Perpetual Ruminations

Saturday

It's a little after eleven and I have to head out for work a little after noon, so not much time. There never is on the weekends I work. It's not an overly long shift, but it seems to use up the entire day. I work from one to nine-thirty, eight and a half hours on Saturday and from two until eight-thirty on Sunday, every other week. Weekdays, my shift is from five until nine-thirty in the winter and to ten-thirty in the summer. That is why the weekends I work is so difficult, I have to be at work all afternoon, instead of just evenings.

It also is a mess because Rhonda, my wife, also works on weekends. I work every other, she works every one. For now, anyway, but that will end soon and is another story. So, every other weekend, we try and get moving quick and head out for work. Me around one or two, her around two or three, or maybe four or five, or anywhere in between. It is rarely ever close to mine, so she usually has to wait an hour or more. Some times it's enough to justify her driving back home, and then going in later in the afternoon.

After work, I get done and wait for her, at least in the winter. I get done an hour or two before her, usually two. They just cannot seem to get the hours to match, and it seems like they purposely try and make them conflict. Sure, we could each drive individually to work, and save the wait, but we only have one vehicle right now. Besides, we work right next to each other. I work as a guard to the lumber yard right behind the retail store she works at.

Anyway, today is one of those days we both work. I was up just a few minutes after eight this morning, put the dogs out and then Rhonda got up and we had coffee and talked a bit, our normal morning routine. Next I check email and do a few things online, then we do our Bible study and now I am in here and she is getting us our lunch and preparing items for work. Next, we drive twenty-five miles to work, I start right away, she has two hours to kill before she starts. Tonight, I will be done about nine-thirty and wait around till after eleven for her to get done. We will get home around midnight and then try and relax a little before going to bed and doing it all over again.

Tomorrow, I will have to be back by two, but since I won't be home till midnight, I will not be up very early. I will have about the same amount of time as today, then rush off to work again. Now, if I could drive straight home after I get done with work, I would be home just a little after ten. I could be in bed and sleeping by midnight, easy and up by seven or eight, no problem. Instead, I will get home about midnight, let the dogs out, find something light to eat while we watch a spot of TV, then try and get to bed by one or two, usually two.

It also means I do not get enough sleep on the weekends, so then when Monday comes, which I will have off, I sleep in and try and catch up on some rest. I then am not tired and cannot go to bed until late again, and the cycle is set; up late in the morning, stay up late at night. It is totally unproductive for me, and beyond my control to correct. It has been a constant battle all winter, trying to get hours to match, to get days off together (we should get every other Monday and Tuesday off together), and to stay rested and healthy. Instead, we get a day off together here and there, but nothing we can plan anything for, we are always waiting on each other (no choice with schedules), and stressed instead of rested.

It is destroying our motivation to eat right, to exercise, to do anything. It did last summer, it did all winter, and it will continue as long as we are in this situation. We figure we are wasting at least ten, usually more, hours a week. Not only are these hours spent waiting, but how many hours are wasted because we know we will not have time to finish, so we don't start? Everything keeps getting put off till there is more time, but it just never comes.

We decided that it is time to change this, to take control back as best we can. If the money was good, it would justify the hassle, and with more money, we could get ahead a little and even buy or repair a second vehicle to save on the time, even some gas. But the money is not good. My job pays pretty well, but her's does not. She is only making about fifty cents more than when she started a few years ago, she has not been promoted or given positions she has applied for, and she has seen her hours cut more and more. She was told that if she does not give them all of her time, available to work when ever they want, come in if needed on days off, fill in if others want off, and devote her entire life to the company, she will not be considered for advancement and have reduced hours.

She did that, has been there, and did that. But, she also desires to have a life outside of work, one where she can plan days off, go and do things and not have to work till midnight one night, then turn around and be back by five in the morning. She understands that she has a life here and another there, but they need to be separate, each having it's own place. They do not reason this. They reason, you can have your own life, but if we need you, put it on hold till later. For what, no benefits, no insurance, and low pay. There is not even an prestige that comes with the job, she's a cashier at Target.

The biggest advantage of working there is ten percent off purchases for her and I, but only if we use cash or a Target card. We tried to work with them, we talked and set up workable times for our schedules, and in the end they either say no, or cut her hours to punish her for trying to make things work. Seriously, they cut her hours if she tries to change her hours of availability. So, we leave them and what do they do, change them anyway.

She was threatened that if she did not stay and work till ten and eleven as needed, they would put her hours under twenty a week. She left them as they stood so they would not cut her shorter than she already was. They cut them anyway, even though she complied with their request. There just is no reason for it; it's as if they just want to make her miserable enough to quit.

In fact, we have come to this conclusion, they want her to not be happy, to not have a schedule that works, and to not get any promotions or higher pay. Why? They hire a lot of young people out of and in, school. They work a season, maybe a year or two, then graduate and move on. They never have to promote them to a position that pays much with time, since they do not stick around long.

But, employees like Rhonda are available to work full time, year in and year out. If they get promoted, it will cost Target more money. If they don't, they still have to dish out the meager fifteen cents a year raise they get, and over a few years, it's beginning to cost them more than they want to pay out. So, the solution, make them suffer and miserable so they will get negative to the job. Then, they will either quit and look for other work or they will be in a position that Target can terminate them for being late, missing work, or just poor work performance.

Two more weeks and counting, then no more of it. Hopefully she finds a better position, better pay, and better hours, but that is yet to come.

I'm off from work, sitting in the van on wifi and waiting. I have been done with work for just over an hour, and still have another half hour or more to wait.

I had a busy day, but it slowed down this evening. I seen a certain guard had to have a day off again. It's getting to be every schedule, yet she complains she is not getting more hours. She did not put in for the day off this time, that is a plus, since it is just next week. Besides, she already put in for it a week ago and was denied. This time, she arranged for another guard to cover for her. That's fine, at least it isn't messing up my plans or screwing up the schedule. Even so, it's almost comical how she wants more hours, complains that she is getting cut hours, and then takes time off.

What does she expect? I mean, if your scheduled for twenty hours, take a day off and give up five of them, how can you complain if you're short five hours on your next check. The same applies to the schedule, too. I give her so many hours, but if she wants one of those days off, I am not going to give her someone else's hours so that she can have the day off and still not lose any hours. But, that seems what she expects.

Other than busy and bull, the day was pretty good. It was nicer out today, not windy until tonight, and then not bad. It's still a pain to have to wait like this, but only two more Saturdays to go. I may not even have to work next Saturday, but if I do, it's a short day of double coverage. Then one more Saturday like today, then Rhonda will be done with the messed up schedules at Target. Another month or there about and I will be changing shifts and not working many weekends at all.

So, things are looking up in that department. Now if I could just get the company to place advertisement for help. Soon I hope.