Burnout, here we come!

It’s crunch time at work. Today was the 9th time out of the last 12 working days that I’ve been in the office from 8am until after 10pm. No one’s telling me I have to work those hours, but I’m behind in my work. For my efforts, I’m getting a lot of bugs fixed and I think we’ll have a decent product, but I’ve begun to notice the indirect effects of this schedule.

The biggest effect is my weight. Long hours sometimes require caffeine, the sweet nectar of the gods. That would be alright if I could get to the gym, but I can’t. On top of that, in order to see Evan at least briefly, Dusty comes downtown to meet me for dinner on the planned late nights. So extra calories + no exercise = record-setting weight.

Secondly, the wallet takes a hit. Paying for those meals out takes it toll, and the gym membership is going unused. To top it off, if I can’t attend the gym a certain number of times in a month, work will not reimburse me for my membership dues (they pay for about half of it).

So, the reward for going the extra mile is going broke, getting fat, not seeing your kid, and not having any time to relax or for hobbies. Thankfully Dusty’s been picking up my slack around the house and has been supportive. I’m not sure that I have a point to make, but hopefully I’ll remember this next time I’m asked to provide estimates for how much work a project will take. Double them!

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