Sorry, Jesse, but for a family emergency, I would never use the words I hope to be able to, because if it's non-optional, you don't give your boss wiggle room to say you can't. You know you would have said yes, but an employee has no way to know that.

Yeah, that's fair.

(I said I already resented this poor woman, right? I'm not actually trying to say I am in the right here.)

Hah. Bitch eating crackers syndrome? I admit, I would not be one bit shocked if I had sent similarly annoying emails...but I've also been similarly annoyed by one of my underlings (who I've several times now had to be like "PLEASE DON'T JUST FORWARD WHAT I SEND YOU TO THE CLIENT!" because OMG my email was written to her, not to the client...)

Steph, make a complaint directly to Amazon about the merchant pressuring you to remove a negative review. I had the same happen to me, and Amazon dinged the merchant and refunded my money, even though I was keeping the product.

Ooh, that's good!

I have no Halloween costume. I need to get one before tomorrow. Um.

Dana, glad you made it and so did your stuff! Unpacking is my favorite part.

but for a family emergency I do word notifications as informing my superiors that I *will* be gone rather than asking if I may.

Sounds like the employee was asking about touching base, not asking about leaving early. Which I would think it's better to say "can we touch base" rather than "we must touch base"? Or something?

I have no Halloween costume. I need to get one before tomorrow. Um.

Fantasy Football!

I have no Halloween costume. I need to get one before tomorrow. Um.

OB-GYN Kenobi!

Boo on late deliveries! The shaming "boo," not the scary one.

I finished my costume except for the thyrsus. I'm going as a maenad, and they carry a stalk of giant fennel wrapped in ivy leaves and tipped with a pine cone, which is called a thyrsus. I considered attempting to attach a pine cone to a stick, both of which I can source for free, but decided it was too much of a pain in the butt. The dress and sort-of-leopard-skin-shaped cloak thing are done, and I have some brown cord for a belt. I went out and nabbed some of the ivy we have taking over part of the yard, washed it with soap, and dunked it in boiling water for over a minute to make sure any critters were dead and gone. I'll wear that on my head. And I picked up some fake blood on my lunch hour. So I guess my costume is as good as it's going to get for tonight's party.

Here's a picture of a maenad: [link]

My dress has sleeves to the wrist and the skin is leopard, but that's otherwise pretty much what I'm going for. With added blood.

ETA:

OB-GYN Kenobi!

Yes!

I had already purchased this so black pants, some bandages and a crutch, and I'm set.

redshirt

Boo on late deliveries! The shaming "boo," not the scary one.

I have a whole plan for shopping tonight. The closest thrift store closes at 8; the thrift store by Target closes at 9; Target closes at midnight; and Meijer (next door to Target) is open 24 hours.

It's not outside the realm of possibility I could find a Louise dress at one of the thrift stores, but there aren't as many plus-size options at thrift stores as there are regular size, so we'll see. I'll be happy if I can get a cheap football jersey (I genuinely don't care if it's a Bengals jersey) at the thrift store and then a wizard hat, which hopefully Target or Meijer will have (I don't think I could wear a wizard hat from a thrift store; I can wash a pre-owned football jersey, but not a wizard hat -- I'd rather get that new).

And in the massively unlikely chance that the dress gets delivered tomorrow, then I'll go donate the football jersey back to the thrift store, and I'll have a wizard hat to wear around the house.

Sounds like the employee was asking about touching base, not asking about leaving early. Which I would think it's better to say "can we touch base" rather than "we must touch base"? Or something?

Nah, it was both together.

Timelies all!

No Halloween costumes here. I'll wear my black-cat-and-pumpkin earrings on Monday, and may add a cat ear headband to hand out candy.

Oh, man, Calli, I have so much fennel growing nearby! I don't think we have time for me to cut some and ship it to you, though.