I'm Very Traditional

I have developed this new tradition. It's one I enjoy very much. It always begins in September. Maybe not always the first day of September, but, sometime toward the beginning.

You see, when my friend Patti and I were working together, I realized that she had accumulated her vacation to the point of "use it or lose it". I always kept a nice bank, but not quite to that extreme. Well, in 2006 I decided that would be my goal, saving up all my vacation to the point I was "topped out". So, in the year 2006, I used only eight hours of vacation the entire year!! Now, why would I do that?? I did that because I'm a planner, I do not have one spontaneous bone in my body, so I plan. What am I planning for, my retirement. That way, when I retire, the city will have to pay me out for at least 300 hours of vacation - a nice little paycheck to keep me going until the old retirement checks start rolling in.

By doing that, I have forced myself to use five weeks of vacation every year. Three of those weeks I save up for the month of September (next year, I'm thinking four). So I left my job yesterday, after my four hour shift, and I don't return now until October 3. I feel that it's the pefect month. Nice weather; not too hot, not too cold. I have projects planned; painting and cleaning. I have dates planned; Zach and Chelsea time - which hopefully gives my daughter a bit of a break. Maybe I'll take a drive to Logan for lunch. Maybe I'll take a drive to Park City to shop. Who knows, the possibilities are endless. All I know is this, I am looking very forward to this little break.