Stephen Mejias

I'm almost positive that I have a bunch of days available. Days for taking off, I mean. Off from work, I mean. I would be completely positive that I have a bunch of days available for taking off from work, but I don't keep track of such things. I'm bad at that stuff. I need to improve in that area.

But, yesterday — Friday, December 16, 2005 — I took off.

I spent the day with my mom. We walked around the City, did some Christmas shopping, made some jokes. It was a good time.

We were on line. ["In line!" you'd correct me. "Online is what you are when you're on the internet."] We were in line. The man in front of us was yelling at his daughter for wanting another doll. Can you believe this girl, wanting another doll? You've already got two dolls. Why do you need another doll? I'll buy you a dress. Why do you want another doll? You don't need another doll. I'm not going to get you another doll. No, you're not getting another doll.

I'm standing right there — in line — and I'm watching this, listening to this. The father's ugly, angry voice is getting louder and louder. The poor girl is not saying a word. The poor girl just wants another doll.

"I'm never going to talk to my kids like that," I tell my mom.
"You're going to have kids? I think you need a girlfriend first, Stephen."
"Maybe they sell girlfriends here. Will you buy me a girlfriend, mom?"
"No."

You know what happens, though, when you take a day off?

You come home, and you turn on your computer, and you find that you've got 50 e-mails waiting for you. All at once. And 50 e-mails all at once is a lot tougher to deal with than, say, five e-mails an hour, throughout the course of a workday.

Fortunately, however, not all of the e-mails are filled with work. Some of the e-mails are filled with Scarlett Johansson.