Vaw-kee-shown... vai-cat-sheen... voi-kay-shin...
Honestly, the concept is so foreign to me, I don't know how to pronounce, much less spell the word.
I haven't had a single, genuine, day of vacation (okay, I can spell it - I'm a sucker for drama) in my entire adult working life. Blockbuster offers vacation pay amounting to roughly a week a year, but I'm usually in such financial dire straits that I just cash out the extra money and work on top of it. To not be at work during normal business hours, be able to do normal business, enjoy a bright sunny day, and NOT have to worry about the money I'm foregoing in the process is something completely new to me. Oh, I've gone on some great trips with the family, usually through the generosity of Sonya's parents, but I spend a lot of the time thinking about the piles of work awaiting me on my return and how to financially recover from a week of no paychecks. Fun, absolutely, but not entirely stress-free.
Today was my first day of my long-overdue paid vacation time from the tuba store, and I gotta tell ya, it was everything I hoped it would be.
I woke up late, took my son on an outing to the video store to grab a flick, went to Steve & Barry's to exchange some pants, went with the family to the zoo in the gorgeous sunshine (pictures on my Flickr page), made my favorite dish for the family (Paula's famous Mac & Cheese casserole) with some fresh corn on the cob, and went to a fun and productive quartet rehearsal, all without having to panic if my check would keep the lights on this week.
Tomorrow I'm taking another one. On the docket (after a brief trip to my new place of business) is a day of some long-overdue chores while Sonya goes sailing with her brother, a little yard work, maybe a trip to the comic store, and then a trip to a hotel in Dundee with an indoor water park (courtesy of Sonya's mom) at which I may or may not spend the night.
Friday, and it subsequent harsh realities of working both jobs, will be here soon enough, but right now it might as well be years away. Seeing as my generation doesn't have a real retirement to look forward to, I'm going to learn to savor every second of these days.
Who'd have thought that the world had so much fun and relaxation to offer on weekdays!
Somebody pass me a mint julep, sunscreen, and a chez lounge...
I could learn to like this concept of "Vay-kay-shun".
Honestly, the concept is so foreign to me, I don't know how to pronounce, much less spell the word.
I haven't had a single, genuine, day of vacation (okay, I can spell it - I'm a sucker for drama) in my entire adult working life. Blockbuster offers vacation pay amounting to roughly a week a year, but I'm usually in such financial dire straits that I just cash out the extra money and work on top of it. To not be at work during normal business hours, be able to do normal business, enjoy a bright sunny day, and NOT have to worry about the money I'm foregoing in the process is something completely new to me. Oh, I've gone on some great trips with the family, usually through the generosity of Sonya's parents, but I spend a lot of the time thinking about the piles of work awaiting me on my return and how to financially recover from a week of no paychecks. Fun, absolutely, but not entirely stress-free.
Today was my first day of my long-overdue paid vacation time from the tuba store, and I gotta tell ya, it was everything I hoped it would be.
I woke up late, took my son on an outing to the video store to grab a flick, went to Steve & Barry's to exchange some pants, went with the family to the zoo in the gorgeous sunshine (pictures on my Flickr page), made my favorite dish for the family (Paula's famous Mac & Cheese casserole) with some fresh corn on the cob, and went to a fun and productive quartet rehearsal, all without having to panic if my check would keep the lights on this week.
Tomorrow I'm taking another one. On the docket (after a brief trip to my new place of business) is a day of some long-overdue chores while Sonya goes sailing with her brother, a little yard work, maybe a trip to the comic store, and then a trip to a hotel in Dundee with an indoor water park (courtesy of Sonya's mom) at which I may or may not spend the night.
Friday, and it subsequent harsh realities of working both jobs, will be here soon enough, but right now it might as well be years away. Seeing as my generation doesn't have a real retirement to look forward to, I'm going to learn to savor every second of these days.
Who'd have thought that the world had so much fun and relaxation to offer on weekdays!
Somebody pass me a mint julep, sunscreen, and a chez lounge...
I could learn to like this concept of "Vay-kay-shun".
1 comment:
Seeing as my generation doesn't have a real retirement to look forward to...
That's an interesting concept. My 401(k) is looking pretty all right so far, apart from the economic downturn causing a few losses. I started early, so I think I'll actually be able to retire.
Now, my Mom, who's worked hourly and under-the-table jobs with no retirement plan for 30-some years -- she's the one who'll have a hard time retiring, IMO.
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