Rat Bastards of the Hospitality World.

Been a long time folks, a long long time. I'm divorced now. I'm in love now. I drive a Jeep now. I'm a fitness nut again. I'm working in Northern Canada now, at the world's largest uranium mine. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the North. "Away from the things of man..." a refrain from Joe Vs. The Volcano echoes through the dirty urban alleyways of my mind everytime I board the plane for work. I'm still a chef, but I'm out of restaurants, discovering the true meaning of work life balance. I laugh to think that I thought I had it at my last job. 50 hour weeks, 2 days off if I was lucky, and levels of stress unthinkable for most. I'll spare you the bitterness and let you know that it was nothing close to work life balance. Now this gig... I work 77 hours per week. Then I have a week off. I also get 3 weeks of vacation time.   I joke that I am semi-retired, working 23 weeks of the year.   The winter months are tougher than the summer months.  In the winter I seldom leave the building.  I can spend 7 days completely indoors.  I have fully equipped athletic facilities at my disposal and I use them, which is great.  It doesn't change the fact that I have prison dreams a few times per week.
In the summer it's an entirely different story.  I trail run, canoe, paddleboard and hike. 
In my week off I don't have a care in the world other than the people I love, and I have every moment with them.
My kids are at the age now where they like to hunkermdown with their media and do their own thing.  There is a fulfillment in just being close and available, in knowing they are near and happy!