On days like this, it's good to have a stay-at-home desk job. Sometimes I miss getting out into the world, talking to live humans and feeling the fresh air on my skin. The air was a little too fresh today, though, and I was glad I could stay inside and watch it out the window.

There was a lot I wanted to get done here today, but I also wanted to get out for awhile. It didn't happen. One look and I didn't even want to open the door. I did have to get the mail, and I waited all day for a time when the rain lightened up enough so I could dodge between drops.

I kept listening for the rain to stop, but I forgot I had my fountain turned on. There was never a time I didn't hear water running. I finally bundled up and picked up my soggy mail around four this afternoon. I also tracked in a river of mud. One of these days I'm going to have to take my new Christmas vacuum out of the box.

When I got out of bed this morning, I was greeted with a note from the Boss in the fax tray and a message from him on the answering machine. I decided to ignore them, as much as possible. I get enough of him picking at me during the week. When I dedicate my Saturday to the Company, it's so I can get through busywork without interruptions.

Nothing he ever asks me to do is more important than the day-to-day churning and grinding of the company's gears. I don't design or build anything, but I make sure the company can keep going by seeing that all the eyes and tees are crossed and dotted. Not necessarily in that order.

Sometimes it's worth stepping away for to give the Boss what he wants, but that's seldom as important as what I'm already doing. I think he realizes that, deep down somewhere in the caverns of his mind. He just gets focused on some petty detail and can't move on until it's dealt with.

With him it's a combination of a huge mental capacity and a very narrow vision. He knows everything about every tree, but he's never seen a forest in his life.

I kept working and didn't respond to the Boss's messages until late this afternoon. I really thought that would keep me from having to deal with him today, but he called around five. His questions could have waited until Monday. They could have waited until some Monday in 2003, but I ran around finding his answers anyway.

That's my job. I just try to work things so I can do my job my way more than I have to do it his way.