A day off (in the life)

I took today off from work. Not as a 'vacation day'... because as a part-time employee I don't have any vacation days... or sick days, holidays, or anything remotely resembling how a "Christian" employer might should treat over 93% of their workforce (please note the extreme sarcasm here). In case you forgot, I work for the YMCA. I average around 32 hours per week, which is more than most people, but is still not full-time, and the only benefit I receive is a free adult membership to the Y (which I was already receiving). Yippee! Christian principles... riiiiight.

Anyway, so I took today off from work. Unpaid. It will put a dent in the paycheck. I suppose I could recover the cost by fasting a couple days each week for the next few months as my wife is doing. Although, next month I am taking an entire week off work to go on a family vacation - again unpaid - and pretty soon it would seem I need to stop eating entirely if I'm going to take that mindset.

So, why would I take today off if I am not getting paid for it? I suppose there are several reasons. Perhaps you noticed a hint of bitterness in the tone of the first two paragraphs (No? Well keep reading). Yeah... my present job is wearing on me. Not just the work I do (or don't do), but everything about the place. You know, I am certainly not above menial tasks and manual labor... but I can only do meaningless work and be completely invisible for so long and I need a break. Getting up at 4 am 5 days a week; having no real "boss"; no friends at work or people to interact with...

It's more than just my job though. I have come to really dislike Father's Day. All the expectations and letdowns of life. Facebook is sometimes a mean-spirited magnifier of all that's wrong with humanity. And, I'm tired, getting old, and it's been downright dreary for what seems like forever! Will this rain ever end?!?

Anyway, I suppose I intended to get drunk yesterday and felt I would probably need today to recover from the hangover. THAT didn't even happen!

Father's Day (yesterday) was a busy day though. We had church in the morning. We left the house at 10 am and drove the 4 miles up Fairfield Avenue and over. Of course, since there was a stupid Tincaps game at 1 pm that meant I spent the entire time outside in the parking lot... in the drizzling rain. I did watch the church service on my phone on the Youtube channel. When the service let out Jane came out and helped park cars while I tried to maneuver the church cars out of the lot. Then we went to the baseball game with the Feipels for longer than we've stayed at any game this year. I think we left in the 7th inning (I don't remember what inning it was when we arrived - around 1/2 hour after the game started), then we all went to Ribfest. I'll start a new paragraph for this.

Ribfest used to be my favorite of all the Fort Wayne summer festivals. I like blues music, especially in an outdoor festival atmosphere. And, while I am also fond of barbecued foods, it was mostly the blues and brews that drew me. At some point over the last 5 or so years though, this event really took a downward turn. The bands took a dip in quality and notoriety, but mostly it was the SOUND. I don't know if they changed companies that provide sound or what, but it is simply pathetic anymore. This year wasn't as bad as some years, but it was still of poor tonal quality. Too much high end and not enough low would be bad enough, but ESPECIALLY SO for blues music!!!

Anyway... we stayed there for awhile, but even though the weather turned out nice, I grew tired of drinking beer and was ready for the recliner. That's just kind of how the day was.

So my anticipated drunken night turned into watching America's Funniest Video's and then golf with Jane. When she went to bed, I actually sat up until after midnight and watched western's on the Grit channel. I know, right.

Today I slept until after 10 am - when I was awakened by a phone call and then a text. Since then I've just been hanging out with the cat, ate breakfast/lunch, and I've been reading meaningless jibber-jabber on the internet. I suppose at some point I should mow the lawn. In 6 or 7 hours it will be time for bed. Oh boy!

So, that's my life today. Yeah, I know I sound a little depressed. I suppose I am, but it's mostly circumstantial. I did need a day off. I NEED a vacation. It seems it's been awhile since I've had one. And, by "vacation," I don't mean unpaid time off work. There is some self-imposed stress in knowing I am not an adequate provider for my family, and that for me to not work adds stress elsewhere... It just sucks a little bit right now. I can't blame the Y, or anyone else for that matter. I guess it is what it is.

Maybe I should end this with something good... Three things to celebrate. I'm sure I can think of three...

1. My fried eggs turned out better-than-usual this morning
2. I didn't have a hangover this morning
3. LaVar Ball's son doesn't play for the Lakers anymore

Well, whattya know... I did it. And I thought it was going to be a bad day.