Weekends are supposed to be relaxing, right?? NOT FOR ME!!!!

I've been a cashier at the Buffet style restaurant for four (say THAT three times fast!!) years. I've seen 'em come & I've seen 'em go (including managers...we were beginning to wonder if we would have a permanent manager!!) There's two of us from the original crew still working there. All the rest have come on since me...guess I'm a dinosaur. (I always tell guests that I'm part of the furniture when they comment that I'm always there.)

EVERY WEEKEND. I'm there EVERY weekend. (The only time I get a weekend off is if I request it off, & then management don't wanna give me the time off.) We're open for breakfast on Friday, Saturday & Sundays...which means I'm there at (YAWN) 6:00 a.m.--every weekend. (There goes any plans I might have had!!)

It happened again this morning.

Someone called in saying they were sick.

It figures--it was MY help that called in!!!!

So--I was by myself on the Line (cashier area). It also figures that we got NUKED...line out the door.

The manager? Where's he?? Ahhh--THERE he is, hiding in the office, the little WORM!! (Of course, I don't SAY this out loud, but I'm sure thinking it...can I be fired over what I'm thinking???) I overhead page him..."Mr. Manager to the LINE--MR. Manager TO the LINE." He comes over (ever so innocent...the little JERK)--"Do you need help?" (No...I can wing it by myself!! That's why I called you up here, you YAHOO!!)

I'm 42 years old, have degenerative arthritis, have a bad back (WHINE, WHINE), but do I call in sick?? NO!!! Why??? Because I can't afford to be sick. It costs too much!

The one & only time I ever did call in sick was because a NAAAASTY boil developed on my foot, could not get my shoe on (I'd tried, believe you me), had no choice but to go to the hospital to get it lanced (THAT was no fun...OW!!!!). Not only did it cause me physical pain, it caused me financial pain...owe the hospital nearly $1000.00 in ER fees. (And tell me this...why couldn't I have had Peter Benton as my ER doc?? He's FIIIIINE!!)

Also--I'm getting to the age when sleep is precious to me. I don't sleep as good as I once did...man, I could saw logs with the best of 'em. Now? One noise, I'm awake. Forget about sleeping if it storms. I don't wanna stay out late & then try to sleep for a couple of hours...if I go to sleep, I wanna sleep the whole night!! I can't stay up like you young'uns can.

These young teenagers. Whippersnappers. Their idea of fun is partying. Staying out late. (I know...I used to do that a L-O-N-G time ago...my partying days are over!!!!) They ain't worth a flip when they do show up, 'cause they're yawning & all that stuff. So, they usually call in..."I can't make it in, I'm tired! I stayed up too late last night!! I was sick all night!!!" (Yeah--IF you'd gone to bed AT a decent hour & DIDN'T watch movies or TV & DIDN'T go partying, you'd be HERE this morning & helpin me OUT!!!!!)

I think it would be nice if those that have worked there the longest are given a choice of what days they'd like to have off. Me? I'd opt for the weekend...so I can sleep in on Saturday & go to church on Sunday! (I've been a bad girl...I haven't been to church in a long time.) But then again...if I requested it, management would probably say "No."

That would be my luck.