Strong relationship with fond memories

Spending a  week with my guy has made us closer. We learned a lot about and from each other.

As an example, take driving in Dallas.

"There are u-turn lanes in this city," he said to me in the car, as he demonstrated.
"That's handy. It's less intimidating than doing it at a major intersection," I remarked.

On my last day in the city, my guy asked that I take some money out of his wallet to pay me for the dinner bill that I had taken care of the night before.

"It's weird to go into your wallet and take out money," I said, taking his wallet and giving it to him.
"It's okay. There's nothing in it," he said.
"That's true. We work for the same company, after all," I said.

Finally, we talked about our electric toothbrushes.

"We have the same electric toothbrush. I used my charger to charge yours today," I said.
"Thanks, sweetie," he said.
"No problem," I replied.
"What does it mean when the light turns red?" he asked me.
"It's means that you are brushing your teeth or gums too hard. You need to back off on the pressure," I replied.
"I see. That makes sense," he acknowledged.

Although our week together has come and gone, we have fond memories and a stronger relationship because of it.

Dealing with an inept colleague while on vacation

The new writer manages to still get on my nerves even when I am on vacation. She has no clue about respect for those who are on vacation.

On Christmas eve, she said that she'd wish everyone a nice Christmas. It seemed like a thoughtful gesture on her part.

We have an instant messaging tool that we use at work. I have it installed on my phone, as I take teleconferences while I am driving into work. I frankly don't like instant messaging apps. I find getting text messages to be a distraction.

Guess what she does? While I am preparing fixings in the kitchen on Christmas day, I get a text message on this instant messaging app from her. She's wishing me a merry Christmas. I have mentioned to her in the past that I don't like being contacted through this app. Obviously, this tidbit didn't register in her head, as with most information that my interns and I have relayed to her.

Two days later, I get a status report from her on this instant messaging app, saying that she's "holding down the fort." You would think that this app saying that I have been away for three days would mean something to her. Nope.

I wrote her an e-mail, copying our manager, on instant messaging etiquette. I pointed out that instant messaging is used to contact someone quickly to get a response and when it's urgent. Providing a status report or wishing me a nice Christmas over Skype while I am on vacation is not proper etiquette. I had to spell it out that I do not want to be reached on this work instant messaging app when I am on vacation. I want a work-free vacation. However, writing this e-mail to tell her to stop it and to explain how instant messaging etiquette works wasn't in my vacation plans.

I then indicated to look at our manager's e-mail that wished everyone a merry Christmas. He sent it as an e-mail, not through an instant messaging app. She does not comprehend that instant messages that she sends goes to my personal phone while I am on vacation and she is not. The last person I truly want to hear from on my vacation is this woman.

I got a reply back from her to my e-mail saying that she understood what I had said. I doubt that she truly does. It is so frustrating dealing with someone who seems to be shielded from the world and does not understand what is common courtesy.