Bugger Off

Just sent this message to B; hopefully it's direct and to the point without being harsh:

B - I honestly don't know when we can schedule another lunch. Here's why:

- I'm backed up with work-related stuff
- I'm scrambling on some quasi-related work stuff
- I've got a lunch meeting tomorrow
- I have a dinner meeting tomorrow and Thurs night (and some work related to that)
- I'm doing a day trip with my friend Susan over the weekend
- I've got out of town meetings on Tues and Weds of next week
- I'm hosting a committee meeting for dinner on the 23rd ... and then company wide conference ... and somewhere in between I'm supposed to be scheduling appointments for a NYC/Long Island trip at the end of the month.

And oh, yeah, I'm trying to stick to a regular exercise schedule.

It's not that I'm trying to avoid you, but I just have too many other things I'm trying to juggle right now. And since you asked me to be honest with you, I have to tell you that while I would enjoy going to lunch with you every now and then, I don't see it happening with the regularity with which I lunch with Phil. And I don't see it ever going beyond a simple friendship.

Hope it does the trick.