Pork Butt...on a steeek

I really need to get better at posting here a little more regularly! I do enjoy it. I like getting my thoughts out of my head and trying to make sense of them on here. Maybe it means that I don't have many thoughts or ideas since I post so little! Oh well...I've always been a simple kind of girl.
The good news is...I don't feel like I need to bitch someone out right now! That has been how most of my blogs have started and if you didn't know me, you'd probably think I was a pretty uptight and bitchy person! NOT TODAY! Well...ok...I really do feel like I could bitch someone out right now (actually more than 1, but who's counting) BUT I feel like I should recap life lately first...and life has been pretty good!

I just got back from a nice long weekend...where I didn't have to work for 5 days! That in itself was pretty fantastic. But what makes it even better is I was fortunate enough to have pleasure of the company of my best friend during this time for some much needed R&R. Ok...so it might not have been Rest and Relaxation since we were in "GO" mode for much of the weekend, but by the time it was done, it felt like eons since I had been to work and that was amazing in itself! I've always been someone who doesn't need to go out and do a bunch of things or spend a lot of money to have a good time. I'm very much a homebody who would rather have everyone she knows come over for dinner and a little QT (quality time...not Quick Trip) in front of the TV or sitting around the kitchen table.

But, this past weekend wasn't a "lounge around" type of weekend. I definitely needed to get out of town for a little while and I think the change in scenery did me some good! I'm glad I had one of the best persons I know with me and couldn't have asked for better company. I know it wouldn't have been as much fun without the Kumar to my Harold on the trip! And seriously? Even on the first day alone there was enough weird shit that happened that I was just WAITING for Neil Patrick Harris to show up at the damn crazy gas station (where I was quizzed on my fish face abilities...maybe cause they knew the bathroom was about to be flooded!) following some magical unicorn to find the secret of life! And it was definitely almost a Tommy Boy moment when the deer came rushing out of the dumpster at the hotel in the middle of the night! The good thing is we did not get attacked by the Lizard Man near some swamp while trying to find a bathroom so I count my blessings with that! I tell ya, there is nothing like roadtripping through the South and hitting a couple of state fairs! The point is, I had a kick ass time! There were a lot of great memories made and most definitely will have to do that again!

Soooo...after such a fun weekend, I get back into the swing of things at work and open an email that kinda ticked me off from another store within our district. This email requested that my newest manager (who hasnt been out of training yet for 3 weeks) go to a different store and work the closing shift there on what is probably our second or third busiest day of the year for us! Immediately, the fun joy ride that my brain had been on for the last few days, comes screeching to a stop. The best part is that this request is completely unnecessary. The best part is, they just want DOUBLE coverage! There's no shortage in help! They just have lazy people who don't want to close on that day and are counting on MY store to bail them out!

Without getting into the full details, let's just say I'm a bit more than miffed at the whole situation. Its making me feel like I can't get ahead of the game no matter how much I try to set my team up for success. Right now I'm feeling like my team is being thought of as "second string" to this other team. This other team has somehow gotten it in their heads that we are their servants and we're to bow to them to fulfill their every wish and desire. That's not how it's supposed to work. I've got a business to run and you've got yours. I'll do what I can to help you out! I love helping out, but don't take advantage of me!

It makes me feel good to see other people happy and to know I was able to help out or make a difference and that's why I try to be as helpful as possible. But then there are times where I feel like I keep putting in and putting in and never get anything back in return. Does that mean I'll stop doing what I do? No. I do what I do because I love the people I do it for. Besides, it wouldn't sit right with myself if I stopped to begin with. But sometimes just an acknowledgement or some sort of small sign of appreciation from others would be great. Maybe I'm just feeling particularly whiney right now. Maybe I really am being taken advantage of by some. Will I change the way I do things? Probably not. Will I get frustrated if I continue on this path? Probably. Is it a good thing that I can let things go pretty easily? I dunno...to be determined I guess. I just hope I don't blow up at someone who doesn't deserve it! :-)

So I guess that's were my thoughts are right now. What's the right thing to do? Do I suck it up and do the right thing for the other team or do I do the right thing for my team which could possibly be thought of as being selfish? Do I keep getting into these situations because I want to continue to be helpful? Where do I draw the line? Does a line need to be drawn? Will I be thought of as selfish if I start drawing a line after being so flexible for so long?

I need some answers...for starters, what the hell is Pork Butt on a stick?!