She Works Hard for the Money

Do you remember that song Donna Summer used to sing, "She Works Hard for the Money?" I kept thinking of that song all day today as I put in my eight hours at work. This job is incredibly tedious for me. I can tolerate six-hour shifts but the eight-hour ones just kill me! So boring and relentless just ringing customer's purchases up - that is all I do. Stand in place and ring up items, remove sensor tags, take money and count change or return credit card receipts. There are only small moments of respite where I can talk a moment or two with another cashier. By the end of eight hours I am about ready to explode form boredom, the repetition and monotony. To top it off both the management and customers sometimes treat the employees as beneath them.

I will be so ready to get out there this fall to pursue a "real job" in my field. I am worried about handling even this minimal job plus get my house ready for the closing and move on August 25th. Next week I am scheduled for 40 hours (five eight hour days - I am going to die!). I think I may have to ask for a week off. I still have to clean out/clear out the garage and get rid of all the excess in my home.

They say moving is one of the most stressful situations a person can go through. Let's make that 10 times worse when you're doing it on your own as a widowed, working Mom!!!

Today when I got to work at noon I found out that they had changed the schedule without informing me. So instead of working noon til 8:30, they had me down for 2 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. They wanted me to leave the store and come back an hour later but that seemed pretty silly to me plus a waste of gas. I stood my ground (since it was their error) and said I wanted to work my original hours and that is what I did. At this point I actually don't care how much longer I work - if they fire me I wouldn't really mind. There is so much on my plate to worry about, figure out and handle it might even be a blessing to not have to work right now.

I truly can only do so much on my own - no one is rallying to lend a hand or even minimal emotional support. Everything that will need to be accomplished will have to get done by me. Like I referenced at the beginning of this post, "She Works Hard for the Money," but now I'll change it to "I Work Hard for the Money!"

Today I am grateful:

1. For the crescent moon I saw in the evening sky as I drove home from work.
2. For the billowing blue clouds and dark blue sky I could see from the store's big front windows as I worked today.
3. For the continued cooler weather - this summer has been blessedly less hot than others in the recent past.
4. That the boys had a good baseball season - they did well and so did their team - it was very enjoyable.
5. That despite all the hardship surrounding our life the boys have continued to have a good summer with friends, going to the city, Great America and having soccer and volleyball camps in addition to the baseball.