Night Shift

Oh I am learning so much right now, and loving it as it goes along. There are some downfalls to the job, but every job has them, so I might as well accept them.

I closed the last 3 nights. I am doing well so far, check on me later, I may be passed out somewhere in a corner. But as for right now, not too bad.

Last night I worked 4 - 11. Chuck has inventory on Monday nights and I worked, so the boys were home for about 2 hours by themselves. Not too bad. Eric is 13, maturing rather nicely, so I wasn't too worried about it. Not until I got a phone call from PJ crying hysterically. "Mommy, I miss you." Ok, I have to admit, I started to cry.

This is the first time in their lives that I really haven't been home for bedtime. But to make it even harder on them, no one was home for them when they went to bed. Yes, I can see where that would upset them. Eric didn't let it show, because he knew that PJ was already upset and if he showed it, it would make matters worse.

My boss wanted me there last night to run the shift while she was working. So she can see how I do under pressure. There was one slight problem, no pressure, no business, no orders. Bad night last night for me to prove my worth. She had told me that if I need to go home to go on, it would be ok. No, they were fine, Chuck was due home quickly, and I was gonna stay. If it was an emergency or even if it was storming, I would have gone home. But they were fine, and I am needing to learn all that I can learn.

Well, I had 3 drivers and 2 cooks under me last night. I sent one driver home, he had been there all day and I didn't need him any longer. I started to clean the store before closing and told the one guy what he needed to do. He left the paper towels down in a spot where they didn't go, and I talked to him like I do the boys, "You done with the paper towels? Well, put them back where they go." Told one that there were dishes to be done, helped out in the other places and did all that I thought needed to be done. Of course, my boss was depending on the other managers to show me what to do, nope, they didn't. I know now what I need to do.

Anyway, we closed the store with bad sales, and she showed me what I need to do for the night shift, I will have to do more of that stuff to know how to do it. But she told me that she liked the way that I told them what to do, and that they did it. They didn't buck or fight me, just did what they were told. She told me that I have a command presence and that is something that store needs. Someone strong, not gonna back down.

Ok, so I did well last night. But I had a crew that is basically afraid of me. I am concerned about the 2 that won't do dishes, that won't answer the phone, that like to stand around and talk when they should be on a delivery. Those 2 are the ones that I have to show that I will not back down, I need to show that I do have a backbone and that they won't walk all over me like they do the others. And the one is always late, yep, that will stop on my shift.