....workaholic.

Help me out, guys. I'm going on my first vacation from work in five years. Don and the kids and I have taken a shorehouse in Ocean City, NJ next week. No online access (holy other addiction withdrawal! ) and no daily contact with work. ( I could contact work, but they've basically told me to get out and stay the hell away for a week. )

I have no clue how to cope with this. How do I get through a week without knowing what is going on in my division??

Any other workaholics among us, or am I the only one? And who am I when there's no work and there's no online access???

Andrea
who has her pedometer!!! :thefinger

I was able to handle a week in the Bahamas by only checking email twice. You can do it, Duck. I actually only responded to a couple of notes, both short "Go ahead and do it" approvals, but at least I felt somewhat informed.

Or you can go buy a wireless modem.

I had a boss whose favorite saying was, "The graveyard is filled with irreplaceable people."

We're all important to our jobs, but they'll find a way to make do when we're not there.

You'll have a fantastic time. Pretend that you've struck it rich and no longer have to worry about having a job--and you're starting a new life as a philanthropist as soon as your vacation is over ('cause otherwise it's tempting to stress about why you're doing nothing. )

My secret is to go for longer than a week for your first vacation.

I find that it takes me a week to prepare for my vacation - making sure everyone at works has been filled with every last bit of knowledge I could possibly share.

Then once I'm there I'll spend at least two or three days wondering if everythng is Ok back at the office, then maybe I'll have one or two days (not even a real weekend) of relaxation. Then the plans for coming home and what to do first when I start work will start to occupy my mind.

Once I'm back there's usually more work to do because if I'm only gone for a week people will say, let it wait for Katherine.

In the end I wondered why I bothered.

Then I discovered two week vacations.
:celebrate :celebrate

Once I had my first two week vacation I realized that I could relax, that work didn't fall apart without me. Ever since then I've been able to make even a long weekend feel like a wonderful break.

Nicholemere - absolutely. I do have a side to personality that isn't connected to work, and by the second week it might actually be able to come out and relax. It's hard to envision taking two weeks in a row, but gosh darn it, maybe next year.

Meanwhile, I feel like I am planning for my death. I'm so stressed, I could just throw up. You know that commercial where the woman is leaving for a week and she makes all of the meals for the family and color codes them and explains the color codes (green, vegetables)?? Well that's me, walking around the office the last few days.

Expect a proof of the pink ribbon lapel pin from Taiwan. Barb, it's coming to your attention. Now, if the guy forgets to put your name on it, it could sit on the loading dock, so be sure you check with Jim to see if there are any packages for me, for you, or any unidentified packages from Taiwan, every day.

Compare the color of the pink pin with our existing stock. Our goal here is that the colors are comparable. You can't approve the proof if it isn't comparable, but, on the other hand, I'm desperate for stock, so don't be too picky. We didn't have time for the first proof and we sure don't have time for a second proof, so check it, but don't check too closely.

As soon as you approve it, email Taiwan right away. Watch out for emails from our guy in Taiwan though, because he seems to have an unusual number of viruses in his computer. Once you email him, he's going to put you in his address book, and then, darn it, he'll accidently send you a virus in a couple of days. So, never open any attachments from him under any circumstances. If you get one, notify the controller right away, but don't open it!

I am driving the people I work with crazy. Any wonder why they want to kick me to the curb for a week so they can have some peace?

Andrea
who didn't even get into trying to get a family of 4 ready for a week's vacation this is restful???

Here's something to put a big smile on your face.

While relaxing on the beach, or in some cases dodging raindrops,
yet wondering how they are doing without you, just let your mind wander to the thoughts of the joy you will have responding to the 378 emails and the 47 voice mails that await your return.

Quote:Originally posted by Yarborough
. . . responding to the 378 emails and the 47 voice mails that await your return.

Only 378? You've seriously underestimated our resident Duck.

Deb
who's betting on 378 the first day

Excuse me for being totally off topic, but now, because of your title, this song is going through my head:

My name is Plucky.
I live on the second floor.
I live upstairs from you.
Yes, I think you've seen me before...


Oh well, at least it's knocked OOOOOOOOOOklaahoma out of my head for a while.


My name is Plucky.
I live on the second floorr.


ARRRRHHHHHHGGHGHGH

ROFL!

God, we are simple. We are all very simple.

Andrea
who has two floors at home, but only one at work

I survived!

And had a wonderful time. I'll admit I had almost zero trouble getting into vacation mode, once I hit the shore. There is something about a shore town that just brings my blood pressure and anxiety level down. :thumbs: I think it would have been a lot harder if I'd had a heavily scheduled vacation with planes to catch and such. The fact that I was pretty close to a phone at almost any time, even though I rarely used it helped with the withdrawal.

Now, to pick up the pieces...

The correct email total is 278 so far, but my box is still loading from my work server.

Andrea
who is not joking but still in a good post vacation mood

Gee! I was exactly 100 emails too high.
And yet others felt you could do evern higher.

I'm sure all were delighted:Dthat you found your way back.
Glad you were able to unwind. NOW BACK TO WORK.

I was a workaholic, but then I just quit cold turkey and am still going through withdrawal.

SOMEBODY GIVE ME SOMETHING TO COLLATE AND STAPLE!
ANYBODY WITH A MEETING I CAN ATTEND?
WHO HAS AN ASS I CAN KISS OR A BACK I CAN STAB?