The View from Within

Hello everyone.  I’m reporting from Adam’s house, day 3 of my stay which will come to a halt tomorrow around 11:30 am when I return to my hometown to work out my pathetic 4 hr shift.

Initially, the plan was to have employee R cover my shift tomorrow.  It’s so brief, I could hardly stand the thought of embarking on an hour trek back home just to work four hours.  Employee R only has 7 hrs due to schooling, and was more than happy to cover.  Still though, my manager denied me.  You see…of the two and a half days that I’ve been here, Adam has worked.  I stay here during the day, awaiting his return.  The other day his father and I picked chestnuts at Yellowcreek Park.  Yesterday I attached myself to the playstation, watching DVD’s and playing video games to pass the time until he came home.  The plan for tomorrow, provided my shift was approved as covered, was to go to Monroeville Mall and pick up some Needlenose Gars for his new fish tank.  However….my manager opted to not approve, despite the availability of employee R, and my wishes to be off. (Tomorrow is Adam’s day off, and I thought it would be nice to actually get the *whole* day with him.  It’s been awhile since we had that chance.)

The reasons for my boss’s decision to not approve me were made perfectly clear.  Evidently, at some point last night, the store called my cell phone (I never gave them my number, my friend and assistant manager Karen has it).  They wanted me to work a three hour shift on my day off.  I didn’t answer, and thus, my boss is enraged by this and is refusing to let me have employee R work for me, just to spite me.

Spiteful much? Well, take into consideration to the fact that my phone is DEAD, and was off at the time of the call – I forgot my charger back home – and the fact that I was scheduled off an am an HOUR away from the store, and I think you will agree that I should NOT be punished for this.

Since when is it okay to retaliate against an employee for NOT coming in on a day they are scheduled off?  I mean, if you say no…they literally write “NO” on the day which you were asked and refused.  Rumor has it this new “NO” marker, will result in less “favors and request offs” as well as a possible cut in hours.  May I state again how WRONG this type of action is….if it’s even legal?  A part of me would like to call labor relations and get the full story on what is legal, or illegal about what my bosses are doing here.

On the upside, I’d hate to quit since I just got a .90 cent raise.  I’m up to $9.45 an hour, which isn’t totally bad money for a job that I know like the back of my hand.  I thought about transfering; even mentioned it – my manager said at this point she doesn’t feel it would be wise to transfer me given my recent “troubles”.  She went on to say the district manager frowns upon the transfer of “troubled employees”.

For God’s sake.  I get severely depressed for two weeks out of FIVE YEARS of service, and suddenly I’m a troubled employee!?!?!?  UGH!

On a brighter note, the Adam thing is going well.  We’ve been seeing each other, and gradually building  a relationship since August.  It’s kind of frustrating at times. You know – like watching a flower that you planted and waiting for it to blossom into something spectacular.  And I find, it’s true, that if you watch something in anticipation, it takes longer to appear.

We cuddle a lot.  We have our games. Our little “things”.  We’re getting there one step at a time.  It’s already been almost two months, and for some reason, I think this is how REAL relationships start.  This is nothing like the flash-in-the-pans of the past.  This is something special.  Something worth keeping.  Something far beyond the superficial sexually driven relationships of the past.

This could be love, very soon.

Until next time…

~ by Michael on October 3, 2007.