A Permanent Impression

I'm pretty sure this chair is molded to my butt alone. I don't think anyone else could ever sit in it. Sometimes I can't even sit in it. One of the consultants called yesterday and asked me if I'd had any time off over the holidays. 'Sure, I said - I got Monday off. They don't let me go away.' Then she asked what they do when I'm gone. I just laughed. And then I realized that I haven't taken more than two days off at once since June. Even then, it was only 3 days.

For those of you keeping track, that was seven months ago. Everyone else has had at least two weeks of vacation since then. Even Aubrey, who just started in August.

Everyone but me, who hasn't taken an entire week off of work since 2001. Unless you count unemployment, but I don't think you can factor that in. And still, it's been 3 years since that.

What the hell am I doing? Half of it is that Morgan doesn't get time off. Who wants to vacation alone? Not me. The other half? I'm afraid to go away from the office because someone always needs something. I feel guilty taking half a day off every other month. I get phone calls no matter where I go, so I just don't.

A permanent impression, indeed. There might as well be one of my forehead in the desk.