Because a major whiner (big man, loud voice, whine more like a whinny), I have been told no overtime, for no reason, at no time, never. Nor comp time, either, against personnel rules (though often honored as much in the breach as in the observance.)

[Batty: big whining man should be re-named Wanda Whiner.]

Anyway, back to major project. I made a huge amount of progress on it, starting work at 5 a.m., but by 2 p.m. I still had one supervisor's stuff to verify and untangle.

Boss had left to go to a meeting, called by the suits downtown, I know the mandate: no OT. So I left the project undone, emailed it to him, and came home.

I don't feel good about it at all, but I'll be darned if I'll work for nothing except to burnish my boss's sterling reputation. If he doesn't have the guts to say that occasionally OT is necessary for a hot project, then he can finish it himself (as if he knew what to do and how to do it).

It's not as though I make much OT. Last year it was about 20 hours for the whole year. Not exactly breaking the bank, but all about the whiner's "rights".

Still, though, it bothers me. In 50 years of working for a living, this is the first time I've just walked away from a deadline. This is not how I do things. Major cause of cognitive dissonance.

Where did you hide the cake?