There is a certain rhythm to my week. One that's dictated by tomatoes. Nothing is picked on Sunday so Monday will always be a long day. Tuesday and Wednesday will be much the same. Thursday might end an hour earlier, and Saturday if you're really lucky you get done by 5.
Fridays are the best because the needs of our offshore labor dictate we will be done by 3:30 on pay weeks and 5 on non pay weeks. It's the only day of the week you go to work knowing when the day will end.
Most days we find out around four how long we will be working and what time we will start the next day. It could be six, or seven or some lucky days - eight. The only plans you can make with any degree of certainty are that you won't have time to do anything after work.
Weekends are brief things. Blink and you miss it.
The hours are grinding me down quickly and the season has only just started. Within a month I'll be walking the pack lines saying "Nine today, six tomorrow and be prepared for dinner."
My work week is long too. Thank goodness the sun is staying up later in the day so I can enjoy a bit of it.
ReplyDeleteI get to see the sun on breaks and lunch. It's lovely, but makes me resent the time spent at work even more.
DeleteYou do work long hours. At least my late work I can do from home. Not that I enjoy having to bring so much work home, but at least I can do it away from the school building.
ReplyDeleteI've done that as well - bringing home work and then just when most people are done their home chores you're pulling out more work. It's not any nicer really.
DeleteBrutal!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's what my poor old knees are saying today too.
DeleteMy job can be like that. It is like that this time of year. Plus with the farm, this is the point when things like eating and sleeping become optional.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a job that didn't get busy this time of year. I wonder what it's like to get to enjoy a spring instead of slaving right through it.
Deleteoh man! you need a break and a weekend longer than a blink. :(
ReplyDeleteI'm getting one! I've got this Friday and Saturday booked off and if I weren't so damn tired I'd be jumping up and down in excitement.
DeleteWow! That is an insane schedule. It must have been especially tough when your kids were young (they are teenagers, right?) to not know when your workday would end.
ReplyDeleteWhen the guys were younger I held an office job. It was more regular hours (I could bring the unpaid overtime home with me) but less pay. I always knew it wasn't enough long term but the original plan was to get a job in a manufacturing facility once they were old enough for me to work swing shift or nights.
DeleteExcept all of our manufacturing jobs are disappearing, which leaves call centers and greenhouse work.
It is exhausting to have an ever changing schedule but I do love tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteTomatoes are good, but I'll confess I'm craving summer garden tomatoes still warm from the sun.
DeleteThose are some long hours. The weekend does go by so fast.
ReplyDeleteWeekends always are shorter than you want them to be - even if you have Saturdays free.
DeleteThat is a crazy schedule. Glad you are taking some time off this weekend, and hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI am really looking forward to it. The best part will be seeing the guys off on Friday and sitting around in my PJ's.
DeleteUgh, that sounds tiring! And I feel you on that weekend observation - too swift, for sure.
ReplyDeleteSome days it's really hard to get up in the morning.
DeleteI bet you breathe in deep and soak up the sunshine when you get outside. Ohhh work... how come we all can't win the lottery?!
ReplyDeleteEvery chance I get I soak it up. The packhouse is just a huge warehouse with greyish insulation. Indoors you have no concept of whether it's day or night outside.
DeleteWow, Vanessa. That sounds brutal. I'm really glad you do find time to write.
ReplyDeleteSome days it's hard but I try to do something every day - even if most of them are brief or silly.
DeleteSo stressful. It's a hard damned life that is so wholly dictated by the demands of others.
ReplyDeleteYou've summed it up exactly right.
DeleteI hope you enjoy your weekend. They're never long enough, are they?
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding like a dope...what does that opening line mean to someone in packing...I worked in a factory but being a dope got fired pretty damn quick...Probably because I couldnt understand the supervisor!
ReplyDeleteFor our staff "seven thirty tonight" means that's what time they are working until. "Seven tomorrow" is tomorrows start time. "Be prepared for dinner" means we are anticipating tomorrow will be a long day so bring extra food for your supper break.
DeleteEach day is different - depending on that day's harvest and which "packs" we are doing. Some are a fast pack - throw the tomatoes in get the right weight and done. Some are a slow pack - the tomatoes have to fit in a certain way but still make the weight. Our machinery is so loud we have to walk up and down the lines to make sure everyone hears so the information is condensed into a standard line.
Asking doesn't in any way make you sound like a dope so at the risk of sounding bossy - never kick your own butt when asking a question - there's usually enough people out there willing to do it for you. ;-)
sage advice...thanks...love your site btw (in a non-sexual way...Ha...loved that and want to steal it!) ...Z
ReplyDeleteThank you! And it's yours for the taking.
DeleteWell, next time I moan to myself about working 6 days a week and having just Sunday to catch my breath...I'm heading right back here to re-read this!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time off..and don't blink!
Truth be told the Saturdays bother me more than the rest of the hours. I'm going to try and arm wrestle my co-supervisor into an agreement where at the very least on alternating Saturdays one of us gets to be done at noon.
DeleteWowza. You are a tough cookie, that's for sure! Hang in there and hope you get some relief soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's coming. Tomorrow morning, I'll set my alarm and get up as usual. Only tomorrow when everyone leaves for the day, I'll stay home with my coffee.
DeleteHoly smokes that does not sound like fun at all!!
ReplyDeleteI do like how you structured your story though. That part WAS fun. ;-)
It's long days that's for sure. Once you get past the tenth hour or so, it goes pretty fast.
DeleteAre you trying to convince me to remain retired? You're doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteI dream of retirement. Every. Single. Morning.
DeleteThe weekends go too fast! Especially, if you're like me and spend most of Sunday stressing about how it's almost Monday.
ReplyDeleteI don't spend much of Sunday stressing. I used to when I worked in an office though. Sunday's would leave me feeling almost ill because I knew Monday was right around the corner.
DeleteThis job doesn't leave enough time to stress about tomorrow - so that's one good thing. ;-)
Ugh, I don't know how you do it! You could tolerate the hours, I'm sure if you at least didn't have to work Saturdays. I feel for you and even though I'm stressed at work, I am counting myself lucky.
ReplyDeleteIt's not even so much working Saturdays. If they ended at noon working it wouldn't be so bad at all.
DeleteNext time I feel like complaining about my work schedule, I'll think of you and not do it. Enjoy your time off, you deserve it!
ReplyDeleteWork is work, no matter what you do or how long you do it. I think all of us dream of more free time.
DeleteThe only thing worse than all these hours is no hours at all. What country do you work in to work so many hours a week. Have they heard of a second shift or temp workers for busy seasons. The 40 week became the norm because it produced the optimal amount of work from people. Longer work weeks were less productive.
ReplyDeleteI live in Canada, but the agricultural industry falls under a whole bunch of different rules. When you work in agriculture you serve the needs of the plants first and foremost. Our staff is made up of a handful of locals and primarily offshore labor - migrant workers.
DeleteThe truth is, as exhausting as the hours can be most of the offshore is counting on those long hours to keep their families going at home.
I'm sorry for that wacky schedule, but I LOVE tomatoes, so now I love you even more! Work is a grind - that's for real, yo. Keep on keeping on lady - we need you, and your funny, and the tomatoes : )
ReplyDeleteI'm more for the cukes and peppers. I can't decide if it would be a good thing to work with those - because hey - free number 2's, or a bad thing - because maybe I wouldn't like them so much.
DeleteOne of the biggest perks of my job, is there are green bean plants at the ends of each row. Right now I have a half shopping bag of beautiful green beans in my fridge for dinner tonight.