Mr. T. and I are having a long engagement for one reason: more time to save. Unfortunately, that lengthens the time that

From census-taking to mystery shopping, I’ve had an assortment of odd jobs over the years and on the side. But I never thought of looking for the chance to become a human scarecrow or fish sampler until this book came across my desk. It’s appropriately titled Odd Jobs by Abigail Gehring, a woman who has tried a quarter of the 101 jobs listed in this book. Visit Gehring’s blog for more odd jobs.

I’ve only had five of the jobs she mentioned: Mystery shopper (ate at an assortment of long gone restaurants for free meals and meager pay), transcription (used to trade hand cramps for cash when I was a newbie at Minnesota Public Radio), fast food worker (not so odd for a teen), selling books (especially textbooks) and study participant (does being paid in Aveda products count?).

If you prefer a more visual journey through odd jobs, check out the books Odd Jobs: Portraits of Unusual Occupations and Odder Jobs by Nancy Rica Schiff.
The most Minnesotan of all odd jobs in my view? Taking two weeks of to work the Minnesota State Fair.

What’s the oddest job you’ve ever held or heard of?

I made it through at the airport with an expired passport, expired drivers license with yellow renewal sheet and work ID.

I went to a wedding in Lincoln, Nebraska, where I hung out with some college pals. My only friend who survived the dot-com business in California was there and he kept bringing out his laptop during any free time to do some work.

Then I logged on this morning to a release about a new study by CareerBuilder.com about vacation time. Turns out one in five wired workers have “e-leashes,” the tendency to bring their office home and their work on vacation.

14 percent said they’d feel guilty if they didn’t check in with work while out of town.

I must admit it’s a phenomenon I can’t understand, although I do sometimes write about my travels for publication. So I guess it’s not that much different.

Do you work on vacation?

Matt, who makes maps for a living, sent me the link to TheyRule.net, a site that allows you to search for board directors and companies and play a game somewhat like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

At this point, They Rule is pretty outdated, last pumped with fresh data about who makes up corporate boards in 2004. And you have to take some time with it to really understand how it works.

But it still makes the interesting point that a small group of people are decision-makers for a lot of large companies, influencing the fate of thousands upon thousands of workers and shareholders.

Take a look at the map Matt made of some Minnesota companies and their board of directors.

Also, check out John Oslund and Patrick Kennedy’s latest Executive Compensation report to see just how much bacon Minnesota big wigs are bringing home.

After taking the lead on a project or working too many 10-hour days, ever wonder how much money you make compared to your fellow cubicle dwellers?
Unfortunately, I have no magic way for you to find out. You could always ask them, but that could be uncomfortable, although also satisfying! Finally the wondering can stop (and possibly the end to a civil relationship).

I have some tools for you.

For company big shots, read the proxy statement for a fun time. Search for the word “prequisites” and you’ll be in the neighborhood where juicy details about shocking and unjust executive perks abound.

Did you know it’s common for companies to cover financial planning fees for their executives?
Really, aren’t employees the ones in need of free advice?

The Securities and Exchange Commission has a web site named Edgar where proxy statements can be viewed. You can also find them at individual public company web sites.

If the co-worker you’re curious about happens to be a top employee at a non-profit, check out the Form 990. Guidestar is a gateway. Generally, government employee pay ranges are also public.

For those of you in the private sector wondering about the paycheck of the jerk who clips his fingernails at the cubicle across the way, the easiest way to get a general idea of how much others in your job category earn is with salary comparison web sites such as Payscale.com. You can also check out iSeek, a Minnesota-specific wealth of job descriptions and salary info. Then there’s the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but good luck making it through the agency’s web site.