Shifts

I got the job that I interviewed for last Friday. My status has been upgraded from unemployed* to underemployed. I was going for full time, but got part time instead, part time in this case meaning four 8-hour days, adding up to 32-hour weeks. That would be cool if I was making at least one and a half times what I'm actually making. I've been working from 8:30 or 9 to 5 the past few days, but I'll actually be working on second shift starting next week.

*While I literally was unemployed, I wasn't among the statistically unemployed. To be statistically unemployed in the U.S., I think you have to be drawing uneployment income and be actively looking for work. But there are many more people out there who aren't counted because their benefits ran out, or they've given up looking for work because it's so hard to get a job.

One thing that I envy about some of Europe is that they seem to work fewer hours during the week than the U.S., but still make decent money. They also get a few weeks worth of vacation time, but I'm just going to concentrate on talking about shifts. As long as work shifts in the U.S. are eight hours or longer, I can't say there is such a thing as "The Perfect Shift". I kind of dig Second Shift because it fits what I feel is my natural sleep schedule, which means going to bed late, and not getting out of bed until early in the afternoon. Going to bed before midnight just feels wrong to me. But at the same time, it kind of sucks because it means I have to miss out on a lot of fun stuff that happens in the evening. On First Shift, I could hypothetically do that fun stuff in the evening. That is, if I'm not too wore out, and actually feel like making the drive to Louisville since that's where most of the fun stuff happens around here. But first shift tends to start way too early, usually 7:00 a.m., sometimes earlier! I've had a hard enough time these past few days just getting up at 7 or 7:15 so I can get to work at 8:30 or 9. I probably wouldn't mind First Shift as much if I lived in Louisville, since I wouldn't have to drive so damn far to do that fun evening stuff.

I don't like third shift at all.

My favorite shift ever was when I worked 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.. It wasn't too early, and I could go do the evening stuff. The best thing was that since I was able to go out at night during the week, there was less pressure to make every weekend "The Best Weekend EVER!" One of the only bad things about that shift was that if I had to make an appointment for something AND go to work, I'd have to make the appointment early, meaning that I had to get up early. But anyway, I was so depressed when that shift was eliminated, and I had to go to First Shift.

In other news, I'm just about out of money, and I don't get paid until May 12th. Grrr.