The Staircase

It was a Sisyphean task. Tom's only job was to clean the staircase leading down the side of the building. Never mind that he lived in Seattle. Or that they were located directly across from the Rodeo and Cattle Auction. Never mind that he never managed to reach one end of the 17-step flight of stairs before someone muddied them up again by walking past.

Never mind all that.

What really bothered Tom was that not once in his 30 years of employment had he ever been named Employee of the Month. It was enough to make a man give up.

Putting Her PhD To Work

Megan loved when someone asked about her job, especially a man.

"I perform all the routine maintenance on board the Alanwich Industry spacecrafts. I ensure the safety and reliability of every major and minor system, including propulsion, navigation, life support, and gravitation. I check hull integrity before every flight. I monitor the amount of deterioration on both external and internal components and replace any that have worn down. I wash the windows and surveillance cameras to maintain maximum visibility.

"I even keep the toilets clean, if you can believe that."

"So basically you're a janitor."

"You mean a space janitor."