Classic Rant #1,033 (September 2, 2013): Laboring On Labor Day

My place of work takes Labor Day literally.

We are open, and I will be going to work in several minutes on a day that most people have off as a holiday.

And most of the other fellow employees are off on Labor Day, too.

Why will I be going to work?

Very simple.

This is the time of year where we put together our biggest edition, and it is full of various facts and figures related to the area that we cover, which is known as military resale, military stores for service members, their families, and retirees.

We cover military commissaries (supermarkets) and exchanges (department stores) that have been expressly set up for military folks.

The book has to get out, so I labor on Labor Day.

I have been at this job since March 1996, and I have had exactly three Labor Days off in that period.

So, yes, I labor on Labor Day.

It is a somewhat slow day. We are working on getting out the book, but our contacts are not in, so there  is a lack of phone calls.

And since few people in my place of work are in this day, it is very, very quiet.

So while you guys are having barbecues and enjoying a three-day weekend, I am laboring on Labor Day.

Sure, I get to pick another day to take off, but I usually pick one of the upcoming Jewish holidays to take off, so it is like exchanging a guillotine for a firing squad.

One day is to work and to substitute that day for one where you are supposed to suffer really isn't that great a trade off, is it?

So I labor on Labor Day, what can I say?

What I can say is that I am dead tired, and I can't wait for this process to end, the book is out, and we get back to normal.

I have also worked the past five Saturdays, very early in the morning (4 a.m.) so I can work and have the rest of the day to do what I need to do on Saturday, like shopping and doing other things normal people do on one of their days off.

Work, work, work, work, work, work ...

Idle hands are the devil's playground ...

Work, work, work, work, work, work ...

I need to rest.

You have a nice day, y'hear?