Off to Arches

I'm working this morning, then heading off to Arches in the afternoon, where I'll meet my brother's family and my sister (her husband just started a new job and won't be there). The weather has been unseasonably cold here, but it's starting to warm up, and I'm hopeful that it will be a bit warmer in Moab than it is here.

Planning a trip to Moab is tricky, weather-wise. If you go too early in the spring, you may get snowed on, and I hate winter camping. I could get a motel, of course, but I want my kids to have the camping experience (and I'm cheap). On the other hand, if you go late in the spring, you may get summer-like weather, which could mean 95 degrees. When I first planned the trip, I was more worried about early summer than late winter, so that shows what I know.

One of the sales guys I'm working with on a big deal seemed miffed when I reminded him I'll be gone. The sales guys have no problem taking off a week at a time, which sometimes creates the time pressure we feel when they suddenly panic and realize it's almost quarter-end. The customer, too, on this deal, has been taking their sweet time. But he is aghast that I would take off one day so close to quarter-end when we expect a response from the customer today. Well, we expected a response from the customer yesterday, too, but that hasn't happened. They'll just have to wait a day for me as well.

Normally, I wouldn't take off time this close to quarter-end, either, but it's only a day plus a few hours, and I haven't seen my brother for 18 months. My boss has okayed it, and some other people in my department took time for spring break, so sales will just have to deal with it.