"I am a genius", I thought as I stared at the large calendar plastered to the wall behind my boss's desk. Black letters marched all across the surface of the calendar marking birthdays, work anniversaries, vacation days planned and vacation days taken. I looked because I had seven days of vacation left to burn this year. I held onto them in expectation of a possible beach or mountain trip that my friends had discussed taking. Now, with Jerry and Lori's impending nuptials and Reatha's recent knee surgery, it seems no one has the time or money or time off to travel. So, I looked to see where I could take my seven days.

The answer jumped out at me instantly. We are off work two days for Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday immediately after. So, if I took the three days before Thanksgiving and Tuesday through Friday of the week before I would have a total of 13 consecutive days off work: seven vacation days, two holidays, and two weekends. A genius idea, thinks I. I could drive somewhere far away, go rent a chateau on the lake and pour my hours into a NaNoWriMo novel, or just loaf about the house playing video games and annoying my friends via instant messenger. Whatever the case, it is a broad stretch of time in which I have no real responsibilities, save Thanksgiving Day festivities with family and friends. But, I'm pretty sure I can get out of those.

The driving idea attracts me the most. I could drive all the way up to Maine and back in the time I have available. Or, I could drive out to Houston and see Sam, drive to Dallas and see my dad and stepdad, and then take a long route back home through the Midwest, maybe even going through Chicago. I could do either of those trips in the time available while only driving 5-6 hours a day. The endless possibilities are exciting and daunting.

I tell my manager what I days I want to take and ask if it is alright for me to take all those days off in a row. He says yes and checks with his fill-in person to make sure he is available for that time. He is and I begin to sketch out possible plans to make use of that time.

The next day at work I return to my desk after being away for a few hours. I go and check my various email accounts to see if I have mail. I have a few messages at my Yahoo address which I file or delete. There at the bottom of my inbox is the email from Ticketmaster which contains the printable tickets for the Death Cab For Cutie show that I bought tickets for last week. (aside: The original message about the show said it was to be held at the Alabama Theater. The show now appears to be taking place at the BJCC concert hall, which disappoints me as I have never seen a rock show at the Alabama and was looking forward to that.) I think about the show and I realize that I have forgotten what day of the week the show is on. I look up at the large calendar behind my boss's desk, and the full extent and weight of my own genius hits me. The concert, which I am greatly anticipating and which I have already bought tickets for, is to be held on November 16th, three days into this great and shining stretch of time that I have set aside.

I am heartbroken*. This throws every idea and plan I had made into doubt, and totally nullifies a few of them. I have asked my boss if I might be able to move the first two days to the week after Thanksgiving, but it means changing all the plans made so far, consulting his boss and checking the fill-in's schedule. I might be able to move the days, and I might not. But, it pains me to even ask after putting down it down in writing and setting the wheels of corporate bureaucracy in motion.

*Dramatic exaggeration, since "mildly annoyed" does not carry the same emotional weight.