Unusual Pet Peeves I Blame on the Night Shift.

This month marks my fourth year of working overnights. While I really enjoy my job (for the most part), there are still things that drive me CRAZY, and I'm sure there always will be. Besides the obvious mental toll it takes on a person, simply due to the thought of RARELY sleeping when everyone else is, there are a few odd things I wouldn't feel such contempt for if I worked when normal people do.

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Lawnmowers. I really shouldn't have to give them a second thought. I live in an apartment, so I never have to mow, and I don't have one, so who cares? I HATE THESE CONTRAPTIONS WITH A PASSION. There is nothing worse than being awakened from your REM cycle by the loud, growling start-up of a mower outside. What's even worse is that as the mower gets farther away, I drift back off to sleep, only to be jolted awake again when it comes back through as it follows its path.

2. The UPS man. I devote myself to sleep from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. most of the time, especially lately, I'm up at 2:15, but I detest being interrupted before 4. Felix gets a lot of packages via UPS, or FedEx, and most of the time they need signed for. Luckily for me, I don't even hear them ring the doorbell, but it ends up being a huge pain in the butt when they just won't leave the package at the door. Why does it need signed for? And if it does, why do these people deliver during the hours most people aren't home?

3. Woodpeckers. This should be self-explanatory. My mom laughs hysterically for some reason when I'm on the phone with her as I'm walking in my door at 7:30 a.m. and she can hear our resident woodpecker pecking away in the background. I'm glad you think it's funny, MOTHER...why don't you try sleeping through the incessant pecking!

4. Traffic. I know everyone hates traffic, but when I drive to work just before 11 p.m., there are almost no cars on the road, and half the time I glide through stop lights because no one is around (I know this is illegal, but I'm pretty sure Youngstown City cops will let me go when I explain my obvious disdain at stopping at red lights as I drive through the ghetto. Car jacking? No thanks.). So when I'm out and about in the daylight on weekends, the bumper-to-bumper traffic makes me crazy, because I'm just not used to it. The fact that I hail from a town with a cornerstore and one blinker light doesn't make my Traffic Hatred any easier.

5. My Electric Bill. I sleep in Talia's room during the week, so Felix can get ready for work without having to tip-toe around and worry about waking me up. He opens the door when he leaves to allow some airflow through the room, but with blackout curtains on the windows, the room can get stifling hot. Which means our air-conditioner is running once it hits above 70 degrees. This doesn't make for a cheap electric bill. Especially once we're in mid-July and I run the air-conditioning during the day when I'M sleeping, and Felix runs it at night when HE'S sleeping.

6. CANCER. This isn't so much as a "pet-peeve" as it is an actual worry. Studies show women have a significant increased risk of cancer if they work night shift for a prolonged period of time. Umm...where's my pay differential, people?! Shouldn't I be earning a little more money for putting my HEALTH at risk?

7. My Metabolism. I swear it hates me. I haven't done a scientific study, but I'm willing to bet working nights makes it MUCH harder to lose weight. I use a heart rate monitor when I work out, keep track of every calorie that goes into my body, and according to my online calculations, I should lose 2 pounds a week. I'm blaming it on the toll the night shift takes on my body for only allowing me to lose approximately 1 pound a month. It's very discouraging.

I could probably rant a lot longer on my night-shift pet peeves...(like how much I hate it when people call me during the day, leaving me voicemails that say "sorry to interrupt your nap". Ok bitch, I'll call you at 3 in the morning and apologize profusely for interrupting your little cat nap. THIS IS MY SLEEP PEOPLE!), but I won't. I really am lucky to have a job I enjoy, and get paid decently to do. There are also a few perks, like the fact that I never have to deal with daytime office drama. I work with three other people, and we all get along fantastically for the most part. We're not bothered by co-workers' problems, or constant phone calls from people who have no clue what they're talking about. We also don't have to deal with management...so if I do anything wrong, most of the time it's brought to my attention via email, as opposed to an office all-page accompanied by a trip to the news director's office.

I know a lot of you work crazy schedules, too. Any pet-peeves I might appreciate?