It’s almost 8:30pm and I’m going to bed in a half hour. No, I’m not 80 years old.

It bothers me every year since I’ve been in merch (my department at work). During the Christmas season, I have to be at work by 5am with some days requiring me to be in even earlier, with the earliest of days starting at 3am. On a day that starts at 5am, I have to be awake by 3:45am. When I was younger and working far fewer hours, I would simply ignore the need for sleep and go with less. This doesn’t work as a full timer, though.

The past month and a half has been rough because of these early days. In order to get enough sleep and make it through the next day, I have to be in bed by 9am. On some days, I’m in bed even earlier. This schedule makes for a paltry social life. On the weekends, the little time I have with Melanie is cut down even shorter as I try to get home on time to get some sleep. During the week, television shows I want to watch are, often times, simply ignored. The days, themselves, can all start to blur together once the stress from work is mixed in to this annoying schedule.

This is why I’ve been a tad miserable at times. I hate the Christmas season because, since I’ve been 15, it’s always meant more work and more stress. While you’re thinking about Christmas day, I’m hoping and praying I’m not working the next day. I know this is the life I chose, but it’s not always peaches and cream. All of this can really age a guy.