When the going gets tough, the tough go on ‘staycation’
Re Aug. 10 Mark Wilson’s Viewpoint, “Enjoying the slide”: I laughed hard at the column about “staycations.” Aren’t all our prissy, overindulged noses totally out of joint now that we have to stay home and pay our bills, instead of running up a fortune in charges on credit cards wandering around in another state or a foreign country at fancy hotels and restaurants, and that we have to pay off until Christmas or beyond? So what if you can’t afford to go anywhere on your two weeks off from work? Stay home and catch up on repairing your house (if you didn’t lose it to foreclosure by borrowing against it for your previous vacations)! Start a home-based fitness program and cancel that expensive gym membership. Instead of paying the landscaper $150 to $200 to trim your shrubs and mow your lawn, do it yourself; it’s good exercise! Clean out that basement of the 10 years’ worth of junk you threw down there “planning to get rid of someday.” Here is your opportunity! Repaint those rooms you’ve been talking about redecorating for years, and learn how to kick in new carpet or drop in a floating floor. You don’t have to sit home sleeping on the couch and feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t afford to do Italy this year. Look at the benefits: At the end of a vacation, you have dirty laundry to wash and stupid souvenirs you regret purchasing. At the end of a “staycation,” you can be fit and have a fresh-painted and wellrepaired house that your friends will “ooh and ahh” over for years to come. If you don’t own a home, always rented, or lost it to foreclosure by buying more than you could afford or borrowed too much against it, you can use your vacation weeks to do the volunteer work you always said you wanted to do. You can also spend your time going through and getting rid of all that stuff you’ve dragged with you for years that just takes up space. At the end of your “staycation,” you may be able to deduct your miles for charity work and the value of your donations from your taxes, and will have a whole lot less junk to haul from house to house. Quit whining. The economy [stinks], but get over it. We set ourselves up for it by driving gas-guzzling SUVs, buying houses we couldn’t afford, and shipping all our jobs overseas. Life was fat and now it is not; get over it. So you have to toast marshmallows on your backyard grill instead of buying $1,000 of chips to gamble with in Las Vegas, or sitting on a beach in Maui. Get used to it. Reacquaint yourself with your spouse and your children and other family, and learn to appreciate the simple things in life The things that matter. The things that will always be there for you if you will always be there for them, no matter what comes. Vacations away aren’t all that much. TERRI MARTIN Glen Falls
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Salvatore
August 19, 2008, 4:07pm
Guest User
this made me laugh hard and I liked it, about all the crybabies
I haven't been on a "real" vacation in about 10 years. everytime I have time off, there's always something around the house that needs doing.
DITTO! A vacation for me is just not having to go into work!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
My last vacation was 1996. We went to the Daytona 500. Actually, I take that back.....every day of my life is a vacation, some days more, some days less.
My last vacation was 1996. We went to the Daytona 500. Actually, I take that back.....every day of my life is a vacation, some days more, some days less.
I want your job! Any openings?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
WORKLIFE Need a break? Here’s how to get more time off BY SEAN O’DRISCOLL The Associated Press
When family rights advocate John De Graff started doing some historical research, he came across a shocking discovery — that medieval European peasants had more vacation time than modern American office workers. De Graff, the national coordinator of Take Back Your Time Day, based his figures on the number of religious holidays peasants took off to eat, drink, and spend time with their families, and found it was about two weeks extra. He even printed up T-shirts saying: “Medieval Peasants Had More Vacation Than You.” As the economy falters and fewer employers give raises, it might be a good time for some American workers to negotiate more time off instead. NO PROTECTION But that’s not to say it will be easy. According to Rebecca Ray, Research Assistant at the Center for Economic Policy Research and co-author of “No-Vacation Nation,” there is no federal or state protection to stop employers from firing employees just for asking for vacation time. “The employer might not explain the reason for the firing, so its difficult to get accurate statistics on how often it happens,” says Ray, who would like to see federal protection for employees. Ray advises “talks about talks” in advance, to be sure the employer understands that any discussions on vacation should not be viewed negatively. Employers should also know that a rested employee is a productive employee. Joe Robinson, founder of the Work to Live Movement, tells employers who hire him to improve employee motivation that research shows productivity goes up after a vacation. “In the U.S., we have moved into a knowledge economy and the main tool is your brain. The best possible aid to that tool is a vacation,” Robinson said. There are a number of steps that workers can take to push for more time off without being asked to clear out their desk: VACATION POOLING Under vacation pools, employees trade time off. One employee may take no vacation one year but double his time the next year by trading with a workmate. Other vacation pools allow employees to lump their vacation, holiday and personal time in one, so that they are given a set amount of days off. Edgar S. Cahn, the founder of TimeBanks USA, which promotes better quality of life, says that office pooling is an idea way for people to enjoy their allotted time off. “It’s a very creative idea,” he said. “The company doesn’t have to give the employees any extra time off and it allows office workers much more flexibility.” Suggesting it to a boss at an office meeting could give employees much more time off. SELF-FINANCING According to Robinson, mentioning to your boss that you are willing to go on vacation without any pay can often be a very effective way to get some time off. “OK, so it’s not ideal but if you want time off, it’s the easiest way,” he said. Robinson did this in his previous work in journalism and the music industry. “If you can afford to do it, I’d recommend it. Unfortunately, many employees think it’s a bit strange if they don’t have their nose to the grindstone all the time, especially if they are funding the vacation themselves,” he said. Robinson advocates a non-combatitive approach, explaining to the employer why it’s in his or her interests to give you a vacation. TAKE WHAT YOU GET It may seem obvious, but many people don’t check how much time they are entitled to take off. Many others are reluctant to take the average nine days of paid vacation to which they are entitled, often because they are afraid it was show weakness or lack of loyalty. Joe Robinson says there may be “ongoing subtle discouragement” in the work force, but employees should remember that they are but entitled to their vacation and should not be afraid to take it. In 2005, US workers collectively turned down a staggering 1.6 million years of vacation time that was offered to them. Imagine if one person had all that time — it would take them back to the Tertiary Epoch, when saber-toothed tigers roamed America and Homo Erectus was still evolving in Africa. VACATION WISELY If vacation time is limited and your boss won’t budge, then recharge in the best way possible. Robinson is concerned about the rising popularity of “staycations” — lounging at home to offset rising fuel costs and the weak dollar. He believes those breaks are not as restful. “Working the brain’s neurons by taking up a challenging activity will leave you far more refreshed than sitting a resort doing nothing,” he said. He recommends activity vacations: hiking, canoeing, chess or some other activity that challenges the brain in new ways. TAKE BACK YOUR TIME/JENNIFER AKRE Family rights advocate and the national coordinator of ‘Take Back Your Time Day,” John De Graff says that today’s office workers have 300 hours less time off than 16th century peasants.
I get 3 weeks vacation a year. From the time of my mom's open heart surgery and with the passing of my father in law, I do not have any vacationtime left. I actually used my last two days Thurs and Friday for my father in law's services. So any time I take off from now until the end of the year will be unpaid.
Thanks Rene. He was diagnosed 6 weeks ago with advanced lung cancer. They gave him 4 months. He made it to 6 weeks. He was 81 and was never sick a day in his life.
I don't know whether it's us or whether business is at fault. It's like the what came first, the chicken or the egg.
For those of us who are in their golden years (50+), and maybe even the 40 sometings, we can remember. Daily supper with the whole family sitting at the table. And that despite us having our extra curricular activities....after school activities never pre-empted the whole family from sitting at the dinner table. In our family there was dance lessons, piano lessons, violin lessons, and youth sports....all outside of the "after school" activities, and still that did not preclude the family being together at dinner. And perhaps once a week we got in the car together to go to one of the soft ice cream places in the summer. In winter it was having pizza (someone, typically dad had to walk or drive to get the pizza, no home delivery) and famiilies would sit around having pizza. Children did their homework, often children helped parents with dishes (washing & drying by hand), often that task alternated. After dishes and homework, families gathered together in front of the TV watching shows that we laughed at and watching shows that no one would be embarrassed at viewing when other family members (remember, various age and various sex) are sitting alongside you. If it was a time of year with warmer days, families sat on the front porch, usually someone was holding the garden hose. Other families were outside sitting on their porches too. And usually some, if not all, of one family would wander next door or across the street to visit their neighbor. While adults were having conversations, the kids would engage in play......jump rope, hopscotch, TV tag, freeze tag, etc. Families (locally anyway) went downtown on Thursday nights, the only night of the week that the stores were open beyond 5. I think in my family, we bought meat only on Saturday.....there was a meat market on Broadway that dad went to, he came home and put the beef through that grinder thing to make ground meat. He chopped up the whole chicken into cookable parts (other than a roast chicken). I can't remember what day was grocery shopping day, I think supermarkets were open til 9. We didn't have go to the store for milk, it was delivered. Bread too, from the Friehofer truck. So there was no need to run out to the store almost every evening of the week. Saturday mornings were a major day for major chores. Chores begin after a hearty breakfast of pancakes.....pancakes made from scratch, no pancake mix, I can remember mom melting the butter to put in the batter. Saturdays were also days for going out for a drive with a purpose, best example was going to Lakeside Farms Cider Mill on the fall, or going apple picking in the fall. Sundays of course were the days for most people to go to church, come home and leisurely read the paper and eat those wonderful bakery treats from White Eagle Bakery....the crumb buns, the glazed doughnuts, and the twists (I think they were covered with glaze plus sugar and cinnamon). And Sunday was a day of rest, not because of dictates of our religions though I'm sure it grew out of that....but didn't have to be a day of prayer all day. The house had been cleaned, the lawn had been mowed, the meat ground up, the car was clean, this enabled us to have this day of rest. Stores and other businesses were closed on Sundays (except, like obviously the bakery was open, but probably only til noon). We often went to grandma & grandpas house and frequently aunts,uncles, and cousins were there too. Dinner more often was a special meal, foods we did not eat during the week.
Today, look at us. After school activities extend into dinner time so dinner table has empty seats. We have multiple TV's in the house so most retreat to various TV's to watch alone. Someone else will be on the computer. Teens if not engaged in the aforementioned are at their part time jobs. We are frazzled. We can't figure out which end is up and which end is down. Stores are open every night of the week so maybe one family member goes to the mall on Monday, another on Tuesday, etc. If they aren't shopping or hanging out, then they are working. Sunday is no longer a day of rest. People sometimes miss attending religious services because they are scheduled to work the morning shift. Other family members might be off to the Sunday morning youth sports game. Perhaps one or two of the family might be at church, but never the whole family together. Sunday afternoons, again, some are at work, others hang out with friends, and others retreat to different TV's, or the computer or video game systems. Families don't spend time together. Family members don't even know each other anymore. Think about your own family. When was the last time you all sat around a table playing Monopoly, or some other board game? And NOT the computerized versions. And who sits on their front porches anymore? I must say, however, that periodically when the news reports on a crime in, well, particularly in Albany....the architecture does it.....you will see people in the poorer neighborhoods, sitting on their stoops, acutally, I envy that.
Now, today, stores are open 7 days a week. That requires employees which takes people away from their families. But then the stores wouldn't need the employees if we didn't shop on Sundays. Here, what is first, the chicken or the egg? Are the stores open because we choose to shop on Sundays? Or do we shop on Sundays merely because the stores are open? Did we ask that schools or other youth organizations have their games or practices on Sunday mornings? Or did they choose that day and we accepted? This next one, I'm trying to think of the wording, because I want it to come out right. Have prices increased because businesses see that we are willing to go out more days in the week and spend money, thus we obviously have it? Or do we spend more because stores are open more? Prices go up, members of families have to take second jobs and that means less time for family. Or are people taking second jobs to have more spending money for non-essentials?
Sometimes I wonder if it will take another depression era to bring us back to our senses.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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