The passenger Prince complained this morning that he cannot lose half a pound. He was lucky I did not throw a shoe at him. Passenger Prince is a six-foot-two man who weighs 165 pounds — and that is only if the dog puts her paw on the scale when he stands on it.
And me: a five-foot-nothing post menopausal woman, on Wegovy, who does Pilates four times a week, exercises and takes 10,000 steps a day. After losing 45 pounds in a year and a half, I still weigh the same as I did the day I had my last baby.
Technically I can tell people that it’s still pregnancy weight — except the baby is twenty-five with a job and a 401(k). But who would want to argue with a postmenopausal woman?
Having a skinny, tall husband is not great for self-esteem, especially at my age. Before the Wegovy, hearing him complain about his weight was not easy. Luckily for him, I lost my hearing and could tune him out when he complained.
I weigh less than him now after 18 months of injections and lots of Pilates and gym visits. But alas — it is what it is: him being a skinny, tall man, and me being a curvy, petite woman. And yes there is a shoe in one hand, ready to be thrown.
I took my vacation during winter break and went to Maui, where I had a lot of fun. It did take me two or three days to decompress and finally relax. I work long hours, typically over 40 hours a week, and usually work six days a week in some capacity.
But what really hit me was when I went to put my vacation days on my timesheet and discovered that, even with my week off, I still had five more weeks of vacation available to me. This wasn’t because my employer offers generous paid time off—quite the opposite. It’s because even when the office is officially closed, someone always has to be on call. Apparently, I’ve been that person for the last several years, even though I never volunteered for the role.
The funny thing is, there’s really no reason for anyone to be on call during our breaks. My job is one of those where, when we’re closed, there’s nothing to do—no urgent emails to answer or tasks to tackle. Yet, someone at headquarters decided that there always has to be an on-call person. Unfortunately for me, only a few people can fill that role.
I was asked to be the on-call person during the second week of our office break and also to take on a specific project—one that could easily be handled during our regular work weeks and didn’t require extra time from me, as I’m usually ahead on all my assignments. So when I came back from Maui, it dawned on me that I really needed this time off, and there was no reason for me to take on this extra project. I decided to continue my vacation. Even though I was technically the on-call person, I only handled the “urgent” matters (which, by the way, were nonexistent) and limited my work to what was absolutely necessary.
When everyone returned to the office, my boss asked if I had completed the project. I simply said no. This will be handled during regular work days and hours. Just like everyone else, I took my well-earned break and used my vacation days. If you’re wondering whether I was disciplined or reprimanded, I wasn’t. Sometimes, lightning strikes, and even headquarters realizes their requests are unreasonable.w
So, what did I learn?
It’s okay to say no when work intrudes on time off. I’ve learned that I need a better work-life balance—not only because my employer doesn’t appreciate or reward me for it, but also because I need it for my own sanity. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I’m needed at work,” but that’s a bottomless pit with no real rewards. Work-life balance is a must, as are vacations and time off. They’re essential for both productivity and mental well-being.
I’m already penciling in my time off for 2025 and will make sure to follow my own advice.
Schpilkes The Blog 