Perpetual Ruminations

Saturday

Saturday comes to a close and what a day it has been. I suppose the day itself isn't so much the issue, as how it passed for me. I was up about three fifteen this morning, and moving slow. I had taken some cold medication last night before bed, and it really knocked me out. The label indicates two tablets every six hours, and I only had five hours before the alarm went off, but I figured it would have been pretty well out of my system by then.

But, it was still working well after five hours, and I had this cloud around me I could not break out of. I did get ready and off on time, and even got to drive the van and go to work in style instead of in my old GMC Jimmy. But, I could have just as well been in a goat cart for as much as I was aware of anything. I was still very drowsy from the medication, but I managed to drive fine, just so out of it. I watched close for deer, and kept it cool, so being tired would not create a risk of falling asleep. But that wasn't the case, either. I didn't have any problems staying awake, I was just completely out of it. I must have only driven about fifty mile per hour for as long as it took me to drive in.

I got clocked in and opened with no problems, and luckily it was just dead at work, because I was still stuck in that cloud and struggling to get through my morning routine. It started to get busy around six thirty, and I was just starting to come out of the fog then. I know it was the medication, and it took eight hours to wear off, not six. Oh well, you live and learn, right?

So, tonight I will make sure I have at least eight hours before taking any medications for the night. Only if I don't get this done soon, I'm going to run short on time, but if I take it now, I doubt I will be writing anything that makes any sense at all  in just a few minutes. It's kind of crazy how wiped out some of the over the counter cold medications can make a person.

Anyway, my day. It started to get busy around six thirty, an hour sooner than normal, and it stayed pretty busy all morning. It would die out a bit, but only for a little while, then it would pick back up again. It seemed like everyone was out to make an early start, and then it just kind of crapped out for the rest of the day. I can't say it got slow, it did at times, but then a group of guests would come through and we would be hopping for a little while before it would taper down to almost no one at all. Rhonda said if it did not pick up by three, I should leave early, since I'm not feeling well.

Of course, it was pretty dead by then, and only a few guests here and there. But, just about three o'clock another rush hit and we were pretty busy for at least a half hour. Then it slowed, but picked up again around four. This group was smaller orders and went pretty fast, but it just continued to bounce up and down until about five. Then it slowed back down and I was able to get off work by quarter after five. Kind of funny since it was only going on two when we discussed me leaving if it did not get any busier by three. Almost as if someone heard and planned to hit us with the heavy traffic at three and hold it till five, my regular time to clock out.

The heat made it even worse, although I don't know how hot it actually got. The humidity was forecast to only hit into the forty percent range, but it was plenty muggy at work this afternoon. Being sick made it worse, and for some odd reason, I could not stay out of the hot sun. I would have one guest pull up under the overhang, and another would pull up to exit. Since I was taking the first persons information down, Rhonda would go out to check the one leaving. By the time I finished, another would pull up to the exit side, but behind the first, so out in the sun, on the hot blacktop. This seemed to be the norm for me, sometimes two or three would pile up out there and traffic would hang until I finally finished the last guest, then the line would move again.

Normally I wouldn't mind it, but today the heat out there was making me feel even sicker, and twice I felt like I was going to actually get nauseous from the heat and sun. Of course, it would slow down some again and I would get a rest out of the sunshine and feel a little better, only to have to repeat the whole scene a little while later. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I had more trouble trying to stay awake on the drive home than the drive in.

Once I got home, I made a sandwich for my dinner, then took a nap and slept until about nine thirty this evening. That's why it's so late getting this entry in, and why I'm running behind on my bedtime.