A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a mini-battle I had with Beaker (my boss) about a three-day weekend I had taken for a short vacation getaway.  I did not relent, and I took that Friday off despite Beaker’s resistance. 

Flimjo 1, Beaker 0.

Another Battle

Recently, however, Beaker tried teasing me about my attempt to take another, extended vacation.  See, my wife is pregnant with our second child.  He knows I would have probably aimed to take some time off for the holidays in December and head out of town to visit my wife’s family.  But with the pregnancy, we won’t be able to travel in December. 

Beaker knows that, and the following exchange took place the other day:

  • Beaker: “So, no holiday break this year, huh?”
  • Flimjo: “No, I guess not.  She’ll be 8 months pregnant then, and we won’t be able to take a flight anywhere.”
  • Beaker: (smiling)

Beaker 1Remember that Beaker hates it when I take vacations because every day I am not here and billing hours is a day that he loses money.

Flimjo Takes The Lead

His little sarcastic teasing, of course, didn’t keep me down.  I’ve worked my butt off for him this year, and NOTHING was going to stop me from taking some extended time off later this year and before my second child is born. 

So, instead of taking a couple weeks off for the holidays, I decided to take my  ”holiday vacation” at another holiday-like time: September.  Specifically, I am taking two weeks off in the middle of the month.

I obviously had to inform Beaker about my plans.  Here is how the exchange went:

  • Flimjo: “Did you take at that draft of that letter I left in your chair?”
  • Beaker: “No.  But I’ll get to it.”
  • Flimjo: “OK.”
  • Beaker: “So what else is going on?”
  • Flimjo: “Oh, before I forget, since I won’t be able to take any time off in December, I’m going to take a couple of weeks off in September.”
  • Beaker: (silence, then a pause) “Where you going?”
  • Flimjo: “Up north to visit my in-laws.”
  • Beaker: (pause) “OK.”

The Calendar

Not to be outdone by myself, I decided to throw another wrinkle at Beaker.  Normally, I have to have his secretary make notes on his online calendar of when I’m not in the office.  For example, if I take a day off, she has to write: “Flimjo – Out of Office – Vacation.”

I asked his secretary to write the following for each day from September 15 through September 26: “Flimjo – Out of Office – Christmas Vacation.”

And boom goes the dynamite.

Beaker 2

Flimjo 2, Beaker 0.

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