Since I've been pregnant this go-around there have been about three or four days in which I simply had an overwhelming irresistible need for a nap. Since today I teach a morning lab, have a lunch meeting (science ed journal club) and nothing else fixed for the rest of the day, I went home at 2:00pm. Not entirely a choice since no work was getting done anyway. I had a refreshing nap. The weather was very nice, so from home I got on my bike and picked Boy up from day care at 4:00, and as we went by, I noticed that the baseball team was playing a home game. We unloaded and watched a few innings. Boy enjoyed the sunshine and novelty, and I enjoyed my current and former students' shock at how quickly he's grown. After the game, we got home, had a nice dinner, bath and a regular bedtime.
While the workload for my job is heavy and scattered (so many balls to keep in the air at once!), the flexibility is quite nice too. I would never have thought about leaving my post-doc in the middle of the day for a nap. Basically, I am obliged to be "at work" for 10 hours per week. Occasionally that ends up being two hours a day which is quite nice. There's a lot more than 10 hours per week of work to do, but I get to pick when that work gets done.
On the other hand, it doesn't matter what, when you have class, that's it, you are expected to show. You had better be bleeding or seizing or have a death in the family not to show to a lecture or a lab. And forget vacations off-season. You are chained to the academic year.
I still think I have a great job, and the flexibility is one of the huge advantages.
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