Our little summer student rolled in today at noon and casually told me he can't be here on Thursday for an experiment - his father is leaving the country and they have to go on a family vacation. I asked him when is he leaving, he said, "Tuesday." "Tomorrow? And you are telling me now?" He went on to explain how it was last minute notice for him too.

There were so many holes in his story I didn't even know where to begin. I'm not the one signing his paycheck, I'm not sure how loud I should yell at him. And, we are in school, he is a student. If my boss was here he would sit him down and have a little "chat" with him, in the nicest way, a teacher kinda way, if he cared at all. I walked away and mouth to my lab mate, "What the hell?" She took the opportunity to ask me if I wanted to walk with her to another building. "Thought you might want to kick the bush a little." "No no... I'm more confused, did he seriously not see the problem with that??"

At times like this I always wonder if I was like that when I was younger. Was I that ignorant/irresponsible? Must have, at one point, did something stupid. I wonder how teachers do it. Or how my boss does it, never losing his temper. 'What would Arthur do?' I asked myself. Perhaps with time I will only appreciate him more.