Ok this is pretty cool. My two favourite web diversions in the same place at once.

I love xkcd.

And I do actually do this, I tell people I'm on PST or EST

(One of my favourite books is Eastern Standard Tribe because it hits absolutely spot on the feeling of being 'out of zone')

I tend to deny the existance of days. eg. theres no such thing as wednesday, friday, etc. There are just the shifts I'm working and the space in between. When someone asks when i'm doing on saturday I usually have to ask how many days away that that is.

Also the xkcd irc channel is usually an interesting place to hang out.

There are just the shifts I'm working and the space in between.

This is so true. Especially with a run of 8 or more shifts, the concept of a "week" just loses all meaning. I've been known to badly scare clients by assuring them it was Saturday and concert day when, in fact, it was still Friday. Not life threatening, but then, they're musicians and love drama.

Absolutely.

I'm like an alcoholic - I take one day at a time. Even if I don't know what day it is.

Sometimes you just know someone else is xkcd even without being told. :)

I've never worked shifts, but always had problems with shifting sleep schedules. I think I was intended for a planet with a 27 hour day!

Of course, you do realise that those who you've just introduced to XKCD will probably spend the rest of the day reading through their archives. Think of the wasted productivity!

I've never really worked shifts. But on average I work four 12 hour days, two 16 hrs days and a 7 hr day in a week and often for 3 weeks straight without a day off. I doesn't half screw my body up, so if I get a day off in the week I end up sleeping through it.

It's night shift (22:00 - 07:00) that buggers me up big time...shame i've got some next week!

The most asked question by every Police officer and no doubt anyone who works a shift pattern has got to be "what day is it?" Dates, yes - days? not a clue. I only ever say good morning to people as it's only sensible to say good morning after you've been asleep and it either has just been, or soon will be morning again anyway. I still get corrected when I say "see you tomorrow" after finishing a night duty when the next shift starts again that evening. 30 odd years of this can't be good for the system.

Its bad for us when we have to do a 'mini mental test' where one of the questions for the patient is 'What day is it?' and both attendant and driver need to check their diaries to make sure that it's the right answer.

And yes, 'morning' is my normal greeting, often at 9pm at night when I meet the night staff in the hospital.

And the 'see you tomorrow' thing? Depressing isn't it.

You ask your patients the day/date? ah that'd be just for your to write the details on your patient record n'est-ce pas? ;0)
If a crew came to me and asked taht question i think i'd wanna hit them.
It's something i never ask and become quite exasperated when someone doe esp GPs!.
what's your date of birth... what have you done today... there are plenty of other questions for checking short-term memory loss. Strangely enough i am better at remembering days than dates.
What are you doing on the 17th?
what day is that?
it's next thursday
Ahhh. I am on days!
Sorted!

thanks for the intro to xkcd, Tom.
Something else to get my teeth in to - as such :0)

Trouble is I'm in Siberia & I don't like the cold!