o, my mundane life

So here I am, in my usual location, in a cinder block shack in the middle of sprawling warehouse buildings and asphalt as far as the eye can see. Maybe it will snow tonight, they say. It feels like it could, it's cold enough and has that feeling like the air is a different consistency, more starchy or something and is more still, maybe, before it snows.
It's a good night for the beef stew I made this morning after I went to the clinic. A typical Sunday. Up about seven thirty and got ready to drive to the clinic which takes almost an hour by itself. Then I stopped at Price Chopper, our grocery store around here for some breakfast stuff and some things to eat for dinner at work this week. Then I stopped at Target for pads for the dog's litter box which they only use if they have to because we take them out also. I also got some socks and stuff. But by the time I got home and made breakfast and the stew for tonight, it was practically two in the afternoon. So that left me with four hours to nap before getting up at six to get ready for work. I have to be here by seven, I'm generally on time, I hate being late for anything. It drives me crazy when other people are late too, especially if they don't even call.
Anyway, most Sunday's are like that. I usually get to sleep most of the night on Saturday but it messes me all up if I don't get enough sleep before work because it's twelve hours which can seem really long at three a.m., trust me. And for the next four days I probably won't get much more than six hours of sleep between shifts. No matter what I tell myself, no matter how fast I try to get stuff done, I never make it to bed before one. I want to find another job but I just got vacation time and I'd hate to start all over again but the lack of sleep is killing me, literally. I've read studies about how bad it is for people to work third shift. It's just totally goes against human nature to stay up all night so regularly.


A few hours have passed since I started this post. I write some, then I read my book for a few hours, write a little more if something leaps to mind. On that note, I was thinking about how I wish I could work a second shift rather than third. And that people who work third shift should be compensated more than just getting an extra fifty cents more per hour. I think we should make at least two dollars more an hour to work twelve hour, overnight shifts. Plus the rest of the workers in the warehouse get hazard pay, but we don't. Even though we have to walk beside tractor/trailers and through the yard with trucks flying by, in all sorts of weather and bad lighting.

I live at the same place as the girl who works with me on nights. Works out pretty well, I give her a bit of gas money and she drives me home a few nights a week. Mikey generally drives me to work in case I need to stop for coffee or whatever, but then Laura drives me home and most days I drive myself to the clinic so Mike can stay sleep in a bit longer.
Speaking of sleeping, it's true that when people don't get adequate sleep a deficit is created and can rarely be replenished fully. I for sure have a deficit of sleep in my life. I wish I could begin my replenishment cycle now. But it will be at least another four hours. Today, I'm not wasting time stopping at a grocery store on the way home - oh, wait, yes I am. I need to pick up dog food I forgot to get yesterday.