Losers Club Goes toa Sculpture Park

So, a little background is necessary to understand how F*cked Up this story is:

I've been going to tradeshows for many, many years. It's just part of the deal when you're in marketing. I have made many friends, had many lovers, and drank many bourbons, all at tradeshows. Most of my tenure at these events has not involved healthy activity. It's often involved booze, it's occasionally involved "romantic" liasons and very seldom involved getting extra work done or going to bed early to wake refreshed and vibrant for the day ahead.

This week has been different. I've been getting up early to do my morning yoga and get a workout in. To accomodate my 4:45 alarm, I've been going to bed pretty darn early. I have had no more than a single glass of wine with dinner. And instead of picking up random people at hotel bars, I've been joining my colleagues for banal banter over over-priced meals.

So, tonight, a Friday I might add, I decided I wanted the night to myself. I was pretty tired and pretty stressed out and I needed a little time to relax and unwind. Did I want to spend my Friday covorting in drunken debauchery? Did I want to put on my dancin' outfit and hit the clubs? Did I envision waking up tomorrow morning barely remembering the night before? No. I wanted to go to a sculpture park. Honestly, I just wanted to go for a quiet walk in the Seattle Center, enjoy the night air and maybe get a little Thai food. I know, living on the edge.

I should have just told the boss lady this. I should have been honest. But instead, I told her I was going back to my room and retiring early.

Which is why it was kind of hard to tell her, when she called about 45 minutes later, that I was two miles away and not anywhere near the hotel to let her into my room.

You see, she'd picked me up "a little something" and wanted to drop it off. It's the nicest, sweetest thing ever. And yet, it's also a total and complete invasion of my "Me Time." But that won't ever cross her mind. What will cross her mind is that I lied and she caught me in it.

Of course, what sucks the most is that I couldn't enjoy my walk nor my hastily wolfed-down dinner. Because I had to rush back to the hotel and run interference. Which I did (moderately successfully I might add).

So I got no down time to enjoy myself. And I got even more emotionally worked up than I'd been before. (And don't even get me started on Prima Donna Director and his merry antics or I'll NEVER stop ranting). And tomorrow I have to wake up bright and early and play Company Girl again.

I'm going to have to find a way to set some boundaries or parameters. I just don't know how to. How do you tell your job that you want to see other people?