Holiday Cheer and The SCROOGE
I’ve been feeling a bit hum bug this year. I get the feeling that a lot of people are feeling this way. Seriously the holiday felt like it just snuck up on us. I can’t tell if its just because we’re focused on moving into the new house, or if its because work is nuts, or what…. But today I finally felt the spirit of the season.
So Ryan’s on the schedule to work Christmas. I feel like finally I’ve been able to detach myself from THE DAY of the holiday. Its more about the idea of the holiday, and I feel like I’ve gotten to the point where I’m OK if we celebrate Christmas, or Valentine’s, or Thanksgiving on a day other than the actual holiday. Survival tactic or not, I finally feel good about the whole thing.
That’s why it was a shock today when Ryan got a call from another firefighter who volunteered to trade him shifts so Ryan could spend the holiday with his family. Wha? This guy looked down the list of guys working and saw that Ryan was the only non single, non divorced guy who was working on Christmas, so he called Ryan to offer to let him be with us on the actual day. Can you believe that? Ryan and I discussed it and we both felt bad letting that guy work on Christmas just for us. But we thought maybe this guy needed the sense of family at the fire station that he wasn’t going to get at home alone on Christmas, so it was perfect for both of the guys. So Ryan called him back to accept. And I made plans to make treats to take to that guy’s station as a thank-you.
And then Scrooge came and ruined the holiday for all the Who’s in Whoville.
The Chief of Ryan’s department commanded today that not a single person was going to be allowed to trade shifts on Christmas. The reason? It would be too confusing for the poor Scheduling people (who get to celebrate the holiday at home with their families). Oh those poor, poor scheduling people.
So to the people at Ryan’s work who are selfish enough to not care a bit about people and their families during the holiday season: I hope you enjoy your time at home with your loved ones and that you SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT.
Oh you”ve got to be kidding! I was all ready to write a "hey that’’s so cool of that guy!" comment and then BAM! The part about the Scrooges. Bah humbug to them!
Michele sent me! Have a merry Christmas regardless of the Scrooges. They”ll get theirs
That is utter and pure bull shit. I”m so sorry this happened. Let me guess: The Chief is off that day, isn”t he???
Hang in there and have a Merry Christmas!
I”m married to a cop, so I can completely relate. ((Hugs)) Have a Merry Christmas anyway.
Michele sent me today!
That sucks ass.
I have to work Christmas as well and our department is 22 people short for Christmas Day so some of the offgoing shift will have to be held over.
Glad to find another firefighting blog. I”m going to add you to my links. Come on over and visit.
Clark Oliver
"Women, Fire & Dangerous Things"
Man, that chief is just bloated with power. That’’s ridiculous. I”m sorry to hear that your Christmas had to be changed. Hopefully you can make up for it. The guy that tried to trade is just a saint and should be rewarded.
Here via Michele’’s. Merry Christmas!
Yeah, I will be working as well. I have had the fortune of having guys trade Christmas Eve for Christmas Day in the past, apparently that is when they celebrate it. Either way, you should go and spend time with your man and his other family on Christmas. Don”t forget to take a treat though.
Merry Christmas
what’’s confusing??? you have someone ready, willing, and wanting to trade! it’’s not like you guys went seeking. sorry
Christmas snuck up on me too. I”m just not ready yet. I mean, shopping is done, gifts mostly wrapped, but I”m not ready mood wise. It will hit tomorrow maybe.
here via Michele
I cannot believe he did that! That makes no sense at all to me. He should allow people to do the good deed of taking someone’’s place if they want to. Why on earth would the scheduling people care anyway?
Michele sent me.
That was really sweet of that guy to offer to trade, I”m sorry that the swap wasn”t allowed to happen. I hope you have a nice Christmas regardless.
Awwww…THAT SUCKS!
I”m sorry this happened to you guys, but how nice of the other guy to make the offer…what a wonderful Christmas spirit he has shown.
I”ve worked holidays my whole nursing career, up until the past few years where I finally have enough seniority. It IS a great survival tactic to think of it as ”just a day” and to keep track of the meaning of the holiday.
Merry, merry Christmas, and i hope you do get to spend a few quality moments of Yuletime with your Hubby.
He”d better hope that he doesn”t need the fire department called out to his house over the next few days.
Michele sent me here. Have a great Christmas.
what kind of crap is that? that chief does not have the spirit of christmas in him. no matter, it shouldn”t ruin your festivities. a blessed christmas to you and yours, dear. here via michele.
OMG!!! How awful is that? That’’s the worst Christmas story I have heard yet this year. That chief made a terrible mistake in team spirit and loyalty. Firemen chance their lives everyday for everyone, and he’’s taking away the momentum of the team by doing stuff like that.
Yuck. BAH HUMBUG CHIEF WHATEVER-YOUR-NAME-IS. You suck.
Here from Michele’’s today… I hope your Christmas is special nonetheless.
ps: I”ve blogrolled you! I”ll be back when I can find a connection from Europe!
Gee…that is really too bad…the best laid plans, and all that!…But Hopeully you will enjoy the time you do have together…
I”m here fromMichele today and I wish you a Very Merry Christmas!
Lol, don”t lie, you do not wish them well and hope they sleep well at night.
Fuckers.
(oops, is this a family show?)
Anyway. Nothing like having the prize dangled in your face and then getting it snatched away.
Guess what I got for Christmas?
A D50. =)
Maybe we can help each other over this enormous learning curve.
Merry Christmas, dude. I”m sorry you”re bah-humbuggy.
J
Have a fabulous New Year!