Dear Bossman...

Dear Bossman,

As you might have noticed I burned through almost all of my 23 days of vacation this year. I have, I don't know, four hours left to last me until December 31st. Yes, I know I get Thanksgiving and Christmas off but I am tired. I am just not feeling like making the trip to work tomorrow. Before you call HR to decide how to handle this situation which might involve paperwork and my permanent file, let me just run down how my weekend went. I am thinking maybe another day off would put me back in tip top performance shape which would not only help the company but help you as well so you don't have to be around me when I am not at my best. Let's just say being crabby is not normally part of my charm. Or maybe you didn't know that. It can become endearing once you get used to it I suppose. :)

So, just to run it down for you... I woke up on Saturday morning and had to get started on catching up on my TIVO. Lord knows, all hell breaks lose if I run out of space on the recorder. Even though Grey's Anatomy has admittedly been a little odd lately, I still have to watch it. Yes, I am not sure if I can buy the fact that Izzy is having a relationship with her dead boyfriend or that the other interns performed an appendectomy on one of their own just to gain some skills but these are current events, water cooler talk, if you will and I must keep informed if I am to manage my team effectively, don't you agree?

Between episodes of Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Top Chef I had to attend to my mental well being which meant picking up the clutter in the lower level of my house before I go insane and have to call the Employee Assistance Program for some sort of mental referral. Nothing says "this girl is a pig" like a house with junk strewn about. I think of it as saving the company money since I didn't ahve to use my EAP benefit. Just a thought.

At 11:00, I had to start getting ready for my tennis match. As the captain of the team, these ladies need me to be there to offer the appropriate cheering and ear to bend when things just aren't going their way. I also had to track down a player or two who were late for the match. Oddly, much like my job at work only without tennis balls. Or cute clothes. Or fun. (just kidding there...). Again, sort of training for my job. Work related, I'm thinking.

After the match, I had to stop by Target to get some running tights. Seriously, how I am to keep from using a sick day if I am freezing my arse off every morning when I run? Yes, you can view this something I am doing for the company. Not like feverish Fiona who comes in to work sick as a dog to avoid using a sick day. No, not me, I am planning ahead by buying running tights. Oh - and those magic gloves!

Once I got home, I had to further stimulate the economy by eating out. Longhorn, yumm-o! I am just oing my part to keep the financial machine running so none of us bankers lose our jobs. After dinner, I caught up on my reading - the paper, Southern Living, People, In Style. All the classics. Great fodder for those awkward moments spent on conference calls when not everyone has joined yet.

I tried to go to bed around 11:00 to catch up on my sleep and avoid having to ask for another day off but woke to the heat blasting at 75 degrees at 2:00 in the morning. Choking. Finally back to sleep at 3:30ish (or the last time I checked).

Today, I was really tired but woke up anyhow at 8:00 am so I get a run in before my tennis match this afternoon. Again, thinking of the company by staying healthy. Even though my insurance premiums are increasing by $90 a month in January, I am doing my part not to add to the financial burden. A quick 5 miles around my mountain, dash into the grocery for a few items for dinner and home. Just enough time to make breakfast, do the dishes, get a load of laundry going and head to my match which was 20 miles away.

Finished the match at 3:00 and head home. Stop by the grocery AGAIN. (Seriously, how is it I cannot get everything in one trip?). More laundry. Dinner. Made vegetable soup to last the week, a pumpkin pie/cake thingy, pineapple casserole and a ham. Did the dishes again, took out the trash. More laundry. (side note, the laundry would be much easier if I felt confident to toss everything in the drier - I probably have more clothes that line dry than machine dry at this point - crazy). The laundry would take less time if we went back to the casual dress code. Jeans can be tossed in the dryer. Less time spent doing laundry, more time relaxing, less whiny employees. The circle of life. What else this evening... Oh, yes - I did the nightly ritual of packing my gym bag for in the morning and tennis bag for tomorrow night. Later, I have to watch Dexter. I just do. One of those family togetherness things.

As you can see, I was quite busy all weekend. I need a nap. I will be getting up at 4:44 for boot camp tomorrow morning and will be there until 7:00 so feel free to call me on my cell phone. Maybe if I can't get the day off, I could just shut my office door and pretend I am on a conference call? I'll bring an alarm clock just in case.

Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Your employee of 13 years (but who is counting),
Karen