I have been working the early shift all week. Up at a quarter to five, get everyone up, off by quarter after. Same routine. But yesterday, Murphy got up and stood in front of the front door and barked. Bark! Bark! Barking like he was going to rip through that fake wood and tear someone UP!

I dismissed this as I could not hear anyone outside and he tends to be a bit barkety when I wake him up too early. Not even the chihuahua likes early mornings. And yes, he DOES like the Mountain Dew. I finish my morning ablutions and Uncle, who has been taking me to work so he can use the vehicle during the day, takes a stuttered step back.

"Is LG here?" I hear from outside the door as I approach. Murphy was barking at the Inkslinger! Which is no surprise, he never liked the Inkslinger. But he had been standing outside my door waiting, knowing that I generally leave at that time. At five in the morning.

He begs me to let him crash on the couch. He has to either find a bed RIGHT THEN or go back to jail. He's quite intoxicated and really worried that I will say no.

I should say no. Who could blame me for saying no? I should boot his ass so far down the road that he can't ever find his way back.

"You can sleep on the couch." I say as I move past him toward the parking lot. As I'm walking away I am thinking what  sucker I am. He had come to MY door because he knew I would help him. And I did. As always.

Uncle drove me to work and went back to the apartment. The Inkslinger had passed smooth out. The girls were surprised to see him.

After work I get back to find him gone. No surprise. He left a scrawled note on the fridge about owing me big time. Nothing new.

Then he CALLS me and tells me to come in and let him work on my leg. Today. On my day off. I tell him that it is not necassary. I didn't help him to get some ink. He insists. So I say what is really on my mind.

"If I come all the way out there, are you going to show up? Because I can't afford the gas or the time to get stood up by you again. I'm not going to do it."

He insists he'll be there. So in a little while I will be going to the tattoo parlor AGAIN. Appointment number THIRTEEN. The first twelve I got stood up. Thirteen has always been a lucky number for me.... maybe he'll show up?

This is at the end of a hard week at work.

The customers haven't been so bad, but the co-workers have been wearing their pissy pants. And I'm a little sick of it. I try to be helpful and polite to everyone. When I ask for help, you can damn well bet it is because I am physically incapable of doing whatever I need myself. I don't ASK for help.

Especially after I instructed a subordinate to do a task and was rebutted with "Why can't YOU do it?"

So I did. And I do. And I don't ask for squat unless I am forced to do so by human limitations. So when I ask, "Can you please help this customer?" I REALLY don't want to hear "I'm fixin' ta go on my lunch."

Okay. Your "fixin' ta" but are you now? No? Then FUCKING HELP ME. Asshole.

And last weekend? I had Sunday off. Sunday. With the family. Me. I was so pleased!

I haven't had a Sunday off in a while that didn't cost me vacation hours. The Saturdays I have had off were because I was volunteering so while I was not on the clock, I WAS on WorkPlace Tasks.

There are two people who are my peers. Two people who share a schedule with me. Who share tasks with me. We have to work together very closely to get our job done properly because it is a big one, and we ARE understaffed. And both of them went behind my back and complained that me having a Sunday off was unfair to them.

Both of them have had three day weekends in the last thirty days. I had one Sunday. And they were the ones complaining. I trade with them whenever they ask. I don't even ask why. I work splits so they can take days off. I close any night they need if that is what is required to get the job done. But because I have "limited availability" it is not fair to them to have to close on the weekends. Ever.

The scheduler to whom they complained told them she thought it WAS fair that I get a day off once in a while with my children. She went to bat for me. So my co-worker took ME aside and ripped me a new one for  allowing that day off to happen. I "should have traded to fix that problem." That problem. Me having a Sunday off with my children. Which btw I spent with the kids and Uncle at Grandma's house literally having a family day. Even Murphy got to go.

The real problem is this. I have let them be spoiled. Since I took this job in February, I have closed weekends. I close on Saturday and Sunday. Period. That simply is like water is wet and the grass is green. So THEY make plans with THIER families and have a semblance of a social life. When They started getting a close on a weekend, the plans they made ages ago are getting interrupted. And they don't like that.

So I spoke with the family and my resolution is this. If I have to close every single Saturday and Sunday, PLUS close weeknights as I HAVE been doing for the last two months... the only one getting screwed over, and having the right to complain, is me. They want to bitch about one of them having to close one time on a Sunday?

Fine.

I opened my availability OFFICIALLY. No more working on weeknights even though I say I can't and then getting the weekends too because it's just "fair".  Now every single one of us will get a three day weekend off a month. Every single one of us with have to close a three day weekend a month. And we will fucking see how they feel about THEM apples.

 They will no longer be able to count on me working weekends. Now they will get what they get and play potluck with their social lives. Gee. Just like... oh .. wait. ME. I haven't been to a dance session in over a month because of closing on fridays. I am sick of that crap.

To have someone I thought was my friend be that way to me. It hurt. And it made me mad. But I really should have seen it coming. No good deed goes unpunished.

I have to go get ready for my appointment. I really hope he shows.