Vacation

Vacation - Have you ever felt like you really need one? I’m at a point in my life, where I am in need of time away from my full time job.

Today is Sunday, the first day of a week’s vacation from my job. I have been back to work since 1992, after taking time off for 14 years to raise our last two children. I really enjoyed being an at home Mom since I had worked full time for 7 or our daughter’s first 9 years. I went back to work part time in 1992, in 1996 added a second job to the day,
so was working full time. In 1998, I went from two part time jobs during the day to a full time job, and that is the job I am still at, 8 years now. In all of the years since 1992, I have never taken a full week’s vacation just to be “at home”. The only weeks or two weeks I’ve taken were to go on a trip, usually to my home in Pennsylvania. Sure, I took a day or two off, here and there, but never more than 2 days in a row. Each year, I tell myself that next year I will take a week off “just to be home”. However, I never seem to plan ahead for it, and my job is busy all year long these last few years, that I have never
done it. So, the beginning of 2006 I told myself I would plan for a week. In April, I realized the work days would become more stressful in the summer, and that I’d better soon “plan” for my week. I requested this next week, the week of May 22, thinking it would be the better week, work wise to be gone. Also, it gives me an extra day, since Memorial Day Monday is a holiday!

For those of you reading this that have a full time job, you can relate, when I tell you that getting ready to be gone on vacation is very stressful. I had so many things that I needed to finish up, that I worked late a few nights, and I went into the office and worked three more hours yesterday (Saturday). But, I feel better about leaving my work and my desk for a week, by doing so.

I think that is why I am so tired today. I slept in late, and I can’t seem to get “going” on anything around the house today. I just am doggoned tired! I decided to come to the computer to write, hoping that would get me geared up. I made plans to go for a walk with a friend later this afternoon, right now the last thing I want to do is walk.

Well, I guess I can consider that I’m getting rested up to make productive use of a vacation at home, that I want to start tomorrow. I hope things go as I plan. Some things I want to accomplish from a week at home:
RELAX-- Clean the refrigerator -- clean the oven -- wash curtains -- put away winter clothes -- get out summer clothes -- straighten up the mess that is in the spare bedroom --
read -- clean closets -- do some gardening – sit on the deck in the sun –catch up with friends -- RELAX -- rest up -- walk -- exercise -- clean cupboards -- RELAX -- scrub the bathroom -- lunch with a friend – coffee with neighbors – RELAX and one really big goal: rejuvenate myself, mentally and physically, so that I can get through working full time for at least 4 more years -- If you don’t hear from me in a week, you will know why.

Do you think I will get all these things accomplished? Stay tuned. (I’m going have to get up at 5 or 6 am day to keep to my plan, so I do need to rest today!)