No Life

My life has narrowed down to work, sleep, eat, and surfing the internet. Sad, but true. Working a night job really messes with having healthy routines. It’s not all bad, though. I’m learning new skills and earning decent money. It’s nice to have a free motel room for most nights. My van is still my favorite place to be and to sleep, but I appreciate having a hot shower and no need of hunting for a spot to park for sleeping. I do use the motel room’s microwave and fridge a little, but not the TV.
I’ve gotten seven weeks into this job so far, and am still uncertain on whether this is temporary or a longer-term job. I don’t think that I have the natural aptitude or skills needed to excel as a retail reset remodeler, despite my best efforts. But maybe that’ll come in time. One of my bosses has made a point to spend time with me and encourage me for the last week or two. Without that, I’d be feeling much worse. It still kinda feels like I’m on the edge of being let go, but there aren’t enough workers and I’m better than nothing. Maybe management treats all new hires like this, using mostly the stick and only a little of the carrot. I AM improving each day, but maybe not fast enough for their liking.
My usual workday schedule has been; get ready for work at 6 pm, start work at 7, have lunch at midnight, get off work about 5:30 am, spend 2-3 hours winding down with a book or the internet, get to sleep around 8-9, wake up several times because of noise or needing a drink of water, get up at 5-6, rinse and repeat. The weekends are made up of extra sleep, better meals, catching up on laundry, and driving.
I’m getting along well with almost all my fellow employees. Everyone is pretty focused on their work, but we’ve learned to be pleasant to each other to make up for how intense the bosses tend to be. The other workers seem to trust me more now, that I’ll do a good job and they won’t have to stay late because of me or have to redo any of my work. I still don’t spend my break times with anyone, preferring to grab a bite to eat, go to the bathroom, and/or check online for news or messages. Nor do I spend much time with anyone on the weekends or around the hotel. Most of the others tend to have one or two that they pal around with. But being solitary works for me. I am so grateful to not have a roommate. Normally the company requires that, but not right now because of COVID-19. That’s one blessing from that disease!
We just started a two week remodel of the downtown Safeway in Walla Walla. It is smaller than most, with narrower aisles, and little storage space in back. It’s been a long time since the last remodel, so the shelves and fixtures are quite old and beat up. Dirty, too. It’s going to look much better when we are done. The employees are quite friendly, though. At the other stores, the employees have tended to be standoffish and resentful of the disruption we cause. Maybe these will be the same after two weeks of us being in their way. Hope not.
We are being housed at the same hotel, Comfort Inn and Suites. I got a different room this time, with two queen beds instead of one king. The TV is much smaller, also. But this one doesn’t have carpet damage or uneven tiles in the bathroom. The shower head is higher, so I don’t bump my head on it like the last one. So, I like it this a bit better so far. I mainly just sleep while in the room anyway. The breakfasts are still simplistic, we receive a paper bag filled with choice of cereal, an orange or banana, a tiny carton of milk, a half size container of yogurt, and a granola bar. But I don’t need more than that, and can make or buy something different if I get tired of the selection.
Okay, I’ll keep this post short, before I even bore myself with trivial details. My workday is done, I’m going to go get my breakfast, read a little, then hit the sack. Hopefully the next post will be more interesting. I have several ideas of things to write about, that are a bit more meaningful.