I really should just plan for this

Why in the HOLY FSCK does me scheduling any kind of evening activity bring managment asking me if I can work across it?  All I want is tea with friends, and I've been asked to work (on a morning where the phone rang at 6:30 AM) from 6 to 8 PM...

No.

I have refused this challenge.   However, I am scheduled for on call (although this is not an oncall activity.)  Bets on whether it gets pushed into the phone queue.

Gah.

No.

Thank you world, for an opportunity to enforce my boundraries.

*******UPDATE

At 5 o'clock, I just went out the door.   The repercussions?

None.

Dinner was lovely, starting with Sconic sections, and lots of pi.   Scheherazade brought chicken, so we had chicken pie--I couldn't find anything in the kitchen,that will get fixed.   But the evening was full of witty smart friends, lovely conversations, geeky project reports, and burning things in the ceramic pig.  I got to see a bunch of people I don't see enough of, and introduce them to each other.

I am a lucky man.