Opportunity Lost

My wife just told me she plans to go with a friend and the boys to the beach for a few days. I can go if I wish, but she knows I like my "alone" time and tries to give me that (without mentioning that she knows what I do or discussing it, of course).

She planned to go on Tuesday the 24th and return on Friday. Since there is a school thing on Tuesday, she'll probably leave early Wed instead and return Fri.

That means:
Wed - leave work as early as possible, get ready (nair, plan, change for the evening)
Thu - take a day off from work ~ MEG DAY
Fri - put every thing away, go to work late.

If there's a tg group meeting Wed or Thu eve, I might go.

Instead, my job has me in El Paso Tue and Wed.

So my week becomes:
Mon - travel to El Paso
Tue - work
Wed - work
Thu - travel from El Paso
Fri - mourn my lost opportunity, probably the last one for the year.

I don't see the work schedule changing, unless I change jobs (I am looking to do that ~ anyone need a good software engineer who dresses a tad offbeat?).

In theory, I could dress in El Paso but I don't know the town and probably won't. I'll be busy with work and maybe have time to dress in my room, where I can be less of a perfectionist.

Also (in theory) I could fly back to VA as Meg. No-one will be home, but there are no direct flights from here to there, so it's a 5+ hour trip. I don't know what time flights leave El Paso, and I'd have to come home in a taxi. That means neighbors and people walking to/from the pool who know me might be nearby. It's not as bad as waiting for a cab, but I still have to get my bags, get into the house ~ it's a bit risky. BUT I could stop at a mall, change, get a second cab and go home. That's more of a pain, but less risky. Or I could even change in a family restroom in the airport (if it's Dulles ~ they're rarer at National).

If I liked to gamble (well, I do, but that's a different blog) I'd lay odds:
100 to 1: getting the trip changed
10 to 1: wife changing date of beach trip
20 to 1: getting OUT in El Paso
50 to 1: flying home as Meg

I still have one more Topeka post, and a couple of ideas for posts. If I still get the level of visitors I have now, I'll keep writing at least until El Paso. If not, I'll say goodbye.

I'm writing this at work. As I was writing, one of the IT guys came by. When I saw him, I remembered the day after my Halloween adventure at work (did I write about that?) he came up to me, looked me straight in the eye, and said earnestly "you looked really good last week. Really good." and never mentioned it again.

On Halloween, the other IT guy walked past me while I was talking to some other people and slapped my butt. :)