Dashing for dollars

After a couple weeks wait, I was accepted as a driver for Door Dash which is a service to deliver food from multiple restaurants. From what I could tell, the pay per delivery is solely determined by the total expected distance a driver is expected to drive to make the delivery plus additional dollars for busier times. Customers are also allowed through their ordering app to tip drivers as well. The money made is decent but not great.

My only issue is that due to their map/setup, I can't start working for them until I drive a couple miles from either my work or home even though I was assigned an order from the parking lot at where I live.

Over the past weekend (Thu-Sun) I had 23 calls:

8: For a fast food franchise
5: For an American based restaurant
2: For a Mexican based restaurant
2: For an European based restaurant
3: For a far Eastern based restaurant
1: For an Asian fusion restaurant
1: Did not get to me due to a bad signal and was reassigned to a different driver
1: For a McDonald's location that was permanently closed and the order was cancelled.

Been to the same Wing Stop and same Red Robin twice and two different Taco Bell and two different Portillo's locations.

Of the 21 I delivered, 11 were from places that I would not consider eating

12 were to a house
4 to an apartment including one to the 4th floor where I had to take the stairs to deliver to two guys who were playing a game on their tv
4 to someone working at a retail business
1 to a commercial business

One of the businesses was my pharmacist a half mile from where I live and another was a block from my house where I almost fell while carrying a large chocolate malt with my bag. I also delivered two high end Italian dinners at 10 PM and the man who answered the door was wearing boxers and covered in sweat.

I am mostly surprised by the amount of people who use this service instead of going themselves or making their own food. Granted last weekend was rainy so that could be a factor as well.

I have also realized that one of the best things about this is that while delivering, I am not alone in an apartment.

"mad"man vs "Mc"Beast

Over last weekend, Paul McBeth played what many called the "greatest round ever played" at a tournament in Milford, Michigan. I played two rounds in an event on Sunday and decided to compare.

Note: the pics in the chart are the ones on the PDGA website player page.

Yes, I know that the last comparison is the one that should matter most.

Things never change

From my day:

Miles driven to get to cousin's house having to pick up two people: 70

Time taken to get there: 2 1/2 hours.

Extra time driven since a rogue priest decided today is the day to block a major Chicago expressway I only take a handful of days in a year: 45 minutes.

Times I said "not plausible" to a person or display either in the same car or within 15 feet of a nun: 4

Cousins there: 8

People who touched me from behind on purpose: 3

Sandwiches eaten: 3

Deserts eaten: 2

Time sitting in my large lawn chair set up facing downhill so I can get up without being laughed at: 45 minutes

Questions asked about me or my daughter about anything over the last 2 years: 0

Questions asked about something I used to do before: 1

Questions asked about the same person whose constant inquiries prompted me to get drunk at a company outing last December: 0

Questions to my sister's family about sports that I heard: 5

Time someone else used my lawn chair after I got up to pee causing me to eat standing up and be alone and miserable: 3 hours

I have to admit that this situation put me out of my comfort zone and I had zero idea how to properly react so I just brooded until I had to let those know why I was no longer sitting with them as I asked for it back while leaving.

The waterdrop way of driving

A few years ago, I discovered that in large cities roads generally go into or out of a central point. I imagine the city being a pond and a drip in the central point. When going either with or against the wave, you are fine but crossing them is not.

My aunt lives on the north side of Chicago near the lakefront while many cousins on my mom's side of the family live in the far south suburbs and my sister and I reside just west of O'Hare Airport. Those who live south think it is easy for us to get her compared to what they would have to do.

If you imagine a drop of water at State and Madison (0 N/S & E/W), I have to cross the waves to get there while those who live where a party is being held on Saturday don't.

Though the ride is 18 miles shorter, it is only 11 minutes shorter and far more aggravating due to multiple stop lights and traffic.

I have to pick up my mom anyway on Saturday as well so it makes sense for me to go and the drive to 159th and Cicero will need to be a different route as well since a south side priest is planning on blocking the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-94) on Saturday.