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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Vacation



One of my loyal readers sent this podcast link about vacations. It's worth a listen.

There's quite a bit of science behind the idea that vacations are very good for us. It's something I've always suspected. Hey, if a little vacation time is good, a whole lot more must be better, right? After all, the good effects of a vacation only last a few weeks. That tells me that maybe we are not wired to work 24/7.

The United States is the only industrialized Western nation with no mandatory vacation time. Not only that, we do a pretty dismal job of taking what little time we do get. Contrast that to European nations where 30 vacation days are pretty common. It's pretty normal for people in Europe to take a month off in the summer. Guess what? It's not the end of the world when people go on vacation. Perhaps the benefits outweigh the downsides?

The reader who sent me the link said he hard time finishing the podcast. The truth hurts. He saw how his bosses manipulated him into working instead of going on vacation. (I don't think he'll let that happen again.)

My lovely wife thought I could use a vacation. A vacation from what you might ask? After all, we just spent months travelling around the country, camping and boating. She figures that I'm the guy doing all the driving, set up, and keeping the van and boat running. With that in mind she booked a cruise to the Bahamas. Someone else can drive the boat.

I was a bit surprised. That's not the sort of thing she'd normally do without asking me first. She thought I might say no so she made a command decision. Like a good husband I finally agreed to being pampered and waited on. See what sacrifices I make?

-Sixbears

11 comments:

  1. You've got a winner there, Sixbears! Enjoy your surprise!

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  2. Just further proof you made the right decision over a few decades ago. Good for you sir

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  3. Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do...

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  4. Gotta do whatever it takes to keep Mama happy!

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  5. Interestingly, while most of us at H&R Block get (unpaid) "vacations" starting April 16th, even those who stay on don't work the full 52 weeks. Everyone (at least at the District level) must take a 6 week vacation during the off-season.

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    1. Hope you enjoy them. Too many don't know how to enjoy time off.

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  6. Enjoy your cruise..I have been married 41 years soon and I have never been on a carribean cruise, but we are going to Alaska soon on a freighter whereby they live the life of fishermen and fisherwomen and stops in villages to live at homes of people real people living it nicely in the Yukon territories..we are thrilled. Since it is the hottest year in recorded weather history in Washington state, big big drought we are going to see Alaska at it's very finest and not a cruise ship, our only is going too she booked the whole thing as a anniversary gift, we will also be in Las Vegas outside actually enjoying time spent with friends we have known since we married in North Las Vegas in may of 1974 we cannot wait..let your wife wait on you hand and foot, I do the same for my hubs who slaved in retail grocery for most of his life, he is the King in the house and I never let him lift a finger to do anything he worked too damn hard for his job! He always took his vacations and then some and still had his job waiting when we returned I got fed. govt sick pay and vacations and took the vacations every year and had a full year of extra retirement for never getting ill and taking sick leave almost took a week when I had my only child..I think one has to have some balance we retired about 8 years ago, are not home much, thinking of selling and living at the shore if they only had a hospital they might be building one and we will live in a shack and enjoy walking and boating and spending time with good friends who have a shack there and many motorhomes nicer than our tiny house here in the inland! ENJOY THE CRUISE!

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    1. Enjoy your trip to Alaska. Sounds like a blast!

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