|
adam3
May 7, 2009, 2:32 PM
Post #1 of 26
(2469 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 10, 2007
Posts: 98
|
Any good epic stories of bailing on work last minute to go climb? Something good too like you didn't show up for a week? Anyways make my day at work more enjoyable lets hear a good story.
|
|
|
|
|
JasonsDrivingForce
May 7, 2009, 2:45 PM
Post #2 of 26
(2456 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 3, 2009
Posts: 687
|
Well it is not an epic bail like quitting or anything. However, I am getting ready to spend my lunch break at the gym because my son showed me up the other day. I am still trying to get a V2 that I just can’t pull. He makes it look so easy.
He just got some hanging pull-up holds last night. He woke me up at 6:30 AM to go outside and try them out in the drizzling rain. He did a bunch of two armed 5 finger pull-ups and then attempted some 3 finger ones. I could barely get the 5 finger ones. Here is a video of him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkHPwuP5lAo
So it is not an epic bail but it is kind of frustrating to have to spend your lunch working out just to attempt to keep up with your 5 year old son. I wouldn’t trade it for the world though.
|
|
|
|
|
currupt4130
May 7, 2009, 2:50 PM
Post #3 of 26
(2441 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 7, 2008
Posts: 515
|
I'm going to sound like a huge asshole but I have one.
I was about to start working at one of the dining halls on campus (I go to Virginia Tech). Well the day I was supposed to work happened to be the first beautiful Sunday we'd had since I'd been back at school.
Around this time my dad's mom had been getting sick and was in the hospital. They didn't know how long she'd last. We've never really been close with her so I didn't think too much of it. My own dad would admit to not being close at all with his parents.
Well my buddy called me up and asked me to go climbing Sunday. It's the middle of January and it was supposed to be in the upper 50s at the New. I said hell yea.
I called in on my first day of work and told them I needed to go home because my grandma was in the hospital and dying. And then I went climbing.
|
|
|
|
|
evanwish
May 7, 2009, 2:55 PM
Post #4 of 26
(2437 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 23, 2007
Posts: 1040
|
ooo!!! i got one let me play!
two years ago i worked about 10 minutes from the Leap and so one morning before sun up we left to climb and be back before the 10am staff meeting.... we started the climb just after sunrise and the plan went to shit when i broke my ankle
while in Barton Mamorial Hospital, right after surgery, who's the first person i wake up to see?? MY BOSS!!! yeiks!!
|
|
|
|
|
evanwish
May 7, 2009, 2:59 PM
Post #5 of 26
(2425 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 23, 2007
Posts: 1040
|
oh moral of my story:
don't get hurt when you're skipping work for climbing.... it raises hell and a shitstorm of insurance problems...
|
|
|
|
|
bill413
May 7, 2009, 3:07 PM
Post #6 of 26
(2414 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 19, 2004
Posts: 5674
|
How about bailing on work to read & post on RC.com? 
|
|
|
|
|
Gmburns2000
May 7, 2009, 3:46 PM
Post #7 of 26
(2366 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 6, 2007
Posts: 15266
|
evanwish wrote: ooo!!! i got one let me play! two years ago i worked about 10 minutes from the Leap and so one morning before sun up we left to climb and be back before the 10am staff meeting.... we started the climb just after sunrise and the plan went to shit when i broke my ankle while in Barton Mamorial Hospital, right after surgery, who's the first person i wake up to see?? MY BOSS!!! yeiks!!
^^ That's the reason why you don't call in sick to go climbing. I mean, I've called in to take the day off before (my job allows for some flexibility like that, so maybe I'm lucky), but never called in sick. If I had hurt myself then I would have been fucked.
|
|
|
|
|
Terry2124
May 7, 2009, 5:35 PM
Post #8 of 26
(2310 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 22, 2009
Posts: 223
|
evanwish wrote: ooo!!! i got one let me play! two years ago i worked about 10 minutes from the Leap and so one morning before sun up we left to climb and be back before the 10am staff meeting.... we started the climb just after sunrise and the plan went to shit when i broke my ankle while in Barton Mamorial Hospital, right after surgery, who's the first person i wake up to see?? MY BOSS!!! yeiks!!
What happened after that. What did your boss say?
|
|
|
|
|
desertwanderer81
May 7, 2009, 5:49 PM
Post #9 of 26
(2300 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 5, 2007
Posts: 2272
|
adam3 wrote: Any good epic stories of bailing on work last minute to go climb? Something good too like you didn't show up for a week? Anyways make my day at work more enjoyable lets hear a good story.
I just always come in early and leave at 2 or 3pm and get some climbing in. No need to actually bail.
|
|
|
|
|
apeman_e
May 7, 2009, 6:11 PM
Post #11 of 26
(2269 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 21, 2008
Posts: 212
|
desertwanderer81 wrote: I just always come in early and leave at 2 or 3pm and get some climbing in. No need to actually bail.
Same here. I look responsible when I'm choppin' wood hours before my boss even comes in, and then I can climb all day.
When I tell a white lie to sneak out in the good weather, it doesn't work when I come in the next day and type with bloody hands.
|
|
|
|
|
kennoyce
May 7, 2009, 6:11 PM
Post #12 of 26
(2262 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 6, 2001
Posts: 1338
|
Ok, here are a couple of the best stories I have.
The first story happened back in the spring of 2002. I was in school and was just working a crappy job as a telesurveyer (doing surveys on the phone) and some of my room mates and I decided to go on a road trip. We decided that we would head down to Red Rocks for a couple of days, then hit Josh for a few more.
I think it was a friday that we left and I was supposed to work that day. My room mates and I loaded up the car with all our gear and realized that we didn't have much money between all of us, so after realizing that it was payday for me we decided to take a detour to pick up my paycheck. I walked into work, picked up my paycheck without saying anything to anyone, and we left on our road trip. We had a great time on that trip, and I never went back to that job again.
The second story happened in the spring of 2005. At that time I was working as a cashier at a hardware store. This time I had been planing on road trippin to southern UT for a couple of weeks, and had even put in a time off request at work. I found out the week I was planning on leaving that my time off request had been denied, but I decided I would just go anyway.
I think I left on a Thursday morning, and my partner and I jumped on a 4 pitch climb. As we were climbing I completely forgot about the fact that I was ditching work to be climbing, and I was just enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery and having a blast. I lead the third pitch and just after getting to the anchor and going off belay, my phone rang.
I looked at at my ringing phone and it was some number that I didn't recognize so I answered it. It turned out that it was my boss calling to see why I hadn't shown up to work that day (I didn't realize that he had a separate phone line in his office that I didn't have programed in my phone). I just played dumb and said that I had turned in a request for time off and that I was out of town. He informed me that the request had been denied, but since I was all ready out of town there wasn't much we could do. I had a great 5 day weekend of climbing and didn't really even get in trouble for it at work.
Hope these stories help make your work day more enjoyable.
|
|
|
|
|
adam3
May 7, 2009, 6:48 PM
Post #13 of 26
(2232 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 10, 2007
Posts: 98
|
Lucky... My only problem is I'm the Equipment buyer for my store and thats where I get all my climbing gear deals.. So just leaving randomly for a week wouldn't sit well.. Maybe next year ; )
|
|
|
|
|
mattq331
May 7, 2009, 7:13 PM
Post #14 of 26
(2212 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 13, 2004
Posts: 129
|
Not an epic - but probably typical.
I was working my first full-time job out of school. I was a gas pump jockey in England working for Arthur English (strange old git from Brit comedy "Are you being Served"). He owned a gas station where I worked.
Anyway, winter came round and I had the chance to go winter climbing in Scotland for a week (something you should always drop EVERYTHING for - especially if the conditions are in good nick).
He wouldn't let me go as I hadn't worked there long enough to deserve a holiday.
So I told him to stuff his job and went climbing anyway.
When I got back I went to work the rubbish (trash) carts - much better pay and more exercise.
|
|
|
|
|
desertwanderer81
May 7, 2009, 7:29 PM
Post #15 of 26
(2198 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 5, 2007
Posts: 2272
|
apeman_e wrote: desertwanderer81 wrote: I just always come in early and leave at 2 or 3pm and get some climbing in. No need to actually bail. Same here. I look responsible when I'm choppin' wood hours before my boss even comes in, and then I can climb all day. When I tell a white lie to sneak out in the good weather, it doesn't work when I come in the next day and type with bloody hands.
Seriously, why lie when you could do it responsibly?
Most bosses are very understanding of such things. There are days when I need to be at certain things at certain times when I just can't get off, but otherwise I've never had a boss who would be upset about shifting my hours a bit to get some climbing in.
|
|
|
|
|
granite_grrl
May 7, 2009, 7:43 PM
Post #16 of 26
(2180 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 25, 2002
Posts: 15084
|
Most frequently I'll leave a couple hours early from work om Friday to start my drive to a climbing location. I tell my boss that I'm driving to West Virgina, or Kentucky or Quebec and I'll be leaving early to get a jump on things.
I think the difference here is that I've got a salaried job. My pay does not alter if I leave a couple hours early on a Friday. On the flip side I also don't get paid when I stay a couple of hours late.
Trust me, even with leaving early to go climbing every once in a while, I still work more hours than I get paid for. I feel no guilt taking a couple of hours off here and there.
|
|
|
|
|
desertwanderer81
May 7, 2009, 8:23 PM
Post #17 of 26
(2150 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 5, 2007
Posts: 2272
|
Same here on the Salary thing ;)
Anyhow, I just prefer to keep everything on the level. A lot of people are "sneaky" when they just don't have to be.
|
|
|
|
|
rtwilli4
May 7, 2009, 9:43 PM
Post #19 of 26
(2108 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 14, 2008
Posts: 1867
|
I quit my job in August of 2007 to go climbing and haven't looked back since. I've held jobs but the only one that lasted more than a few weeks was my job at the climbing shop on Koh Phi Phi. For the first time in two years I'm looking for a job in the US that I plan on keeping for no longer than 4 months.
|
|
|
|
|
hyongx
May 7, 2009, 10:22 PM
Post #20 of 26
(2094 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 17, 2004
Posts: 209
|
I spent last summer in Boulder, with a paid science internship.
I started my internship about a week later than everyone else in the program because I was leading a climbing trip with my university, climbing at Lumpy Ridge, sport around estes, and a summit bid on Long's (in Late May). It was super snowy, so the summit didn't go down. As it turned out, I never really had to make up the time that I missed that week of climbing.
The real story, though -
A couple months later, my Outdoor Rec boss from my university sent me an email and said, "a couple of my buddies are doing Long's peak this tuesday. I reccomend you call in sick to work and join them."
I typed up an e-mail and had my roommate send it when he got up, you know, that food poisoning from the Indian/ethiopian restaurant is Rough!
Got up at 1am on Tuesday after about 1 hr of sleep, drove out to the Long's parking lot and met up with these two guys. The plan was to do the Cable route and descend via the keyhole. They wanted protect the ~200ft section of 5.4 climbing on the cable route, so I carried a 60m rope up and down Long's that day, in addition to my food/water/harness/daypack. As we hike up, we get to watch the sun rise from high on Long's, an experience I'll never forget, and hopefully have the opportunity to experience again.
After we crossed the boulder field, we reached the North face, just right of the diamond. The route had significant water running down it, and neither of my partners were too keen to lead. So I took the lead and lead a long pitch of 5.4 (trad and a couple eyebolts) in my hiking boots, at ~12,000 ft, with water running over the climb. Felt pretty cool.
We summit and it's a beautiful view from an amazing mountain. The hike back down was brutal - It's just a really long day, in terms of milage and elevation. One guy got pretty heinously altitude sick, puked his guts out and drank all my water. The last mile was probably the longest mile I've ever done. When we made it back to the car, i was wiped out. Driving home, I was so tired, i kept almost falling asleep - probably one of the more dangerous drives I've done. Took a nap in my appt before partying that night with the friends. Just nuts. Best day I've ever skipped work, ever. Long's peak is incredible.
Showed up to work the next day. My boss(es) said, "Glad you're feeling better." I said, "Yeah, me too."
|
|
|
|
|
Myxomatosis
May 7, 2009, 11:52 PM
Post #21 of 26
(2057 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 12, 2007
Posts: 1063
|
hahahah most of my epic's have been calling in sick for work.
I had a funny one last week.... when I got my pay check I was short a day off my pay (Already 9 days in debt to the company for sick/climbing days so dont get paid anymore... but yeah I call in sick alot, nobody hire me ok?).
I sore black and blue to my boss that I had worked a full 10 days. Checked my work logs etc but nothing was recorded, checked time sheet, nothing.... "FUCK!!! I am sure I worked that day"
Boss goes "[co worker] said you went climbing"
Then it dawned on me that I had gone climbing  and I wasn't at work...
"Nah I wouldn't go climbing on a Tuesday"
Also got a few where I was given days off by a doc for a back injury (really did have a back injury) but was healed pretty fast and so went and sent my hardest route
|
|
|
|
|
evanwish
May 8, 2009, 5:33 AM
Post #22 of 26
(2023 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 23, 2007
Posts: 1040
|
Terry2124 wrote: evanwish wrote: ooo!!! i got one let me play! two years ago i worked about 10 minutes from the Leap and so one morning before sun up we left to climb and be back before the 10am staff meeting.... we started the climb just after sunrise and the plan went to shit when i broke my ankle while in Barton Mamorial Hospital, right after surgery, who's the first person i wake up to see?? MY BOSS!!! yeiks!! What happened after that. What did your boss say?
he actually just stood there shaking his head when i woke up... it was extremely awkward........ i mean thats not the first person you want to see after surgery 
|
|
|
|
|
evanwish
May 8, 2009, 5:39 AM
Post #23 of 26
(2023 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 23, 2007
Posts: 1040
|
kennoyce wrote: We had a great time on that trip, and I never went back to that job again. I looked at at my ringing phone and it was some number that I didn't recognize so I answered it. It turned out that it was my boss calling to see why I hadn't shown up to work that day (I didn't realize that he had a separate phone line in his office that I didn't have programed in my phone). I just played dumb and said that I had turned in a request for time off and that I was out of town. He informed me that the request had been denied, but since I was all ready out of town there wasn't much we could do. I had a great 5 day weekend of climbing and didn't really even get in trouble for it at work. Hope these stories help make your work day more enjoyable.
story #1: oh fcuk!!
story #2: hell yeah! good job! lol
|
|
|
|
|
MikeSaint
May 8, 2009, 5:48 AM
Post #24 of 26
(2013 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 19, 2007
Posts: 426
|
If you consider college "work" then I suppose I can chime in as well. I've used the generic excuses but always within the parameters of the attendance policy. The Boss (professor) doesnt have anything to be pissed about because you rarely break rules. While this might seem really lame its genius. They appreciate the notice and responsibility ultimately forgetting to log an 'absence' or 'tardy' on roll. If I have a really good relationship with a Professor I explain the weather is to good to pass up. In my experience people tend to be okay with this.
Bailing on work to climb..
I have walked away from jobs (granted they were part time) because it grossly interfered with climbing. I suppose thats out right bailing on work.
Do I keep that attitude in todays economy? Hell no.
(This post was edited by MikeSaint on May 8, 2009, 5:50 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
havard
May 8, 2009, 6:47 AM
Post #25 of 26
(1993 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 49
|
Not really climbing related, but..
Every fall I go hunting with my father. I know the dates, first week in the season, we go hunting. So I applied for hollidays early feb as I usually did. And it got denied! I was like, wtf?!? So I went to see my boss, and he said it was a new company policy, noone gets any time off in august. I pointed out the fact that august allways was real quiet in my departement, and he still said no. So I thought about it for a few seconds, and said, all right, I'll take all summer off then, and the rest of the year to. An hour or so later he had my resignation on his desk. I've never regreted that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
