to the back of the line and tried to unpack the situation. The pop-up store announced their Design District opening only hours before. Whilst in the queue, I also learned that merchandise from other openings had been reselling for exorbitant rates on the secondary market. With a bit of patience and luck, I could make some decent money. I scrambled to contact friends and family and within thirty minutes I had secured five thousand dollars. When my client finally arrived, we waited together to enter the store.
Hour after hour passed but the line didn’t move. The store would open in two days and we were left to wait in the hot July sun. With the risk of heat stroke, the district distributed large umbrellas to protect its patrons from the blistering conditions. Finally, after about thirty-five hours, the line began to move. The mob went through a series of security checkpoints before finally being admitted into the store. Once inside, we were limited in the number of items we could purchase. I used my budget and made a nice profit from the resale.
My introduction to the gig economy reaffirmed that I didn’t need to worry about how I would make a living. I proved to myself that day that I could size an opportunity, take action, and remain resilient in an uncomfortable situation. I was going to be alright.
Author Xavier C.Posted on November 14, 2018 November 14, 2018 Categories reselling, waitingTags reselling, waitingLeave a comment on The Flip by Keisha H.	
Author Xavier C.Posted on September 10, 2018 November 15, 2018 Categories movingTags movingLeave a comment on Let Me Do It!	
James waited for me in the parking lot as I was pulling in. Today proved to be another hot day in the Sunshine State. At 12:30, we started the move to the new apartment. James and Melanie had upgraded their lives from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom.
I walked in the apartment and the boxes were packed and ready to go. We made a plan to first move the boxes and then the furniture. Melanie supervised our activity from the couch. Once we moved the couch from the first apartment to the second, Melanie and her puppy followed.
An hour into the move, our shirts were drenched and dehydration started to set in; we took a break. I drank my cold bottled water and poured the remainder on the back of my neck. Rested and re-hydrated, we picked up where we left off.
A dolly helps save time and energy. They come in different formats but the premise is the same: a base with wheels to stack boxes or move heavy items. A dolly allows for greater efficiency by decreasing the number of trips. For example, a dolly will allow you to move 4 boxes, at once, instead of picking up and transporting 1 box at a time.
James and I moved the last of the fragile items. We reached his budgeted time so our business was concluded. At the end of 3 hours, the heavy and fragile items were moved to the new apartment. After a quick lunch break, James would complete the move, by himself. I gave James a warm smile and wished him good luck, maybe in more ways than one.
Author Xavier C.Posted on July 20, 2018 Categories movingTags movingLeave a comment on Two Guys and a Dolly	
The intoxicating smell, or maybe just toxic, hit me as soon as I closed my car door. I packed the 26 burgers and 18 orders of fries into the trunk of my sedan. I started the GPS and the delivery distance was, luckily, only 5 miles away.
With the windows down and vents set to pull in air from the outside, I made my way to the drop off location. The fresh air and cool wind in my hair turned into the stagnate, chemical-laced cloud that hangs over burger joints across the nation. With 1-mile to go, I gagged and responded by setting the fans to the maximum level.
As I waited in the client’s lobby, every passerby stopped and took a double take at the bags from the burger joint. First, they were hit with the trademark smell and next they saw the iconic packaging. Their eyes widened, mouths salivated and they were reminded that it was lunch time. These folks just had no idea.
Author Xavier C.Posted on July 2, 2018 July 2, 2018 Categories delivery, driving, foodTags delivery, driving, foodLeave a comment on Burger Guy	
Thursday evening came around and I headed to my assembly job. 6 months into this gig gave me the knowledge and confidence to handle any type of task thrown at me. Rex had contacted me from out of state to assemble his girlfriend’s bed.
When I arrived at the scene, I organized my work space. I cleared the area to allow enough room for me to work. I unpacked the boxes and stacked like pieces together to help visualize the final product. Like the many times before, I picked up the instructions and got to work. 40 minutes into the job, I made a critical error causing me to strip a screw. Unable to correct the mistake, I had to explain to the client that I needed to come back tomorrow.
Disappointed, embarrassed, and a little panicked, I called the handiest person I knew, my dad. He suggested I research the problem on YouTube. Once home, I jumped on the computer and started my search to ‘remove a stripped hex bolt.’ The videos were plenty and I found a solution that just might work. Relieved, I shut my laptop and headed to bed.
The next morning, I re-watched the video and noted the parts that I would need from the hardware store. With my new knowledge and accompanying tools and parts, I headed back to the client.
I returned to my workspace with the half-assembled bed and various parts and pieces scattered across the room. My client slept on the couch the previous night; she was counting on me to make this work. I pulled out my hammer and, newly purchased, torx bit steel socket. Using some force, I lodged the torx bit into the stripped screw and then carefully extracted it using my drill. The screw slowly made its way out; the procedure was a success. I replaced the damaged screw with a new one and completed the job within an hour. This job humbled me and served as a reminder that I still had plenty to learn.
Author Xavier C.Posted on June 25, 2018 Categories furniture assembly, handymanTags furniture assembly, handyman, high-rise apartmentLeave a comment on Routine Assembly