OK, I called out on Monday
...but tonight I'm working. The hard part is it so darn nice today and I really don't want to go to bed so I can get up around ten. Of course, the upside of this is that for years and years, on beautiful days like today, I was in an office wishing that I could be outside enjoying the day.

I see that the numbers of people without health insurance is up again. And people wonder why I do what I do.


- posted by Peter Roberts @ 4:35 PM 1 comments

 
Vacation is really over
I usually work two or three nights a week. That brings in some money and pays the health insurance. So I knew that I would be working tonight, Saturday, as that was posted on Wednesday. It's a union rule that they've only of late been following. But the rest of the work week is not posted until four in the afternoon on Friday. So this morning, before doing the laundry I went to the store to see what was up for the rest of the week.

I'll get a good check on September 1. I'm working tonight, Saturday for time and a half. I work Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night and Thursday night. That's 32 hour straight time and 8 of OT or 44 hours for pay this week.

Vacation is really over. It's around 4:30. We just rain in the rain, for the fun of it. The clothing is draped over the drying rake. Went to the Hamburg Fair before that. A good day all around.
The only mail we got was from the IRS. They are such nice people. It had to do with our 2002 taxes. We owe them money. Join the club.

Off to sleep soon.


- posted by Peter Roberts @ 4:32 PM 0 comments

 
Vacation news-53 and back down to a size 32
The third day of vacation. (remember that old song?)

We went boating again today, up the Thames River. We getting very good at putting the canoe on top of the pickup and securing it so it doesn't fall off on the middle of the road.

We got an early start today and left the boat on the truck overnight, hoping that it would not be liberated while we were sleeping. It was still there when the sun came up. The eary start was encouraged by the weather reports that strongly suggested rain and, God forbid, thunderstorms in the afternoon.

None occurred but we stayed close to home.
We put the boat in at launch on the Thames River, right under the Gorton Bridge. A strange experience. A few hundred yards in the air is I-95, both directions, and you have to think about someday, everything bites the dust someday, that it will fall. (it happened in Greenwich twenty years ago) When you're under the bridge you hear the truck brakes and the traffic, you work to put the boat in the water so you can get away from it all.

Which we did.

Went upriver past the Coast Guard Academy but stayed on the western side of the river away from the Sub Base. I may be a little paranoid, but in this day and age, I have visions of gunboats opening up on us should we get too close to the big boats.

We saw some people down at the dock. I used to think that people like them were out of a job or on vacation. Now I have to reconsider, since I am one. They might be working on third shift.

We did some walking downtown New London and had lunch. Went to the Thrift Store, run by the Church, up the street and they were having a sale on summer goods. Got a pair of shorts, LL Bean, for two buck. Size 32. Fit like a glove. Went running and did my workouts this morning, before boating. A good day for an old chap of 53.

I go back to work Saturday at midnight. They call it Sunday, which it is but I'm still in the daytime mode of time thinking.

I'll be adjusting my sleep mode over the next few day.

Doing art museums tomorrow.


- posted by Peter Roberts @ 3:30 PM 0 comments

 
Rain
As would be expected, on our first weekday of vacation, it rained. Of course we could be in Florida where it looked like it didn't rain today but I'd rather be up here in New London dealing with just one wet day and no 170 mile an hour wind.

Thanks N. for the comments. She reminded me a blonde I used to know, long ago and far away.
And such a sweet smile.
Boating tomorrow. Forecast is good.
Power Up

- posted by Peter Roberts @ 3:35 PM 0 comments

 
Worked last night but am to start vacation
I should explain some things about my working on third shift.

It was never my goal in lift to do this for a living but things just worked out that way. I started when I was around 49, I'm 53 now, and I signed up for it at Stop and Shop for two reasons. Money and health insurance. The company is a closed shop and that means that everyone who works there, aside from management, must join the union. With the weekly dues, which are taken out of everyone's check, comes things like good pay, (I get over a eleven bucks an hour and more on weekends), health insurance, visitation's, personal and sick days with pay. And that is just for part timers, like myself. I work two, three or four nights a weeks and every Wednesday the money is put in the bank.

NOTE: It is 1:51 pm and I'm having chow. Not a late lunch but chow. Three big burgers just off the toaster oven.

I mostly work the frozen department but last night I worked the warm, dry stuff in the grocery department. The highlight of the evening occurred around six in the morning when a very attractive blonde came down my lane pushing her cart. I greeted her, as I do everyone I meet in the store and we had a fine conversation about our upcoming vacation and the storm, or storms, on the way. She was in her thirties and had a wonderful smile. Interestingly, I think we were both taken with each other. I used to be good at telling these things but I suspect I'm getting a little too old to really be good at it anymore. Although I would like to think otherwise, I'm sure she was making just early morning small talk to a guy who was starting his vacation.

In any case, she made my day. (yes, since our days are at night, she made an impression well into my late night hours.)

So, on to vacation, of sorts. The store in doing an inventory next week and I told them that if they wanted me to come in, up to Wednesday, I would do so. But after that, they can kiss my butt goodbye.








- posted by Peter Roberts @ 10:48 AM 0 comments

 
Working tonight
Work tonight. It is around 3:30 in the afternoon and I've had the cats outside for their afternoon adventure in the backyard. Hot and humid and they did not complain about going back in.

The Yankees play tonight, while I sleeping. I'll catch the score after I get up around 10:30. Working at 11:30 and I'm only two miles from Stot and Shop, so I'll have plenty of time to shower, chow down and get there.

Went for a run this morning but I don't expect to do so tomorrow when I get back. I suspect we'll have a good load to throw tonight and that will be enough exercise for me for the day. But the good part is that tonight will be the last night crew duty for the week. I suspect I'll have to work Saturday Night, meaning Sunday Morning.

I've got to wonder if Bush or Kerry know about working third shift. There are a few million of us out there but it is like we're in the shadows. People get up in the morning and things are just there. As they are supposed to be.

Reading a new book from the library. Rising from the Rails is about Pullman Porters, all of whom were black, and what they did to keep white America happy and content while traveling on the railroads up to 1969. While I work third shift, they worked all shifts. We count our blessings. The author is Larry Tye, who used to work for the Boston Globe, and he's got a web site, or so the liner jacket says. www.larrytye.com

Close to time to crash.
Later





- posted by Peter Roberts @ 12:29 PM 0 comments

 
First post
It is 4:13 in the afternoon and I'm getting ready to crash. While I had a little on my hand today, I thought I start this darn blog to provide another avenue to explain to the world what it is like to work while everyone else, at least in these parts, are sleeping.
Speaking of which, it is time for me to really crash.
More, tomorrow when I hope to figure out just how far I want to open up on all this. There's sex, the elections and all sorts of things that take on a whole new aspect when viewed from the standpoint of someone who is without sleep.

Good night.
- posted by Peter Roberts @ 1:10 PM 0 comments