On "staycation"

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Well, here I am on my week-long “staycation”…which just means I’m bumming around home reading the Dope in my jammies instead of actually going anywhere. Sure, I can blame the economy, gas prices, the weak dollar, etc., but the real truth is that I have been so burnt out and overworked that just the thought of packing, planning, etc. to go anywhere was just more than I could handle. So, here I am.

I’d probably be having more fun, but I’ve got a dental appt. this afternoon. I hate the dentist (nothing personal). My stomach is all churny and nervous. We’re also going to take my car in for an oil change. Yee haw.

Everyone at work was freaking out Friday. I put in for this vacation a month ago. At the time, my coworker was supposed to have come back from a medical leave by now, so they gave me permission. Of course, she hasn’t come back, and last week, they were freaking out. It isn’t like I’m a brain surgeon…a trained monkey could do my job. My supervisor offered to get a ProStaff person for the summer, but the lead in our area, who would have to train her/him, said no because it would be “a waste of training time”. Oh, and she had just talked to our missing colleague, who said she’d be back soon. Whoops.

I really don’t think the place will fall apart without me, but it could be bad. I was sick one day a while ago and came back to a complete mess. I guess I know I’m needed…but it doesn’t make me feel any better. It would be easier not to think about it if I were someplace else. Last year, I went to Yellowstone Park and Montana and had a wonderful, relaxing, great time and didn’t think about work at all. Then I came back to find that they had let almost every single temp worker go and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I fear what will happen this time.

Maybe after the dentist appt I’ll feel good enough to plan fun things the rest of the week. What do tourists to the Twin Cities do? Mall of America, right? I hate that place. I’d go camping, but that still seems like too much work…and the campgrounds are all full for the 4th anyway. There are some museums I’d like to see–the Mill City Museum, for example. I don’t just want to see museums, though.

I just have the feeling that I’m wasting my precious few vacation days. One week isn’t nearly enough time to make up for the damage that has been and will be done.

If anyone is still here at the end of this post, I am surprised :slight_smile: If you reply, I’ll be even more so. Thanks for listening.

2

Well good for you. However, I prefer the term "FAKE"cation. Have fun doin’ nuttin’.

3

I find the juxtaposition of these two statements… disturbing. Especially since monkeys are rapidly suffering from habitat loss!

4

I’m kind of in the same situation. This time last year, I was on a spur-of-the-moment roadtrip to New Hampshire (fun!). This year, nothing. I can’t afford second-summer-session classes at the university, and I have to take my vacation weeks from work soon or lose them, so here I am. (I should use this week to try to get a months-long dental issue straightened out, so I’m in that boat too.)

I hate taking time off from work. I’m anal-retentive about my department and how things are done, and for every day off, it takes two days to correct errors introduced by folks stepping in to do my job. (You can imagine my joy upon returning to work after the time I was sequestered for nearly four months on a jury!)

I don’t have too many plans this week. Just started seeing someone after a couple of years being single, so I’ll probably go to dinner with her once or twice. There’s a Weird Al concert July 3rd, which will be fun. Other than that? Sitting at home, reading, making an occasional foray out to a supermarket.

Even more fun should ensue later this summer as I use up my other two weeks of vacation. I hate scheduling vacations when I’m not particularly keen on taking them, but I have to use them all up before my hire-date anniversary. More frustratingly, I’ll hit a milestone on this upcoming anniversary, and will from now on have to schedule four weeks off per year. Blah!

5

Screw work. Don’t worry about it. It will be a mess when you get back or it won’t be a mess, and worrying won’t affect it one iota. I’m going to the dentist tomorrow morning; we can compare results.

You could go to the zoo. Pack a lunch with way more goodies than you could eat to take with you or plan to buy hot dogs and sno-cones when you get there. Or both. It’s vacation, be excessive!

FunMinnesota.com says:

Is that nearby? You could walk around and enjoy the day if the weather is good. You can hit the museums if the weather turns bad on you.

Sleep late, stay in the shower too long, take a bubble bath, buy nicer coffee than you usually do. Make your meals special. Fix yourself pancakes for breakfast; barbecue for dinner, go to the little place down the road for lunch, whatever floats your boat. Get carryout from nearby foreign restaurants or buy something at the grocery store that you’ve never eaten before. Buy a bunch of fireworks and light’em up (subject to local laws, of course).

6

I haven’t been to the Arboretum for a few years. That’s actually one of the places that’s in the back of my mind. It’s across the metro area from me, but not too far.

OK, I exaggerate about the monkeys–they would need to know how to count and have reasonably good handwriting. I could train my 11-year-old daughter to do the job. However, you need to be willing to work. The main problem is that we simply used to have more people, so one missing didn’t upset things so much. I’d have taken the temp and trained them, but it’s not up to me. It frustrates me, though.

My sister has offered to take me out for sushi. Not sure when, though. I already partake of the local Chinese place quite a bit.

I’m off to the dentist. Oh, and my car needs new tires. Joy.

7

I’ve taken numerous staycations, and as a fellow Twin Citian, I can give you some ideas.

For museums: The Science Museum, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, and The American Swedish Institute are several of our favorites. The Landscape Arboretum is lovely this time of year.

Hit the farmers’ markets, take a book to a favorite park or lake, or take a walk. Stay up late and see if the U has their telescope open to the public.

Funny how much better I am at coming up with ideas when I’m not the one on vacation. Hope the dentist wasn’t too bad, and have a relaxing week!

8

I suggest a matinee movie, some midafternoon shopping/browsing, and a lot of sitting around in your jammies, watching videos or reading whatever you like best, while eating the stuff your parents would never let you eat when you were a kid.

9

I like staycation. But that nosey Lacey keeps getting up in my face.

10

I actually prefer time off in the 'hood to a bigger vacation sometimes. All the running to pack all the sights into X number of days leaves me less than rested. Plus, I don’t get into the city nearly often enough. There’s enough happening in Chicago that I really don’t need to go far to have a really fantastic vacation right here.

11

Well, I have been strongly encouraged to have my wisdom teeth removed, but other than that, the visit went well. Didn’t have lunch, so I had dinner at Khan’s Mongolian Barbecue. Only had one plate, though (it’s all you can eat–that’s all I can eat these days, though.)

I got a new game for the Wii–Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None. That should keep me busy for a while, I expect.

12

On ‘staycation’ here too. But then I spent about 1/2 hour checking work e-mails and dealing with things that came up today - when I have been gone a whole four hours.
I think I’ll stay off the network for the rest of the week.

Going to Shipshewana Flea Market tomorrow, then Cedar Point on Wednesday, then probably hanging out around home the rest of the week.