Good Riddance, Ledo's!

The past week has been busy.

I quit Ledo's Pizza on Sunday. Yes, I've complained a lot about this job, but I was going to try to see it through until school started. My shift Saturday night changed my mind. There's one evening manager that annoyed me on a regular basis and decided to crank up the antics a notch or three. I was the focus of every joke that night and was chewed out in front of the customers. A few jokes here and there, I can take that in stride - I have a decent sense of humor after all. I despise mean-spirited jabs. Especially when they're accompanied by a fake smile or smirk. The chewing out occurred after I made a mistake on a pizza order - the first since I started working there. Actually, the customer (with little kid in tow) didn't care about the mistake. Ironically, I think the manager's behavior will keep that person from coming back with the coupon he received.

It was almost as if he were trying to get a rise out of me. I calmly continued my duties until the end of the night, knowing very well that if I tried to defend myself, I would say something nasty. Really nasty. After a phone call to my parents who couldn't seem to decide whether or not they were pleased or disappointed in me, I decided to go in the next day and speak my mind. Well, I had decided that about 2 hours into my shift, but I like to make decisions with a level head.

So, early Sunday evening I walked up to an empty restaurant. No, it was open, just empty. The younger manager was outside with the waitresses smoking and I asked to speak with him. He tried to get me to sit down in a booth to talk, but I refused. I wanted this to be short and to the point. I dropped a little plastic bag in front of him and began.

"I quit. Here is my shirt and my badge."

"May I ask why?"

"Sure. You can ask your father for more details, but I consider myself an intelligent young woman who doesn't like to be talked down to or ridiculed in front of other employees and customers. I'll be back to pick up my last paycheck or you can mail it to me. Your choice."

He seemed stunned that I quit, but that faded as soon as I mentioned his father. Apparently, I'm not the first one.

I still have to go pick up my paycheck today. I'm hoping it will be a simple run in and out deal. At least, I plan on making it that way. Then, I drive up to my parents' house to help my father with some office work. I'm not stupid, I'll need money at some point. As long as this doesn't get thrown into my face all weekend...

I also hoped that the general decrease in my stress level would have a gradual, positive impact on my voice. Nope, wrong again. As of today, I have not been able to sing an A above the staff for a week. For those of you non-singer people, this is bad. I usually can and need to sing well above that on a regular basis.

After trying everything I know, I emailed my teacher for a lesson which we had yesterday. Overall, my technique was fine, but my voice was breathy. That typically means there's swelling (not good), irritation (not good), or damage (not good). They can be caused by anything from allergies to immune disorders to air conditioning changes.

Take a wild guess what I think it is.

I've had some suspicion that my RA was slowly seeping its way back into my life, but its all been circumstancal evidence. Joint stiffness in the morning, but especially after I've worked out. Fatigue, but I've been working two jobs and teaching lessons. My knees hate my bicycle, but my tires could need air again. Everything could have an explanation other than arthritis. I think its about time I start keeping track - a doctor's visit may be in order.