Today was the same, but different. Wake up and go to work. Just like any other day. Except, today the alarm was set for 4:00 am, instead of almost noon. That doesn’t matter though. I can’t remember the last time I slept until my alarm rang. For the last 2 and a half years, I’ve worked the afternoon/evening shift, 32 hours per week, and would set my sleep schedule accordingly. Now, I’m working the morning shift, for 40 hours per week. Early morning wakeups are going to take some getting used to. A co-worker received a well-deserved promotion, which allowed me to move into his old shift. It’s the same job, with the same things to do. There’s just more of it to do. Which is OK. I’m not going to complain about being kept busy.
I’ve fought to get an extra 8 hours per week, wherever I could since I first set foot in this office. I normally worked Monday thru Thursday. So, that could mean picking up a Friday shift or stepping in to cover 12-hour shifts on the weekends, whenever something was available. If I was lucky, that would happen once a month or so. Sometimes it was during the day, sometimes it was overnight. Being guaranteed a full 40-hours, every week, is needed and very appreciated. Gas alone has been a bite in the ass for so many right now, myself included. Plus, parking in downtown Chicago costs more than I’m putting in my tank per month. Well, it used to.
I don’t know what to do with this newfound free time in the middle of the day. I have a few ideas, though. I’m planning on taking a class or two, to possibly get out of the security field after 20+ years. It’s a profession I didn’t see myself doing long-term. At least, that’s what I told myself in December of 2000 when I started in this business. Since then, I’ve worked in office buildings, warehouses, trailers, and truck yards. I’ve sat posts in a car, sometimes even my own. I’ve worked in middle management and been on call 24/7. I’ve worked with some of the largest companies in the country and had the privilege to work with some of the hardest working, and nicest people I’ve ever known. But, as is often the case, I worked with a lot of ballbusters too, and people who could barely be bothered to acknowledge your presence …
This seems like a good place to sign off as I’m getting off on a tangent here. I think this is going to be a good thing for my wallet and my career, whatever that next step will be. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting some updates as things start getting off the ground.