I called up Giant today at about 8:15 to get my work schedule. After waiting for some time and starting to fall asleep, I am informed that I’m working from 10:30 to 6:30. Not only is that in two hours, but it’s the entire available daylight portion of the day. I was planning on mowing a lawn today, since the lady called me Thursday night and I still haven’t gotten back with her, but since it’s a three hour job, I can’t get it done. Oh, and school starts tomorrow so I won’t be able to do it then either. The next available time is Tuesday, but wait, that’s one of the two days I can work during the school year, so I’ll probably be scheduled then too. Which brings it to Wednesday. She called me on Thursday. Hooray. Look how responsible I am.
I was all upset so I started to complain to Mom about it while she was getting ready for her own work. Now I regret it because I was being bratty and stupid, not to mention talking way too loud. I think I woke my little brother up, which means he’s probably thinking, “Oh, there’s Michael arguing with Mom about Giant again.” I’m just another part of the stress in his life. Even if I was going to be whiny, I should have done it quietly. And Mom deserves a lot more respect then she is getting from me after everything that she does and has to go through.
Maybe I’m just not seeing the positive side of things. I can’t stand pointless optimism, but I do have a job. Ok, it’s not working. I just remembered how I was supposed to get my first “scheduled pay increase” back in July. Look at the calendar, they’re almost two months late and they don’t give a thing about it. I’m going to have to talk to everybody even remotely connected with personnel if I want to get it. I already asked one person and they said to write out a note with my name and social security number and stuff; of course they immediately lost it. In my great wisdom I didn’t save a copy of the document thinking I wouldn’t need it again. Natural.
I’m struggling with two giants: The store, and my own character defects. I really need to be kinder to Mom. And if you know anybody who’d like to hire a competent High School student on Tuesdays and Sundays, let me know. Heh.
Happy Birthday to Rachel’s little sister Shelly today too. I got a card but didn’t mail it in time. It’s almost funny in a depressing sort of way, all these things that have been going on. I think I need to refocus and stop letting all the smaller things get to me. I really got thrown off by the sunglasses. I’ve been berating myself for losing them. Let’s see.
“Oh, I’m working from 10:30 to 6:30 today.” That means I’m earning $7.50 an hour (Sunday premium, I make an extra dollar an hour), and I’m working a full eight hours (usually they do seven, seven and a half, that kind of stuff). That’s $60, minus ten for the union (Screw them. That’s another rant), probably another ten with taxes. So I’ll make $40 today. If I had mowed the lawn I would get $30, and it takes me three hours. ::sigh:: But perhaps I’ll be able to deliver my new note (not nearly as eloquent) and get the raise thing straightened out. When I come home I’ll have a chance to be kinder to Mom and set a good example for Mark. I have to make sure I practice the piano, but after that and dinner I’ll probably get to talk to Rachel before she has to work at 11. We’re going to have to try hard to be able to see each other, what with everything in our lives now screaming to the tune of “School! Work!”
I did get to talk to Rachel this morning, and if she hadn’t called I probably wouldn’t have woken up in time to even find out that I was working at 10:30. That would have been bad. She loves me so much, and that’s a really good thing. She deserves a better guy than me. I love her as much as she loves me, and that alone is worth smiling over. Rachel is more of a blessing than just about everything else. When you look at it that way the other problems seem kind of silly. Yes, they’re problems, yes they need to be dealt with, but there’s no point in getting all worked up over them, especially if there isn’t anything you can do about it, like my sunglasses. I love my mom too. She’s great and I’m thankful for her. And I love Mark. He’s a great little brother.
I love you Rachel. Thanks for helping me keep things in line. Mwah!