3/8/22 Feeling The Effects Of Getting Old?

     I hate to admit it, but I am getting old.  I was on a twelve-hour shift for almost 20 years and never felt it as taking a toll on me, it was just what I worked.  Over the last 5 years or so, I have gotten away from the long shift and slid down to working 10-hour days.  The difference with the 12-hour shifts was that in a 2-week period, I would work 4 days one week and 3 days the next and repeat this pattern, getting paid every two weeks.  Now I work 4 days every week, still getting paid every two weeks.  There are less hours per day, but an extra day per pay period.

    On top of that, with Covid, we had gotten in the habit of working even less hours, as we were told, do whatever work is due in the next day or two and go home, there was no interest in hanging out and possibly exposing ourselves more than necessary to our co-workers.  This meant that for about a year, I got used to working about half the night.  I got into some good habits and short cuts, such as running multiple tools at the same time, to cut the time I had to be there and still get the work done.  All this came to a screeching halt a couple months ago, we were talked to and told this had to stop, we must be there the full shift, so we are gradually trying to get back to an antiquated way of doing things, it really doesn't make sense, they should care about the work getting done, not us sitting there watching movies on Netflix to meet some time bandit they built.

    Anyways, if there is work, I don't have a problem doing it and as slow as things were a month ago, now we are in the middle of a busy period.  I am sure no one from management is going to complain "Why are you staying so late?"  Nah, the whining is only when it doesn't benefit them.  Consequently, I came in Monday and there was a lot of work from one particular customer.  It wasn't all due the next day, but most of it was, so it makes sense to prep it all together and run it all at once.  That, on top of a few other jobs that were also due the next day had me there for a rare 12-hour shift, and I can honestly say that two days later, I still feel it.  I was on my feet most of the Monday, running between the two analysis tools and the prep hoods and it made for an exhausting afternoon and night.  I didn't get home until almost 1:30am, and then it takes me another hour to settle into bed.  I felt like I slept 4-5 hours before getting up to take Mijo to school.

    I was looking for an easy day Tuesday, but the work just keeps coming, and even as I don't like it, I still ended up doing too much.  We have new customers and not that the work is hard, but it requires a little pre-planning, and that takes time, and before you know it, the day gets away.  Oh well, two more shifts and I get a week off for Spring Break with the family.