You know, it’s a funny thing that a few short months ago, I loved my new job every bit as much as I now despise it. Finding a replacement is complicated by the holidays of course, so I’m screwed on several levels. In my old job, as I grew to hate it more and more each day, I could call in sick or take vacation days just to get away. Not so with this job — there IS no sick or vacation time to be taken. Our schedules are different every week — this week, I had Friday off, but I tried to get Tuesday off too by saying I had “appointments” that I couldn’t move. Well, what they did was move my “off” day to Tuesday instead of Friday so I wouldn’t lose any extra time. Swell.
In a way, it’s a good thing. It keeps me angry so I won’t puss out about getting another job. It’s also teaching me a certain amount of sticktoitiveness that’s been missing in my life. I don’t get away that easy I guess.
Also interesting how this place deals with holidays. My boss gave me a $10 gift certificate to the coffee shop across the street in a card that said “Thank you for all you do.” Uh, yeah. But according to your assistant manager, I don’t do shit, so… no wonder I’m so confused. The assistant manager (who hates me) gave me a card with a scratch-off lotto ticket inside. I never get these things, so I’m not sure, but I may have won a dollar. Hooray? The third manager gave me a card stamped with his name and the standard “Merry Christmas” sentiment. And the headquarters managers? They gave us all each a $3 box of Russell Stovers. No big Christmas bonus then, I assume? Haha! Our store decided to have a noontime Christmas “Party” that I had to work through — but of course the managers enjoyed it and so did all the folks who work in the back. Again, I suspect that this is how MOST place handle Christmas Parties when the working folks are just minimum-wage schleps. Still, I thought it was kinda rude, and since I was in a pissy mood anyway, I decided to hold off on my break until mid-afternoon so I could enjoy the leftover party foods once everyone had cleared out.
It was one helluva long shift too — six hours when I normally do four or five. You wouldn’t think that’s much, but since I was busting my tail to run a million racks of new clothes onto the sales floor, I was in constant motion. I decided to put a sticker on my uniform for each rack that I completed — I had about 20 stickers congested on my uniform by the end of the day. It was a good thing too because the manager saw me, asked what they were, and when I told her she smiled, clapped and gave me a hug. Baffled, I said, “I do this work every day, I just never wore it on my chest before.” She thought it was a clever thing — I was just happy that I wasn’t in trouble.
By mid-day, my feet were killing me! I was hobbling for the last couple of hours, and when I got out at 5, I still had to RUN toward the bus stop only to discover I j-u-u-u-st missed the damned thing! DAMMIT! So I had to book it over to the next bus stop that catches the bus on the way back. I walked, then waited, fifteen minutes in the cold rain muttering to myself about how much life sucks when I saw the bus coming. I stood up right under the bus sign and waved my hand with my silver bus pass (it’s supposed to reflect the headlights so they can see me better at night) and do you know, that motherfucker drove right past me? Honest to God, it was like I wasn’t even there. I was swearing up a storm like a character on “Deadwood”. I pulled out my phone and called the bus depot (yes, I have their number on speed dial — there was no way I was walking home) and told them what happened — they actually made him turn around and come back for me. How do you like that? Finally some justice.
The bus driver (who was a sub) swears he didn’t see me. All he said was that neither he nor anyone else on the bus saw me out there jumping around and waving my reflective bus pass. I think the guy was talking to one of the passengers and wasn’t paying attention (I’ve seen that happen before). At any rate, he said he thought he heard someone yelling after he drove past… haha… I just told him “no problem now” and thanked him for coming back for me — after all, everyone’s allowed a mistake or two. He made it right in the end. No sense chewing the guy out. After all, he’s just as sub — and why spread the misery I go through every fucking day around, just because I’m having a shit day?
I got home and was soaked to the skin and shivering like mad. I couldn’t get warm. I had a little leftover General Tso’s Chicken, took my meds, and crashed under my heating blanket (my one early Christmas present that I gave myself — best thing ever!). I woke up shortly thereafter roasting. Jeez, I can’t get it right.
The JesusFreak that I’m doing the illustration for also finally got back to me this evening with changes. Changes that are NOT going to get done tonight — yet she wants everything so she can finish her book and mail it out to her kids in time for Christmas. Uh,… what? Yeah. But whatever. I’ll finish her changes tomorrow sometime after work (providing I don’t experience a repeat of today’s idiocy), then she can do whatever she wants with them. I’ve stopped caring about everything.
I just want Christmas to NOT suck. I want to have a lovely day, warm and safe, with no phone calls from bill collectors or any other people whom I owe money to. Just a nice low-stress day please. That’s all I want for Christmas.
Well, that, a car, and a BIG pile of money! LOL!
Probably will get the former and not the latter, but oh well.
