The nice guy vs the smart ass pumpkin

The minute I got to work last night aforementioned Cathy, who'd proclaimed she was a "worker" started whining.  "I'm so sore.  I had to take 2 Aleve.  And use a heating pad."  My sympathies were not with her since it had been her helper, Andy, who'd been up on the order picker Monday night.  She stood on the floor for most of her shift and told him what to do.  And what was he moving?  Light bulbs.  Silly me, I wasted my breath while reminding her I'd been moving around 5 gallon buckets of paint.  Believe me, walls are more interested then she.  Anyway, she popped her helper back on the order picker and went to play around with exterior light scones while I went and played with rolls of 100 x 20 foot 8 mil plastic (the weight in around 75 pounds).  By 0230 my overheads were finished and I had to use busy work to fill in the next 2 hours.

This is an order picker

Around 1100 this morning I called to let them know my overheads were in tip top shape and they said "we know.  What do you want to do?"  And I said, "Hhhmm, I thought I'd take a couple of days vacation."  And they said "would you want to come in and help Cathy?"  And I turned into a smart-ass and said "nope, she's a worker.  She can't wait for these overnights."  Of course, she's behind schedule.  It's not that her helper isn't moving fast enough, she just isn't helping.  I'm taking vacation for the next 2 days.  However, to prove there is a bit of a 'nice guy' hiding on the inside, I told them I'd give her 4 hours on Friday evening.  Only until midnight, though.  When the clock strikes 12 on Fridays I turn into a smart-ass pumpkin.

Smart-ass? Me?

Lat night was the first of my over night  work week, and I can now guarantee all the work I'm supposed to be doing over that 40 hour period will be accomplished in about 12 hours (and that's stretching it out).  The Electrical Department Manager is also doing overnights this week, her name is Cathy.  Cathy gets pissed at me when I say things like "I really hate working overnights," and "I'm just about finished."  Last night she said "you're working the full 40 hours, so get over it."  She followed this up by saying "I'm a worker, I get things done."  Ho - hum.  She has a helper, I've been doing all of my work by myself, oh, and I've been doing my for the past couple of weeks and she just started last night.  What did I do last night?  Well, I moved 48 five gallon buckets of paint from one aisle to another and arranged them all by brand and by sheen (flat, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss).

This baby weighs over 50 lbs.

I talked to management earlier this morning and it looks as though tonight is going to be my last overnight - no 40 hours for me.  I would love to makes some smart-ass comment to Cathy, but I won't.  Well... maybe when I leave the store tomorrow morning I might say "see, I'm a worker too.  In fact I'm such a damn good worker I get all of my work done in 16 hours rather then 40."  While that would be rather rude, I have been known to be a smart-ass from time to time.

Night Watch Hell

Way back when the decision was made that all Department Managers would work a full week of OVERNIGHTS, I pointed out that my department was already in tip top shape.  I was told I was completely mistaken, that I didn't really know what I was talking about.  I was told "you have no idea of how much work is actually involved," by both the Store Manager and Assistant Manager whose last day was Friday.
Things have changed.  When I walked my department yesterday with the Assistant Manager I report to, he said, "my, your overheads are just about done.  In fact, we were talking about how there really isn't anything for you to do."  Which is what I told them a month and a half ago.  Insanity has now left the building.  When I first graduated from college, I worked nights as an auditor, going over numbers, making sure, accounting wise, everything was squeaky clean.  I hated it.  I'm a morning person, not a night person.  I do not enjoy the Night Watch.

As a result of this manager's leaving, I will not be forced in to working a full week (40 hours) of overnights.  I told them I'd work maybe 2 nights and then take vacation (I normally do take some vacation this time of the year because business is slow).  When I told one of my fellow Department Managers this she said, "well, you can come over to my department and help me."  To which I replied "no, I don't think so."  I didn't spend my days pro-actively getting my department into shape just so I could spend some Night Watch hours getting the sockets in Electrical in order.  I want to spend as little of my time as possible in Night Watch hell.