money & job

Or maybe job & money. Anyway... I'd like to find a new job. I don't hate my job, I don't even really dislike it all that much. I'm just frustrated. It doesn't seem fair to me that upper management gets more weekends off than on, and dept managers get every weekend off, and most floor people get one or two weekends a month off, but I'm expected to work every weekend??? And if I do want one off, I have to put in a request at least a month in advance and hope I get approved for it. If I don't get approved, I have to work it. It didn't bother me one bit until I requested a weekend for J's birthday so we could have friends over and I could actually SEE them, and it got denied. I don't want to be a big grouch, but if I don't get at least one weekend off between now and January, I am going to be livid. I knew I was going to be working most weekends when I got this position, but I also said that if I needed time, I'd put it in. That's annoying but okay. It's when they deny the ONE weekend I ask for in a month that I get mad. So I would like to find a new job. I am being very picky, so there's a good chance I won't find one. Michigan's economy is in the sewer after all. Unemployment is VERY high - the rest of the country has seen dropping unemployment rates, but here in Michigan it just keeps going up. Of course, that only counts the people who can draw an unemployment check. There are many more who are unemployed but have used up their benefits, but since they're not drawing the check, they don't count in the figures. I know all of this, and am going into my job search with open eyes. Here's what I'm looking for: something in an office; 8 or 9am until 5 or 6pm; Monday through Friday - NO WEEKENDS. I am sick and tired of never seeing my friends because they've all got real jobs and I'm the only loser still stuck in retail. I also need to be making at least as much as I make now. I made a comment to J that with him working, we could afford for me to drop down in salary a little bit if it gets me into a job where I'm happier. His response was that he'd love to see me happier, and working more normal hours, but if we're going to save up $15K any time soon, I can't take any kind of a pay cut. He's so right. So I need to make at least as much as I'm making now, if not more, which will be very difficult, especially in this town. If we could move it would help so much - I know of one company just off the top of my head that starts at over a dollar more than I make now, but it's over 2 hours away (I don't even know if they're hiring, but that would be easy enough to find out). We live in a college town, and there's an almost unlimited supply of people willing to work part time for minimum wage, so it's hard to find anything that pays anything above that. He's now a little worried that I want to change jobs, because the economy is so bad right now. I tried to reassure him that I will not quit this job until I have found a new one, and that since I am being so picky I know that there is a chance I won't find what I'm looking for and will have to stay with this job. He still seemed apprehensive about it, but I have promised him and I promise myself - I will not quit my current position until I have a new job lined up - and that new job must fit all of my criteria. The only thing I'm flexible on is weekends - I don't mind the occasional Saturday, but no Sundays - I'd like to start going to church again.