Dusting off the blog... again.

Been ages since I've touched this blog. Too many times I've abandoned it. Maybe adopting some sort of app for my mobile devices would make it easier to post regular entries here.
Time has passed... what is it, over two years now? I've moved into a position at Staples, as a "Tech Sales Associate." This mainly involves assisting customers with their tech problems, and providing solutions. I initially took the job for the opportunity to work on computers and help people work with their own. Over time though, it became clear that the position is more "sales" than "tech;" while I would prefer to spend the day in my natural element, there's a corporate push to meet sales metrics, so I have to encourage customers to purchase items and the complementary protection plans. To be fair, the protection plans offered aren't all that bad; for an expensive device like an $800+ laptop, you'd definitely want a warranty on it. There are instances where the plans don't make sense; buying a ~$4 protection on an ~$8 item is kinda silly. I do try to push customers to invest in protection plans when it's in their best interest. It's a full money-back guarantee if something goes awry. I sometimes doubt the veracity of corporate-think when the language they use is "sales metrics" instead of "customer service."
Not much has changed at home; we're still living at a sub-$10K/year income. Last week I got lucky to have 40 hours of work, but most weeks only have me scheduled for 15-20 hours. Makes it a bit tough to pay bills for the bare necessities as the sole source of income for the household. For the past six months I've been looking for ancillary employment that would work in concert with Staples' arbitrary scheduling. Aside from a full-time offer from Kirk at The Wright PC (a computer repair shop just down the road), I haven't had much luck filling out the holes in my work schedule. Kirk already has all the help he currently needs around the shop, so unless an opening becomes available, there's no opportunity as of yet.
As for my free time, I've been dumping hours into Warframe, a "space ninja shooter-looter" that I've come back to after a long hiatus. I was an early adopter, and still have some of the exclusive loot from the early days. I've been soloing the game for a while, and am unsure about whether I should join up with a clan for social play. Aside from the benefits of the social ingame mechanics, it would be nice to have others to socialize with.
I've been helping out a Staples customer with their work on a business project on the side. While I do try to tell them I'll do it completely pro-bono, they keep insisting on paying me tips. Honestly, I'm happy to have a any little bit of side income to help pay bills, but accepting money for work I enjoy doing still feels weird. I've had customers often tell me that I shouldn't shy away for being paid for my time, and that it's just the way business works. Maybe I'm too mentally invested in the idea of economics as proposed in Star Trek. *shrug*