I try not to disparage my employment on the internet. I mean, at least I have employment, and I'd like to keep it that way.

But there are some days when I wish I could just leave and never return. I dread coming in five days a week, I really do. There are many reasons. The main one is that I feel wasted. I am in debt for a degree I've yet to use. My brain is slowly turning to soup due to disuse.

Another reason is that this is not necessarily my choice of job anyhow. I applied because I was qualified, and now I am not qualified to do anything but work with animals.

My department is arguably the backbone of the shelter. We do all the cleaning and directly care for every animal. However, it seems that all the other departments think we're just there to clean up their messes. The shelter is changing it's hours, making it so that we have 3 hours fewer each week to finish cleaning before patrons come in. We are under-staffed; not because we don't have it in the budget to hire more people, but because we aren't allowed to do so until summer.

There are several other factors I could add, but I refuse to list names and point fingers more than I already have. What I have written is plenty.

All of this adds up to some very stressed, frustrated and resentful employees. Myself included.

I dislike my situation, but I cannot afford to quit. I need a replacement job that pays at least as much as I'm making. I'm not making heaps, but it's enough. I would like to have a job I actually like, though I'm not actually sure what that would be.

So I continue in this drudgery. And I feel like I'm losing bits of myself to this tired place*.

*Some lyrics from Cold Truth, Guggenheim Grotto