Let the Z's Have It

Remember the ripped jeans incident and my decision to not go back home to change, but rather saved my personal time and bought new clothes instead?  I must have been thinking ahead to when I really needed to tap into those two personal hours. I hate to think how I would be handling the taxi schedule, pick-up drop off, push to get dinner, and then out the door schedule I had yesterday, and still get the sleep I desperately craved without cashing in two hours.  I left work at 3:15, to get DD#2 picked up at school, home, changed, and then to her violin lesson. These are days when my long commute is not a friend as I still was hitting the front end of rush hour. A quick peruse of things that needed to be signed, paid for, and returned to her, the three of us, including DD#1 grabbed a quick bite, and then headed to the high school to drop her off for her orchestra concert. Then it was to park, and get in line for tickets. Four sections of musicians later, I was gathering her up and heading back home.  

DH, my brother and sister-in-law had met us there, but not much time for chatting.  By the time we were home, heated water up, had a tea and hot chocolate, it was nearing 9:00.  The musician still had homework to do and I had the choice of starting up the computer and working for a couple hours, preserving my personal time, or doing what my body was saying, and go to bed early. I let the Zzzz's have it. I chose wisely, and now am up this morning having had nearly eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nearly because for some reason, pup has a 6th sense that tells him that when I go to bed early, I should be woken up with paws to my face for a middle of the night potty outing. 

I am salary so technically, I could flex back that time in the next pay period, which starts today, but having had last Friday off, and with next week being a holiday week and DS home, I don't want to work longer.  While no one is watching the clock, I have always believed that if employees want their employers to treat them with respect, the same needs to be given in return, so I will tap into the leave.  Isn't that what personal hours are for? 

Speaking of personal leave, a dear friend, and past coworker of more than twenty years together shared she is going to be a Grandma. She made the decision that she will negotiate with her employer for a reduced schedule, in lieu of other benefits she doesn't feel she needs any longer in order to be there one-two days a week as needed to help her family out.  Interesting in that she was actually the manager that hired me for my first managerial job at previous company, but I ended up being her boss a decade later. She had made the decision much sooner than I that when the demands of the job started creeping into her personal life, she was going to slow down the craziness, and chose to stay lateral in her job. Much of my past work has drizzled onto her plate, and she feels she has some good leverage and collateral to negotiate a new more work friendly schedule. I'll keep my fingers crossed for her.