Jester and her Baptism of Fire

Yesterday, I went back on full-time hours. I went part-time last summer because of stress but earlier this year I realised that I was able to cope with full time work again. Actually, I was missing the money but please don't tell anybody. So I went full-time again as of 05 February 2007 and what a baptism of fire it was me.

For a start, I do one late shift a week on a rolling rota and it just so turned out that I was on a late (11am - 8pm) on my first day back. I was exhausted by 12, which obviously didn't bode well for the rest of the day.

On top of that I picked up two thoroughly nasty complaints to deal with. One, a claim for compensation of £8,000 because a customer was left with a collapsed and overflowing drain for a lengthy period and another was a complaint to the Chairman of the Board. Yes, we pick those up too. Fortunately, the gentleman who went straight to the top appeared to be a pleasant and reasonable man during my brief telephone conversation with him.

Oh yes and we're badly short-staffed at the moment because of sickness and staff leaving so the telephones were going all day.

Well, I made it and I'm now ready for another 8 hours at work today. Fortunately, I finish at 5pm tonight so hopefully I won't spend the evening asleep on the sofa like I did yesterday. My husband is a policeman and consequently works stupid shifts. He was highly amused by my weary and drawn face last night and was still laughing this morning when he realised I was doing my first ever quick changeover.

My shifts are still infinitely better than his so I'll probably end up having the last laugh.