A few months ago I spoke about how the problems I'm having, trying to get vacation time for Anthrocon. I have a job that gives me paid time off, but Anthrocon lands at the same time my boss and his family take a week-long trip out of state. And since I'm de facto second-in-command, I can't take vacation time at the same time he is.

What I am trying to swing, is getting my normal days off that week to be Friday and Saturday. I spoke with my boss about it and he had no objection to that idea. So I'm penciled in for July 6th and 7th. But it's a sort of tentative thing - if anything serious happens at work I'm sorta expected to be on call to help. That shouldn't be a big deal, the people who work there can handle themselves for two days and work off a list of objectives I can leave for them (as is the custom during normal weeks anyway). But if say, someone quits that week and suddenly they need someone to cover Friday or Saturday, I'd be the person on call for it. Normally my boss would step up and fill in, but since he won't be in the state, that leaves me.

So that's what I'm left with right now. It is likely I can attend Anthrocon, but only for two days. Depending on what shift I end up working that Thursday, I might head out Thursday night so I can at least get one full day (Friday) out of it. But I'd definitely have to leave early Saturday afternoon so I can be home that evening, because I'll have to work opening shift that Sunday.

There's just this part of me that feels it's important to do it, even if it is just two days. Like, it's the principle of the matter.

If I do go, it'll be a lightly-packed trip. Two changes of clothes, hygiene stuff, camera stuff.

Now I have to ask, is there anyone I know out there with an Anthrocon room that can accommodate me for a Friday night only thing? My prior experience with rooming at cons is still making me shy away from rooming with strangers (three years in a row I was ditched last minute in favor of another roomie's butt buddy).


I've also got another precarious thing going with the MFF timeframe. I convinced my boss to pencil me in for the Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon of MFF, but that's usually not allowed because I work retail and damn near everything past October is forbidden. But it'd be my normal days off for each week, just conveniently crunched together. But again, I can't be promised or guaranteed that time off because things can happen, heck, I might be working in a different store by then with a different boss. That's a bridge I'll try to cross when we get closer to it.