LOUSY

This morning I woke up stuffy with a slight headache (nothing I couldn't have worked through). I froze for a minute, I was sitting there, a contact lens on my left index finger, seized with indecision. Once you put in the contacts, you know, you are officially awake--no going back. I was having my customary Monday morning, "UUGH! I should just call in sick!!" sensation that I've felt on 10 thousand other mornings. But this morning, I guess, there were just a few extra factors that tipped the scales (to the renegade side) I was listening to the rain, thinking what a damn fine soundtrack that is for sleeping in. I had a bit of a headache (so that the needed lie would have very tenuous roots in reality) . Plus, I had this lady from payroll accost me in the lunchroom last week to let me know that I had soooo much ETO banked (over 300 hrs) that I wasn't accruing it anymore. What an opportunity to make a little dent in that, right?

So I returned my lens to the case and called in to work. I kinda feel like, if I'm ALWAYS there and for the most part reliable (which I am...I think 300+ hrs of untouched ETO speaks to that fact) that it shouldn't be a black mark against me if I were to call in and say "I have some ETO to use and I just spontaneously decided to take a 'ME day', I felt like I would be much happier if this week were only 4 days long, so I shall see you on Tuesday!" No, I didn't say that. (OF COURSE I didn't!!) But I feel like I should be able to. What's wrong with it? Oh, there's something wrong with it if you do it all the time, but I think a few times a year is perfectly reasonable.

But no, this morning I said "I just feel LOUSY and I'm not going to be any good today. I will be in tomorrow" So a nonspecific "lousy" gives me some hours to deliberate over just what my malady was. A "splitting headache" sounds like a kinda wussy complaint, but on the other hand, I always use diarrhea/nausea , so I feel compelled to mix it up. Otherwise, my boss might urge me to go to a GI surgeon. Just jesting... I *really DON'T* do this very often.

Ohh...some other factors I forgot that make this a fine day for hooky. It's the birthday of 7th prez Andrew Jackson...who was a pretty rad presidente. He fought 13 duels to defend his wife's honor . He delivered a beatdown to the wackadoo who tried to assassinate him. He was like an action star for the nineteenth century. Very Die Hard for the powdered wig set.

Also...the ides of March. Maybe my inner Calpurnia thought I would come to harm if I went to work today. After all, that's how it worked right? (So sez the Bard, anyhow) Cal had the dream of Caesar getting offed and she begged him to skip work and send word he was sick. Caesar was too good for such a ruse and LOOK WHAT IT GOT HIM--- multiple stab wounds. Doesn't pay to be hyper-ethical, eh?