All work and no play...

... makes Shaun a Dull Boy. Is what I would be typing on my antique type writer in a Jack Nicholson-esque manner if I actually had an antique type writer and could do anywhere near a good enough Jack Nicholson impression.

I have finished second year University, with pretty good grades I might add, and have taken up part-time work in Somerfield again. It's alright. I thought after my almost two year absence it might take a while to get back into the swing of things but I was pretty much back on track after a hour or so. I make a few mistakes here and there but it's all coming back. Even at the tills I could remember the specific code for Banannas (4011) and other vegetables. It's fun working, and I am even getting to know the new staff, but there is a problem. A most annoying problem.

Somerfield now runs on a 'Rota' system, which fills out the hours for each member of staff. Most people are contracted to set hours but as I have only just started I am the 'odd job man'. I have been put down for 'any time, any day' and I think Somerfields computers, which I believe may be a version of HAL though I have no evidence for this, have decided to mess up all my plans.

I'm sorry Shaun, I cannot allow you to have a social life

When I first had the Rota, my mates did not want to do anything all week untill Wednesday Night. So Somerfield gave me shifts on Thursday morning meaning I couldn't stay out. They then gave me work on the Saturday morning to ruin my Friday night and I covered a member of staff on the Sunday as well, meaning I couldn't stay out Saturday either. This week everyone wanted to go out Wednesday, but I had work Thursday morning again so couldn't. But we replaced this with a night to the Cinema on the Wednesday, something I could do and be full attendance of... but then it turned out I was actually meant to be in on the Wednesday evening cancelling my plans! (I got out of this however. I hadn't seen the rota as it had been coyly hidden)

My friends Andy and Sid are planning to climb Mount Snowdon on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday, which I expressed interest in going on. Now, as I have never been needed on a Monday before, I assumed it would be ok. The rota states: Monday 10:00 - 16:00, Tuesday 18:00 - 22:00. It can predict my every move! The computer system is after me. I know it. It is predicting when my friends will want to do things and ordering my shifts at work to destroy my plans. At the end of the day I can try and get cover but whether or not that will be sucessful is a different matter.

I need all the work I can get but I don't want to lose my social life at the same time. At the moment it isn't working out too badly. I have been able to go to the pub, just not to stay too late or get too drunk. It just seems that everytime I have the free time nobody wants to or can do anything and then when I have plans work wants to fill it up with early mornings. I dislike early mornings. We shall see how it goes.