just pick one already

so, a couple weeks ago when i was approached about the brunch shifts, my proposed schedule was going to look like this...mon tue wed nights, thu fri off, sat sun brunches.  then the schedule gets put up and i got mon tue wed days, thu fri off, and sat sun brunch.  which was wierd for me, cause i would much rather work at night cause it's busier, but i'd also much rather work day shifts cause i can see my wife when i get home and have a relatively normal home life.  so i worked the days shifts this week, and they were nice and mellow, and i got to have some quality wife time.  the older i get the more of an early riser i become, so i don't at all mind getting up in the am to go to work, especially since i get done in the afternoons and have the rest of the day to play (i.e. sitting on my couch listening to music and playing mario).  after a week i feel like my body is acclimated to the change in schedule, and i got quite comfortable.

yesterday i was told that me and another cook are gonna be flip flopping days and nights week to week, so we can both have home time (his lady just had a baby).  and i completely understand the logic.  in fact, i support the logic behind it.  but what sucks is just getting used to one schedule and then having it change.  in the nearly four months i've been at my job i think i had three weeks in a row with the same schedule. 

listen, i'm a team player.  always have been.  but i'm also a broken ass old man now and getting off work at midnight one week and trying to get myself up in the am the next week is kinda hard on me.  (*snork*...hard on...)  ever since i started this job, every time i'm asked to do something i go "sure!"  work broiler tonight?  "sure!"  work cold side tonight?  "sure!"  work days?  "sure!"  work nights?  "sure!"  work weekend nights?  "sure!"  work weekend brunches?  "sure!"

at what point do i put my foot down?  i never wanna say no to my bosses.  but it's terribly difficult to make plans when i have no idea what my schedule is going to be from one week to the next.  i was told that the days shifts that i worked this week would be my schedule for at least a few weeks.  so, naturally, i made plans for my anniversary next week.  now, i'll most likely have to cancel my reservations cause i'm gonna be on night shifts.  i think.  i'm not sure.

ya know, i'm not mad about all this.  it's the nature of the business i'm in.  and i totally understand that dudeman having time at home with his lady and baby is equally important as me having time at home with my lady.  it is frustrating, though.  i'm all about doing anything and everything my bosses ask of me, and doing it with a smile on my face.  the only way to get raises in this business is to prove that you'll go above and beyond the call of duty (or to threaten to quit, which isn't my style at all).  and really, all i'm trying to do is to get my money, ya know? 

still, though, i'd rather plan for days off then have to ask for days off to plan things.

this is gonna be wierd

so, it's five thirty am on a saturday, and i'm drinking coffee before work.  first brunch shift.  i was asked to do brunch for a number of reasons.  first and foremost...they need a power cook.  they're losing one (have fun in napa, o-ring!) and need one.  also i guess the brunch guys are a bunch of sad sacks and they want me to liven it up a bit.  and it works better for my home life.  i've been assured that there isn't a busier spot all week than the broiler slot on a brunch. so getting asked to be that guy was kinda nice.  i do miss my fri/sat night crew, and i do miss working those big nights, but i guess brunch is where it's at.  plus i get time to see my wife.  and watch sunday night baseball.

i probably should have looked at the brunch menu on my days off...