Lifestylin'

Since about 3pm yesterday, my boss has been coming into our offices every 15 minutes or so to ask us if we know why the office manager left. This has, needless to say, been annoying and has greatly impeded any progress on actual work that I had planned to get done today. As a result, I have been trying to avoid talking to him at all, often pretending to be on the phone with a client when I hear him meandering around out there.

But I couldn't avoid him just now, and he came in my office for another round of "why did she quit?" This time, I offered answers like "maybe she had something going on at home" and "maybe she's leaving the country post haste" and "I have no idea, really!" He stood there, pondering, and I saw a weird look cross his face. I knew something deliciously inappropriate was about to follow, and braced myself. Little did I know how deliciously inappropriate it would be...

"Do you think she left because she had a problem with your...lifestyle?" he asked.

I was torn between getting up and leaving and just laughing out loud at the ridiculous lack of social skills this man has. I wanted desperately to play it out; to ask him "what do you mean, 'lifestyle'? Because I like to eat healthy food and go biking - my healthy lifestyle? Or because I like to play sports and work out - my active lifestyle?" But I didn't....oh and I wish I had! I would have loved to watch him squirm and have no choice but to spell it out and say "no, because you're gay," sinking deeper in his pit of regrettable ineptness with each word.

But of course, I didn't. I said something like "Oh no, she always asked me how Jess was doing and seemed to be really comfortable with it. I am usually a pretty good judge of these things..." Bla bla bla. My answer came out of a can and made him feel that it was ok to ask me such a question. What if I said "yes, that's why she left?" What purpose would that serve? I just don't see the point behind the question.

Also, "lifestyle?" Really? Is it the '80's?

If I can't have a new boss, at least I can take comfort in the fact that we have a new president! Maybe he can pull the economy out of the crapper sooner rather than later so that I can get out of this place. Then I will finally be able to fulfill my dream of quitting by leaving a post-it note on his computer screen that says "I quit because of your lifestyle."