r.m.anderson wrote:Something about phases or is that periods of the moon ? LOL !
I like that....
In fact, I may put that in my pocket and use it from time to time.... to say the least, the "Moon" is dark this weekend.
crfriend wrote:Ranting about it sometimes helps, but only temporarily. The only thing that does help is to be given the latitude to design and build systems that are resilient in the face of failure -- and to convince the fat-cat that his "bottom-line" (I despise that term) will benefit from it by virtue of reduced spoilage and overtime pay. Sometimes they'll listen, and sometimes they won't. Sometimes it takes skunkworks tactics to improve the reliability of the kit so you never have to go on a call -- thereby at least allowing you the basic ability to enjoy a beer whilst waiting on the pager that Never Goes Off (unless it's the Boss testing things, and I have had a-hole bosses who would do that at 02:00AM).
The irony is, I actually prefer to get a call or two, since we don't get any extra pay just for being on call, and the grocery business generally frowns on payroll overtime. They like for us to "cut" our time at the end of the payweek (Friday), but we squirm and try not to. It adds insult to injury to blow an entire week and only get 40 hours at the end of it all. 60 hour on call weeks, while taxing in their own way do make for nice paychecks. And I could use a few of those.
But although I may not mind a call or two, I still don't want a "difficult" call. No, one with plenty of travel time is good (Kentucky), and if it would be something simple like changing a contactor, or resetting a pump motor that would be greeeeaaat....
After all, the key to a positive work experience is to first and foremost, avoid actual "work". 
crfriend wrote:Actually, in a way, you are making "modern life" (as we know and expect it) possible -- or are at least keeping the facade intact. There's some pride to be had in that -- and take from that what you can!
Yeah, that's true, we are one of the very few remaining grocery stores that still prepare much of our bakery/deli food fresh, and our meat departments do a lot of custom work and other practices like make their own sausage (which isn't bad by the way). And it's important to a lot of people.
Never the less, my hippie skirt is on, and I await the next breakdown, where I will change into my work trousers and head off to where ever I'm needed. Until then it's Halloween movies on TV, and probably a lot of frivolous posting on skirt cafe.
