Okay so time to clarify this post.

Awhile back (Probably about in August or so) I was offered a promotion, accepted and had to apply to it. Problem, my last performance review score wasn't quite where we needed it to be.

I actually accepted the offer because there were certain things I was absolutely just fucking sick of.

I was constantly getting stuck in one spot, never getting to move down the line, certain jobs were becoming "Raven Jobs," if something came up like getting board certified, well there was always a reason to put me back in the queue and then when I would try to bring it up that I was getting, understandably frustrated with things like that, I'd get "...but you're so good at it!"

Several times, I'd do exactly as I was told only to catch heat about it later. Naturally, I'd lay it all out again and all that would come of it is we just all wasted our time.

With this promotion, I wouldn't have to deal with any of that any more.

Also, our new assistant manager in there had been yanking me around. A simple yes or no question would result in deflection, big talk about how he was in my corner, how I'd done such a great job, etc (I'll come back to that later) and it would drive me to the point where I'd just walk away. I'd been flat disrespected by a new tech two days in a row, caught a massive storm of shit from a patient he kept waiting because he wasn't going to do his job, would not listen to me and blew me off in front of both one of the pharmacists and our pharmacy manager. He said he would talk to that tech and all I heard after that was crickets...with the same results to boot.

I don't believe he ever made good on his word.

Same assistant manager comes to me asking me if I'd like to take morning shifts (to me, meant the 8am - 4pm shift) I was like "Yeah..." and then a week later he's pointing to the schedule going "Well hey you have the morning shift on Saturday and Sunday!"

Let me tell you why I felt the urge and had to resist to just say "fuck this noise, I'm out." Saturdays and Sundays, that pharmacy has hours of 9am - 6pm. Anyone who works a weekend...those are your shifts, 9 - 6.

He had a habit of constantly doing that. He'd lie and then spin it. Confirmation came because, after the application and not hearing anything, I decided to do some digging. I found out we'd have to wait for the performance review. Oh great...that's just peachy. After this guy had lied to me directly this many times, my stomach sank into my ass and threatened to come out.

Performance review day came...my lowest score ever. After the big game he talked and all the buttering up, this was the one time I was hoping he wasn't lying his ass off. When I saw the overall score. I tore up the hard copy and threw it in the trash. He wasn't the one delivering the news. Of course not, he was far too craven to do it and now that his lies had caught up to him, he knew that I'd probably tear his soul out for this. I saw blood red.

I was told there were options. I could still get a raise (okay, that was fine but no longer the point) and my skills at handling people, the things I do for them, yes, even the ones that just drive me to want to shake them and go "WILL YOU PLEASE WAKE THE FUCK UP?!" at times, I will still go farther out of my way than I probably should. That at least counted for something. I could move back to the floor. It would be less stress, a bit more money and, in a year, I'd easily get that promotion.

The main reason I accepted rather than just quit on the spot, I got bills, son and I wasn't about to continue working in close proximity to the AM. In fact, if I had to work with him one day longer than was required, I'd entertained some pretty dark thoughts (think alterwork here, nothing physical).

It wasn't where I wanted to be but it would be better than where I was.

On the way to work today, I had Airbourne's song "Back In The Game" playing on repeat. Pretty appropo song.

My last day in that pharmacy was Wednesday night. I was glad it was over and now the road to my promotion could begin. "I'm a high-octane hurricane, let's get it on!"

Already, signs of trouble. Nothing serious. It's just been three years and some change since I worked in the area and there have been some serious changes in the way things are done. There's just a lot more to it than I thought. Most of it I just fell back into, no problem but there are things to learn and keep in mind. The absolute worst part of it, I knew it was a slower pace but I'm used to hitting the ground running and still getting my ass run over. Now, I'm hitting the ground running wide fuckin' open only to find that I'm now looking for shit to do.

Movement, Oh hell, let's not get started. Being able to move around, I wasn't feeling stiff in my hips, knees and lower back. I didn't come home with a headache. I was actually able to whip the phone out of my damn pocket and check Twitter and some other stuff every once in awhile without someone having something to say about it.

Oh yeah, having pockets again, that's gonna take some getting used to. I've been rocking a goddamn fanny pack for the last two years and now I don't have to. It's a wild AF feeling. So that's the story. After three years of taking shit from both sides, today was the first day in about two that I didn't have someone screeching at me from one side of the counter or the other.

Revisiting a previous point, it was always pointed out "You should know this, that and the third" and my response was always "Okay how do I learn all that from Drive-Thru?" which almost always never got an answer. Some of my patients were shocked that I'd switched over. It is what it is.

Had things gone differently, I might have stayed in there. I can always go back but, I think it's best to say, after three years if I ain't cuttin it, then I don't need to be back there, especially when we're talking dispensing chemicals prescribed to another human being are involved.

Anyway, first day...successful. Sure it might feel like I'm at the prom while someone else is fucking my date but I'm really aiming at the prom queen here and she ain't it.

"I'm built to last
I'll never crash
I'm invincible tonight
feel the energy
runnin' over me
like a bolt through the sky

Go another round
in another town
I'll strike then I'm gone
I'm a high-octane hurricane
let's get it on!

Back in the game,
breakin' hearts again
You better watch out
cuz I'm back in the game

I'm back in the game
kickin' ass again
No stoppin me now
It's like I've never been away..."

-Airbourne "Back In The Game."