I can relate somewhat. I’ve worked a couple jobs of 12 hr days 7 days a week. When overseas, living on the job site it was easy. I did about six months of that in Houston, driving 45~60 minutes each way. The later half bumped up to 13 hrs to coordinate with the night shift.
I was a lead engineer and one of our designers had a commute that put her on the same section of feeder road off a highway driving the same direction due to a U-turn to get home quickest. One morning, she called me and said she had pulled over because she could not remember if she was going to work or from work. If I would just tell her which, she said she would be fine.
I wouldn’t tell, except that she had to go home and not return until the next day. If she showed up today (she was going to work) I would not sign her time sheet.
At first she was mad because I wouldn’t answer her question. It was winter and the nights were long enough even down here that we drove to and from work in the dark.
I cannot begin to imagine doing 18 hr days past a week or two. I’ve done turn-arounds and that happens then, but not any lasting work.
Most clients I know would take working such hours a sign of the contractor was bad enough they couldn’t get people to work for them. Sadly, not enough would view it that way.
My hat is off to you sir.
You said it, overseas 12 hour days are not easy but a breeze compared to the same in this SH.
45 to 60 minutes commute is a short one these days. I just spent 1.5 hours getting from one office to another. I can’t count the number of times I used to drive home just to go to bed for a bit and wondered why I left work at all. Not doing it anymore.
You have one bucket for money and one bucket for crap. When either one gets full you go home. I used to think that the money bucket had to be close to full.... it doesn’t. Everything is relative.