My hubby, Brian is in a profession that is open 24/7. When our boys were little, he worked rotating shifts and it was very hard on all of us. Thirteen years ago, his employer established permanent shifts and since Brian's one of the senior employees, he got day shift. Not Monday - Friday, mind you, but at least it wasn't the evening shift or even worse, the midnight shift. Well, now there's a new boss and the decision was made to go back to rotating shifts. Long story as to why - which I'll spare you. Needless to say, Brian and I aren't happy about this, but there's nothing we can do except to deal with it as best as we can. January 1st of this year through the end of April (plus the first couple of days in May due to some shift changes), Brian was on day shift. Here he is grilling outside in the rain Sunday evening ~ his last evening at home. A little rain doesn't stop a man and his grill!
So now Brian's on the evening shift ~ 2:30 - 10:30 p.m - until the end of August. (And then he's on midnights the rest of the year - double ugh.) It's so weird having him here in the mornings with me. It throws off my daily routine. Since we like to spend time together like we're used to doing in the evenings, we now do it in the mornings. I made a big breakfast for us this morning - veggie frittata, bacon (Trader Joes has a very good nitrate-free applewood smoked kind), Morning Glory muffins - and then we ran some errands. After he was off to work, that's when I started my housework and laundry - which I am used to doing first thing in the morning. I'm also doing my exercise (yoga or walking) in the afternoons now, too. And even harder thing for me to get used to is being alone all evening. I'm not a TV watcher and I don't like to just lie around and read unless it's late at night, right before bed. I'm more of a "doer". I have a couple of single girlfriends who said I could gladly hang out with them in the evenings. And, of course, when the weather is nice I can be outside working in the yard. I have plenty of projects to work on, so there is plenty to do...it's just bassackwards.
I stopped at the garden center yesterday after my yoga class and bought a flat of annuals and some lettuces and spinach. Would love to be outside this evening planting all these things, but it's been cold and rainy all day. Can you believe it's only been 48 degrees today? Yesterday, it was 80. So it goes in this part of the world at this time of year.
Linking up with Tweak it Tuesday.
Brian's schedule sounds like the pits! Yuck? Enjoy the time you do have with him whatever time of the day.. Breakfast looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteHave a good week.
Judy
How awful, Melanie. You would think they would give the men with seniority first pick of shifts they wanted...and the others have to work up to the desirable shifts like everyone else in the world has to do. Sometimes life just isn't fair. Hope it goes okay for you. The winter shift is going to really be a hard one! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you're saying. I have an almost-physical aversion to schedules that have me hanging around waiting for work or school to start later in the day. I need to get up and go as early as possible. Even in college, I signed up for as many 8 am classes as I could just to get the day started early. When my son was in kindergarten, they put him in the PM class and we didn't go in til 10:45. I thought I would lose my mind at home all morning. It wasn't enough time to get much done, but it was sooo much more time than I wanted to just hang out waiting for the day to begin. That's how it felt to me, anyway. I'm sorry you guys are dealing with this schedule stress now. I can just imagine how hard it is on you. I hope it improves before too long, maybe he can go back to days after a while because of his seniority? Take care. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has worked shifts for 40 years...rotating 12 hour...so I understand. I learned to be flexible and plan my own things to do whenever I was on my own. It'll take some getting used to...xoxo
ReplyDeleteHis most recent shift change isn't too bad, but the midnight one will be a killer. We are such creatures of habit and change like that is difficult to adapt to. I know how you are feeling. Take care, Tammy
ReplyDeleteThe shift change sounds terrible for both of you...thank goodness you're empty nester's because you would go crazy dealing with kids and no husband during the busy parts of the day. I guess it's just getting used to...but then it changes. Yes, backasswards!!
ReplyDeleteLove your new plants in your last post. Today was so nice but Milo has to be on a leash or in the house and he would go nuts if I were outside without him. So I have plants just sitting there til who knows when. No matter-he's my priority.
Take care...the food looks yummy!
Jane x
Kudos for trying to make the best of a bad situation with your husband's hours changing. I've been through a few forced changes at work myself over the years, and while they were never fun, I found that keeping a positive attitude and looking for even the smallest of silver linings made it tolerable... Meanwhile, I've had co-workers who whined and complained and dragged their feet about even the smallest of changes (like new software we had to learn how to use), and they made life miserable for everybody around them. I resolved early on in life that I didn't want to be "that guy." When change happened, I would find a way to embrace it or I would move on to a different job. Life's too short to be miserable. Good luck to you as you try to adapt to your "new normal."
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating to have such annoying changes implemented with a new boss...why do people do things like that?? I know you're thankful he has a job, and I'm sure you'll make the adjustments with this transition.
ReplyDeleteMary Alice
That shifting is terrible, my ex-husband company had them working week shift, of day, pm's and midnights, it was so hard because each shift only lasted a week. It was the hardest on him for midnights you can't even adjust in one week. So I can relate to the difficulties. I wonder if bosses would love to work these kinds of shifts?
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your position....and your husband's. It's not fun and really messes with your sleep pattern. My kid's dad worked shifts, slept lightly, kids were small and made noise, hard to have friends over during the day = yuck! Then I worked many different shifts and I still have difficulty trying to sleep. Is there any way the boss would meet with the employees and allow them to express their thoughts?
ReplyDeleteYour frittata looks and sounds wonderful! Recipe? :)
I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!
xo
Pat
Well sweetie you have my total and complete sympathy on this one. It's not only upset Brian's schedule bu yours will 'rotate' too! Ugh! As you know, John's shift went from dayshift to night shift and it took me over a year to get a rhythm that worked for me...then they changed it from 7on/7off to 24 hours on and 72 off. We get one weekend each month. One. And to make it worse they changed one of the benefits (call time was excluded) and by the time they gave the money back as a 'raise' we'd lost nearly $200 a month in some configuration that we're all still puzzling over. Ouch, ouch and ouch! As I said, Total sympathy here!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about the shift change. I can't imagine how hard that is on you two.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here has been the same. We never know what is coming... such is Spring.
xo