My supervising partner comes into my office and says, “Might need you this weekend. Be available.” I get it—it’s part of my job. But this is the fourth time he’s done this in as many weeks, and he’s never called me. No call, no email, nothing all weekend. He always says, “You’re around, right? Going to need you.” Then no call.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not opposed to putting in long hours. In fact, if straight-up given the choice to either “work” or “maybe work” a weekend, I would choose to work. At least I would be billing hours and not sitting around my apartment for two days straight, holding my Blackberry like a warhead, and neither enjoying my weekend or actually working. To me, “might” means there’s a decent chance he’ll actually need me, but I’m getting the impression this guy doesn’t need or want me on weekends. He just wants to know that I’m waiting for his call (that never comes) and not having any fun in the meantime. An annoying way to remind me that the firm always comes first.
My main problem is that this weekend I’m taking my girlfriend away for her birthday. She’s been looking forward to it for weeks, and if I postpone the trip only to sit around the whole weekend for no reason, we might as well break up. So I decide to get out in front of it. I tell this ass clown I’m going to be out of town this weekend. “Just giving you a heads up,” I say. And he looks at me with a smug, disapproving grin and says, “Must be nice.”
Aahhh! I want to kill this guy. Must be nice? I was ready to work each of the last four goddamn weekends! And now I’m an undedicated asshole because I want to go away with my girlfriend this weekend? It’s not like if I stayed put I’d actually have work to do. Nor would he even know if I went out of town. Can’t win!!! Now I’m just another lazy schmuck who doesn’t want to work weekends. Sweet.
Happy birthday, honey!
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