Moral dilemma

I'm stuck about what to do....

The women in my neighborhood have a very cool first-day-of-school tradition. Every year they drop their darling children off at their respective schools, wave their kiddos a teary goodbye, then grab their bikes and gather for a ride over to Ocean Beach.

The beach is not the goal, per se, I mean, they see the ocean, but only over the top of their bloody mary glasses.

Yes, they bike over to Ocean Beach, en masse, head straight to Shades, or some other accommodating ocean front eatery, and have a lovely, boozy breakfast.

The next stop, typically, is Dream Girls. No, not the strip club off Rosecrans, the clothing boutique on Newport Ave.

Everyone knows how much it is to go clothes shopping after a few cocktails, right? I mean, everything looks fabulous after a few car bombs mimosas.

But here's the rub, I'd need to call in sick to pull this off. I took last Tuesday off in celebration of my oldest's 9th birthday, then the girls were dropped off at my office on Friday at 2 pm and remained there for the duration of the workday. And just two weeks prior I was out for a week on a summer trip to visit my mom. I'm a bit behind at work, editorial cut-off is this week, and it's a three-day weekend as it is. I know the mountain of emails that await me tomorrow.

Can I really call in sick?

Of course I can. I've worked there since before men were walking upright, and I don't think I've called in "sick" more than three or four times over all the years combined. I have lots of sick hours left for 2010. I've taken no sick or "sick" days this year, in fact, just a few hours now and then when I or one of the girls have a medical appointment (which is more often than you'd think, actually).

What to do? What to do? My mind continues to pace back and forth... Should I wrap up this summer with one more fun, summery outing? Or embrace the organized routine that "back to school" brings?

Am I feeling a bit under the weather? My friend, Donna, did mention on Friday that my email voice sounded scratchy.

And I am going to be late to work regardless, because I am going to drop my girls off at school tomorrow.

But wouldn't it be nice to be ahead of the game at work? And to go straight to yoga afterwards like every other Tuesday afternoon?

Ah, decisions. How I loath them.

What would you do?