I Would Never Make It on Wall Street

Or in any other setting that requires lots of hours worked consistently. Like, say, more than 45 a week for a few weeks in a row. I'm hoping this doesn't make me lazy, just... unaccustomed to a faster pace of life and uninterested in becoming accustomed to that sort of nonsense.

This week was SRW, a week long program or series of programs doing stuff. It's complicated to explain and not really germane to my point. It did require that I be at work at 6:30 A.M. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. And no, I did not get to leave early. In fact, I stayed a little late. Today is finally Friday and by the grace of God (and my awsome boss), I don't have to work as late as I anticpated. Although, she did say "you look tired!" when she came in this moring which I totally appreciated, let me tell you. So, to do the math (on a calculator), discounting today (TGIF), I've already worked 41 hours this week and will end the week with 50-52 hours clocked. And no, I don't get flex time or time off or over time or that. All I get is the satisfaction of a job well done. And to leave earlier than anticipated today (but still after normal business hours).

Does this sound whiny? Are you thinking "Mags. For real? Suck it up and deal."? Probably. And I would blame you. However, I do implore you to take this into account. I leave tomorrow afternoon for Conference (in Baltimore, where my sister spent the summr doing an internship with some government something). It's work. So, I'll be traveling for work Saturday (I'm not an awesome traveller), leading an orientation Sunday morning, spending Sunday afternoon in a business meeting, attending sessions at least 9-5 on Monday and Tuesday (with evening commitments as well), and traveling again on Wednesday. Oh, and back at work Thursday, with a night committment to teach class. And Friday, to complete my assessment stuff.

Do I mind doing all this? Not really. I love my job. I like being in a new place (although I dislike traveling). Would I be able to maintain this (what seems to me to be a) frenetic pace for much longer? No. Boss Lady is right. I AM tired. My eyes are slgihtly puffy (although excellent eye makeup application helped some). My throat hurts (probably from allergies but really, how much straw can a camel's back hold?). My e-mail has piled up. I need to go to the store. I want to buy a new purse (don't tell my dad!). And I miss my routine. To add insult to injury, the automatic door opener for the fire door near my office is acting up and making a heinous noise. Stop being lazy, people, and use your arms to open that door!

So, the point of my exhaustion driven diatribe is: I'm not a workaholic. I do my stuff. I do the extra that's asked of me. But I'm not trying to knock myself out every day working 14 hours. I have things that I want to do for myself. Like cook, snuggle my dog, clean my house (not that I ever want to do this), see people outside of work, make sure the BF doesn't leave my because I'm never around, and sleep.