Summer Fridays Past and Present

by Ester Bloom and Meaghano

Ester: Hello! Happy you-might-have-a-baby-this-weekend Friday!

Meaghan: AHHHH. And it is our first Summer Friday! Which means that we finish blogging a little early from today through the summer.

Ester: Kind of an amazing coincidence, don’t you think?

Meaghan: I really timed my accidental pregnancy well.

Ester: I almost gave birth on Labor Day! Now that would have been good timing. But Memorial Day, when the waterslides open — that’s okay too.

Meaghan: And mattresses go on sale? I feel like that’s a thing. Anyway, have you ever had a Summer Friday before — at work?

Ester: OH YES. When I worked at an educational publishing company (English textbooks, basically) we had summer fridays. That’s when I was introduced to the magic of a shorter week. It was explained to me thus: The rich people go to the Hamptons. No one here is rich, but we like to close our eyes and pretend.

Meaghan: Ha! Perhaps you would be rich if you WORKED A FULL WEEK, PEOPLE. Just kidding — but I have certainly never had a Summer Friday before. I think I will enjoy it.

Ester: It’s a New York thing, I think? The way “the Hamptons” are specific to New York?

Meaghan: I can see that. It also seems like a publishing / media thing. Do bankers get summer Fridays?

Ester: Yes totally. One time I worked for The Jews and I had the reverse of Summer Fridays: in the winter, when the sun sets earlier, we got out earlier on Fridays so that we could go home and prepare for shabbes. So … I definitely recommend working for The Jews. But yeah, bankers? Finance types? I don’t know if they get Summer Fridays. Let’s ask Siri!

Meaghan: I know that tech companies do not. Or none I know. They just like…start office-drinking earlier than usual.

Ester: And then of course there’s Casual Fridays. Do people still do that?

Meaghan: Probably people with fancier jobs than us. I have never worked somewhere that wasn’t casual. A guy at my last job wore a suit on Fridays. Formal Friday. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Ester: This is at the top of the Wikipedia page on “Casual Fridays” : For the episode of The Office, see Casual Friday (The Office). For the Japanese government-advocated movement, see Cool Biz campaign.

Meaghan: We need to talk to Mike about looking into this Cool Biz campaign.

Ester: Why, because he’s part Japanese? 🙂

Meaghan: Ha, NO, because he is in charge of our cool biz.

Ester: I wonder if people think we mommies have locked Mike in a dungeon somewhere and only let him out to do one post every morning, and if those posts are coded cries for help.

Meaghan: Omg don’t call me the M-word yet. I HAVE A FEW MORE DAYS.

Ester: You just wait. As soon as that amphibian alien creature comes slithering out of you, nurses start referring to you as “Mommy” like it’s your NAME. Often in the third person. “How does mommy feel this morning?”

Meaghan: I am uncomfortable already!

Ester: GOOD. >diabolical laughterMeaghan: Ok well, if I don’t have something slither out of me this weekend, I will see you Tuesday. If I do, I will see you in July.

Ester: So exciting!! You know what Jews say to a pregnant woman, traditionally? “At the right hour.” Meaning, “May you give birth at the right time.” Isn’t that kind of great? (Sorry this is so Jewy.)

Meaghan: That is great, almost as great as the two asses wedding dance thing you dropped earlier. NEVER STOP. Happy summer Friday!

Ester: Happy summer Friday! Have lots of sex and acupuncture and then, at the right time, a baby.

Meaghan: That goes for everyone.

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