My Life, My Pace

Super Bored Grad Student finally reluctantly makes her return to lab after spraining her ankle in a tennis accident. She doesn’t want to be there but Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor insinuated that she had to be back on this day. Super Bored Grad Student proceeds to (quite clumsily) put her stuff down and set up her laptop. Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor walks out of his office and into hers.

Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor (loudly): Ah. She’s back! Too much disco, eh?
Super Bored Grad Student (rolls eyes): Right.
Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor: Well, are you okay?
Super Bored Grad Student: I’m getting by.
Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor: Well, I need to bounce something off on you. I’m working on my talk…blah, blah, blah…
Super Bored Grad Student has ceased listening to him. Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor hasn’t noticed or doesn’t care and keeps going.
Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor: So does that make sense?
Super Bored Grad Student: Uh-huh.

Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor finally leaves Super Bored Grad Student alone. Fellow Lab Scut Monkey comes by to check on Super Bored Grad Student. They proceed to catch up on all that’s happened in Super Bored Grad Student’s absence. Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor isn’t too happy about this and continually walks back and forth outside of Super Bored Grad Student’s office. Fellow Lab Scut Monkey decides to take him on.

Fellow Lab Scut Monkey (loudly): You really shouldn’t be here. You should be in bed resting.
Super Bored Grad Student: Well, yeah…
Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor (who, of course, has to jump in and defend himself): It wasn’t like I made her come in today. You know my policy—as long as the work gets done.
Super Bored Grad Student (sarcastically): Well, then, I guess I won’t be coming in tomorrow or the day after that or the day after that…until I’m all better.

Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor grumbles and walks back to his office. Super Bored Grad Student and Fellow Lab Scut Monkey continue chatting. They are interrupted by a phone call from Super Bored Grad Student’s husband. Super Bored Grad Student learns that Super Bored Husband, who had dropped her off today, had forgotten that he was supposed to be at another office today. Super Bored Grad Student debates whether she should just take the opportunity to go back home and take the rest of the day off since Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor did say that he didn’t force her to come in today. That’ll show him for trying to pretend to be so generous and caring. She decides to best Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor at his own game. Besides, why not take the opportunity to not be in lab knowing that she’ll have no excuse after this? She hobbles on over to Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor’s office to let him know.

Super Bored Grad Student: Super Bored Husband forgot that he had to be somewhere else today. So, since he dropped me off and I would be stranded here otherwise, he’s picking me up and I’ll be back tomorrow.
Dr. Grumpy Old Major Professor: But I needed help adding slides into my talk… Oh nevermind. I can do it myself , you know, but slowly and painfully.
Super Bored Grad Student (under her breath): As if I was going to do it for you anyway if I stayed. (out loud) Well, it shouldn’t be so hard. I’ll see you tomorrow!

No way was Super Bored Grad Student going to fall for his guilt trip. It’s not her job to make his talks for him. Super Bored Husband picks her up and she spends the rest of the day reading her favorite book in the whole world, The Count of Monte Cristo.