Shifty work...

Garnet and I have never been big on schedules and routine...we're kinda known for our sponteneity and spur of the moment decisions. But I'm starting to realize that shift work is not the spur of the moment kind of lifestyle that we really like. For lack of a better adjective; it just plain sucks. For the first few years of our marriage Garnet was in school all week and worked a weekend job. That was definitely hard on us - but atleast there was some sort of schedule and we knew the few minutes per day that we'd have together. And...I could count on him being there every night.

He's been full time at the Bridge now for just over a year and I'm noticing how hard shift work really is - on the whole family! Studies have shown that it can take up to 10 years off your life, serious health problems are twice as common in shift workers and divorce rates are skyrocketing. I can completely see how all of this stuff is just contributed to shift work. Social lives take a lot of work -- my friend's husband is a nurse (shift as well) and the last time the 4 of us hung out was in the summer! Because they are always on different schedules and then the time that you do have together you want to spend as a family - not always booking it full!

It's especially hard on Garnet and I because we have always gone to bed at the same time. If both of us are home - we've never done the 'one stays up to watch tv while the other one crashes'. I know it sounds pathetic but it's worked for us, and that's always been our time to talk and catch up on the day. So when he's sleeping during the day - and I'm sleeping at night it's hard to find that time together.

So last night I did something really funny - I put Tim to bed at 7 and was tucking Garnet in for his nap before work at midnight and I decided to go to bed as well. I had dishes and laundry to do and a million other things that I could have done butI decided to go to bed....at 7 pm!! I guess I needed it because I got up to send Garnet off at 11 and went back to bed until 7 this morning!! I feel very rested this morning!!

I may not have found the trick to making this shift work thing work -- but it felt nice to not think about my schedule while Garnet's trying to live a different one!! I know I'll survive the shift work thing - it definitely has it's perks as well! Like this week he's going back on 12 hour shifts so he's on for 2 days off for 3 days, and vice-versa - which is really nice! And it pays off in the paychecks too so I can't complain about too much!

And I guess I'll just have to keep finding little ways to make it easier....like going to bed at 7!

xo J