A Day Off

  Last summer we got new computer software at work. It was a big change from our old software. It isn't quite as efficient or as easy to work with as the old system. As a result it took us longer to do things. This resulted in a backlog of work.
  In order to deal with this backlog and attempt to keep up with the amount of prescriptions we were filling, my manger and I were coming in on our days off.  I thought that this would only be for a few months. All we needed to do was get used to the new system and we would be fine. I can handle a 14 days on and two days off schedule for a few months. Right?
  At first it was just a few hours in the morning. Then it started to be early afternoon. Sometimes I would wind up staying as late as 3 o'clock. I came in a few times at six in the morning to try and get more work done. Most of the time I would come in at seven. Eventually my manager and I would make it a point to leave at one or so. I always felt guilty about leaving. There was so much to do. How could I leave the rest of the staff like that? It wasn't fair to them. What I thought was going to be a few months lasted the rest of the summer and into the winter. As much as I wanted to take the day off and whined about not taking a day off, I just couldn't feel like I could, in good conscience, do it. We were too far behind on so many things. How could it get done if I didn't come in and help out? (My manager was also working this schedule too.)
  My manager got an opportunity to work at a store closer to home and decided to take it. We got a new manger. She had been helping to train employees on the new system and was very good at using it. I began to feel a little hope. Maybe she would be able to figure out some way to make this system work better. Certainly I couldn't figure it out.
  She started this week. Already I have learned a couple of things that will speed up tasks I need to do. For some reason we didn't seem to be so far behind as we usually are. I decided to do something I hadn't done it over six months.
  I took a day off. Well, not completely off. There were a couple things I wanted to do that I knew I could done quicker if I did them before we opened.  I went in a seven in the morning. Katie was already there and hard at work. She had music playing on her cell phone and was ready to face the day. I took off my coat and started to work.
  The first thing I did was rebill some incorrectly billed prescriptions. This is a task that would take me at least 45 minutes. Katie showed me a better way to do it and the task was done in 15 minutes. I went on to add product to our inventory that had come from other stores or had not automatically updated. I had plenty of time to print off some invoices and clear up some other odds and ends. There was no reason for me to stay so I left a little after nine when the pharmacy opened. I felt like a kid leaving school early. I had most of the day open.
  As it was not the best weather outside C and I decided to go the "Big Mall" (aka Mall of America). There was a tea shop there and I was running low on some teas I like. After buying what I needed and a few things that tasted or smelled good we had an early lunch. We ate at the remodeled food court. It was wide and open. It was so much nicer than it had been. We got our food and sat down to enjoy it. The court was mostly empty as it was so early
  After lunch we walked around. I felt like I was a visitor from  another plant. The mall looked so different. There were stores I'd never seen before. The flooring was white and it seemed brighter. I felt strange walking around the mall. I'd spent so many days working  that I forgot how much fun it was to walk around and people watch. There was a high school band playing in the rotunda. We paused to listen to them. A tear trickled down my cheek. It was so good to just stand there and listen to the band. C had his arm around me. I never realized how much I missed doing things like this.
  We went to Barnes and Noble. I went to the biographies and took my time looking over the selection. I opened a few books and read a few pages. I decided to buy a biography of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Then I wandered around looking for the craft section. It felt so good to leisurely walk around and look at things. I found a knitting book and a crochet book. C caught up with me and we paid for our purchases.
  C treated me to Jamba Juice. I got a mango concoction. It was time for us to head home.
   It was the best day off ever. I didn't get anything constructive done and I spent money that I didn't need to spend, but for the first time in a very long time I didn't worry about work. I didn't feel a load of guilt for not being there to help out. I felt like a human being again.
   I'm hoping that with the ability to take time off I'll be able to do other things. I'll be able to practice my instruments and finish those two needlework projects I started several years ago. I'll be able to help C do some painting in the house.  I'll be able to spend more time with friends. Life will get back to normal again......