Need yard help this week

[EmmyJane]

Anyone out there in WSBland want to earn some money this week (has to be Mon-Wed of this week)? I got a nasty case of carpal tunnel and can’t garden, and I want to clean up the yard before my dad comes on Thursday morn. I’m thinking 3-4 hours of work, $15/hour, can be done Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday night after 6, all at one time, or an hour each night.

Just need weeding, moving a little dirt, and spreading some bark. Please email hcrea at gonzaga dot edu.

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[EmmyJane]

Found someone! Thanks.

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[EmmyJane]

A big huge THANK YOU to the two fabulous West Seattle ladies that have helped me these last couple days. I don’t want to speak for them, but if anyone needs help in their yard, I would definitely recommend them if they’re up for more punishment!

Another thanks to Hammerhead for working to help me also.

I love this community and I’m so thankful we have the blog to connect us all together.

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[rockergirl]

Emmyjane how I can get ahold of them. Need some yard help too!

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[EmmyJane]

Rockergirl- I emailed them to post their info if they want to do more work!

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[HelperMonkey]

hey rockergirl, I was one of the yardwork helper monkeys. you can reach me at hlprmonkey at gmail dot com. :)

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[HelperMonkey]

and thanks for the rec, EmmyJane! Enjoyed working for you!

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[connabear]

rockergirl, I was the other yardwork helper. If you have anything I am available whenever. You can email me at lyonsamantha@gmail.com

Thanks:)

Sam

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[Diana]

A warning to all here. If you put yourself out to hire you need a business license. Connabear and HelperMonkey do you have one? EmmyJane, are you supporting the underground economy? I await your reply.

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[JoB]

little old lady looking for sweet neighborhood kids to help her with yardwork.. will bake brownies and ????

please email me at joanne@brayden.org

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[EmmyJane]

*Sigh*

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[hammerhead]

not necessarily if it is under a certain money amount. 16 years old that mow lawns don’t get business licenses. a great thing happened to help some one in need. I am happy to have been able to help. Plus in this economy and there are people who are willing to do the “dirty” work why not.

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[JoB]

Diana.

now.. just what is it you have against the underground economy that you would frighten kids who want to do yard work with city hall?

the underground economy has always been part of our culture. every time you pass along the zucchini that overproduced in your yard and get back the tomatoes that overproduced in the neighbor’s yard.. you participate in the underground economy.

Did you never get yard work or babysitting jobs or pet walking or car washing or house painting or…. jobs when you were a kid?

Traditionally, the process of neighbor kids helping out to earn spending money has taught them money management, created a work ethic and passed skills down to generation after generation… not to mention the mentoring that naturally occurs as you pass along those skills.

I will admit that there was time when the kid you hired was known to you from infancy.. but our mobile culture has made that less likely. Kids who need work and those who have work to be done are more likely to find each other via websites or posters these days.

Hiring neighborhood kids is an excellent way to build community.. i wish more people did.

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[Carson]

Diana,

I fully support the undergound economy. I put myself out to hire all the time and I hire the same.

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[Diana]

JoB, EmmyJane was touting the efforts of “two fabulous West Seattle ladies” one of whom has put herself out for hire. This is different than neighborhood kids looking for work. I agree with all of your comments but I think from the postings the scenario here is different.

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[kellym]

emmy jane….sighing with you…really if i’d had the time this week i’d have signed up for your ‘job’. i love the underground economy, better than the above ground these days…

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[JoB]

Diana..

i contacted one of the ladies mentioned..

i suspect she wouldn’t want to be called a kid.. but from my perspective.. she qualifies… not just because i am quickly bumping up against ancient.. but because she is a student.

since moving here i have “hired” students who were trying to earn their contribution to a charitable program… and would do so again in a heartbeat if they weren’t fully scheduled until they leave…

i have “hired” friends and friends of friends and their kids for extra muscle… every time i moved or remodeled or put in a garden or… .

Unfortunately the resources I have used in the past are at least 3 hours travel time from here.. either by car or plane.

i would love to cultivate a new group of younger people to help me. My ambition is large and my strength limited but my increasing physical isolation limits contacts.

I don’t think you have any idea how many of us sit in our homes and wish our bodies could do what they used to.. or that we had someone we could call for a helping hand now and then … without concern for our safety… and without paying the added cost of a business service.

The thing is that there are some of us for whom the underground economy works very well. It’s generally cheaper.. and those who are paid cash generally work harder and take direction better because they are dependent upon your satisfaction for their pay… and it is easier to schedule last minute…

We won’t be expensing them to lower our tax burden … so paperwork isn’t so important to us.

The relationships we form with the people who spend time in our homes is what matters most… knowing who will show up and that we can count on the quality of their work and that we enjoy having them around is far more important.

My parents were practicing this form of living off the grid long before i was born.. and their parents before them. Many a child has financed an education and many a parent paid the cost of the expenses that exceeded their wages utilizing the underground economy.

and before you go there… I know and understand the ramifications for both the poor and our society of employing people who may or may not comply with licensing laws and/or taxes… I also know the risk i take when i employ someone who is unlicensed…

but i also know that most who choose the underground economy do so out of economic necessity… either because they can’t find a job that fits around the time constraints of school or starting a new business or because they can’t find a job at all or because the job they can find doesn’t support them.

i trust that every person i hire understands their own obligations under the law as they pertain to licensing and taxation… and have made the best choices for their own personal circumstances.

My guess is that anyone making enough cash money to meet their basic needs is soon going to find themselves with more work than they can handle and will soon find a need for the protection as well as the complications of business licensing.

in the meantime.. i am still working on setting up my own little list of resources and would appreciate emails from those who are able to work intermittently at a wide range of tasks.

the kids i hired who were working towards their charitable contributions laughed when i told them i was renting their bodies.. but we sure got a lot done in a short time.

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[JoB]

Emmy Jane

thanks for posting this topic..

thanks to you i now have possibilities.

i love possibilities.

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[EmmyJane]

Thanks Jo. Yeah, the possibilities really saved my booty. :-)

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