I've been doing a slow burn for the past hour or so. Long story short, I tried to get through the USX switchboard last night to tell them that I needed another day off. I never got anywhere. If I got hold of an operator she just kicked me over to the automated system, and then there I sat. So I sent my daytime dispatcher some e-mail telling her that I'd be ready to go Wednesday morning (tomorrow). Her response is what has me fuming. It is included below, verbatim;

“U have been assigned a load for today at 1400 anyway. u can take it?”

Good form would dictate that I call her and gently explain that I'm not heading out today. But this has annoyed me to a point that I'm really afraid of what I'd say and how I'd say it. I felt pretty good about heading out in the morning, and felt like I'd have my head on straight by then. But at the moment I feel kind of like cleaning out the truck. I admit that a large part of that feeling has to do with being told what I am and what I am not going to do. My reflexive response to such things has always been “Oh, really?”

I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll call her in a bit to either talk about this or slug it out. But I am absolutely resolute about one thing. I'm not leaving until around 10:00 tomorrow morning. If USX doesn't like it, fine.