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  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    Lauri wrote:
    polaris_x wrote:
    there are outdoors clubs/groups in most places ... people who do this stuff always have lots of extra gear ... where is our resident outdoorsman?

    yeah I used to have a lot of friends who had extra gear, which is how I always managed in the past. Now I just don't live near them. I was also in an outdoors club for years, but I quit because I realized I wasn't having any fun- there was always just too big of a group and I never really connected with any of the other members. Besides as I said the sleeping outside thing just ruins backpacking for me. I don't know why I hate it so much, but I've never slept a wink in a tent/sleeping bag.


    Can't sleep in a sleeping bag? Why that's about the only thing they were designed for... sleeping. Anyhoo, you might just need to hike until you are almost dead, then you will have no choice but to sleep. I was once so tired, I let a bear bat me about a little while I hunkered down in my bag and mumbled, "Fuck off, I'm sleeping...." 8-)
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  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    Lauri wrote:
    hahahaha good advice on keeping your eyes closed :).

    Well when I first started working here, even thought we're professionals, we got paid by the hour (small company, didn't know what they were doing). So, if I took a day off, my pay check was like $200 lower. As I'm barely getting by as it is, I could never take a day off, not even a holiday. Then last summer they went normal and levelized vacation time through the year. As a result, I started getting paid $400 less per month, so I had to cash them all out. I stopped cashing them out because I needed to accrue some in case I get sick or you know, someone else decides to have a wedding. So now I'm getting paid less AND have no days off AND can barely pay my rent AND am completely stressed and burned out.

    this math is all wrong ... work to live or live to work ... i always choose the former ... your current formula is only gonna lead to exhaustion, bad health, grumpiness ... :)
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    eyedclaar wrote:
    Can't sleep in a sleeping bag? Why that's about the only thing they were designed for... sleeping. Anyhoo, you might just need to hike until you are almost dead, then you will have no choice but to sleep. I was once so tired, I let a bear bat me about a little while I hunkered down in my bag and mumbled, "Fuck off, I'm sleeping...." 8-)

    who was spooning who?
  • LauriLauri Posts: 748
    Lauri wrote:
    polaris_x wrote:
    Lauri wrote:
    Literally, in the past 14 months, I think I've taken off July 4th, thanksgiving, a random friday for a wedding, 2 days for christmas, and then 2 or 3 days at New Years for a wedding, about 5 hours of which was "vacation" for me.

    good grief ... what are you working for then? ... change it up ... do something ... at the very least ... pick the next nice day and spend 10 minutes doing nothing but having the sun hit you square in the face ... keep your eyes closed tho ...

    hahahaha good advice on keeping your eyes closed :).

    Well when I first started working here, even thought we're professionals, we got paid by the hour (small company, didn't know what they were doing). So, if I took a day off, my pay check was like $200 lower. As I'm barely getting by as it is, I could never take a day off, not even a holiday. Then last summer they went normal and levelized vacation time through the year. As a result, I started getting paid $400 less per month, so I had to cash them all out. I stopped cashing them out because I needed to accrue some in case I get sick or you know, someone else decides to have a wedding. So now I'm getting paid less AND have no days off AND can barely pay my rent AND am completely stressed and burned out.

    I'm basically working for nothing, to be completely honest. This job is really the only thing in my life, and it doesn't pay enough for me to even get by. My parents have to give me the difference between what I make and what my bills are, which for me is terrible because I hate taking anything from anyone. Whenever I do anything fun (like PJ shows) it comes out of my scant savings, so obviously I can't do that often. I'm sure people have it much, much, much worse, I've just reached a point that I feel like I have to take a BREAK do something fun for MYSELF. Not someone else's wedding or anything.
  • LauriLauri Posts: 748
    edited March 2010
    polaris_x wrote:
    Lauri wrote:
    hahahaha good advice on keeping your eyes closed :).

    Well when I first started working here, even thought we're professionals, we got paid by the hour (small company, didn't know what they were doing). So, if I took a day off, my pay check was like $200 lower. As I'm barely getting by as it is, I could never take a day off, not even a holiday. Then last summer they went normal and levelized vacation time through the year. As a result, I started getting paid $400 less per month, so I had to cash them all out. I stopped cashing them out because I needed to accrue some in case I get sick or you know, someone else decides to have a wedding. So now I'm getting paid less AND have no days off AND can barely pay my rent AND am completely stressed and burned out.

    this math is all wrong ... work to live or live to work ... i always choose the former ... your current formula is only gonna lead to exhaustion, bad health, grumpiness ... :)

    It's not MY formula, I didn't want this to happen. I have bills. My student loans are like a second rent. Plus I had to go into this do-gooder field, and I took this job because I need a job, even though I could possibly make slightly more somewhere else, but I couldn't wait for that so...there you go.
    Post edited by Lauri on
  • eyedclaareyedclaar Posts: 6,980
    polaris_x wrote:
    eyedclaar wrote:
    Can't sleep in a sleeping bag? Why that's about the only thing they were designed for... sleeping. Anyhoo, you might just need to hike until you are almost dead, then you will have no choice but to sleep. I was once so tired, I let a bear bat me about a little while I hunkered down in my bag and mumbled, "Fuck off, I'm sleeping...." 8-)

    who was spooning who?


    Always take turns with a bear. I learned that the hard way...
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  • LauriLauri Posts: 748
    eyedclaar wrote:


    Can't sleep in a sleeping bag? Why that's about the only thing they were designed for.

    Yeah I actually HATE sleeping bags. Too confining and they make me sweat, and then when you're outside that makes you get chills...haha even when I was a kid I hated sleepovers because I hated sleeping bags.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    eyedclaar wrote:
    Always take turns with a bear. I learned that the hard way...

    when the bear taps you on the shoulder in the middle of the night ... "i've got a headache" just doesn't cut it ... ;)
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    I guess it makes things more difficult in the US when basically paid vacation days are somewhat a benefit that the company can choose to give or not and not a legal requirement. In the UK you have a legal minimum of 28 paid days (which include public holidays - X-mas, Easter, etc.), so minimum 20 days vacation. Employers may offer more and days may also increase with length of service.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    Lauri wrote:
    It's not MY formula, I didn't want this to happen. I have bills. My student loans are like a second rent. Plus I had to go into this do-gooder field, and I took this job because I need a job, even though I could possibly make slightly more somewhere else, but I couldn't wait for that so...there you go.

    try and make it your formula ... do you want it to go like this indefinitely?
  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    I have just done 5 years with the government so I now get an extra 8 days leave this year! woo-haa!! 8-)
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    dunkman wrote:
    I have just done 5 years with the government so I now get an extra 8 days leave this year! woo-haa!! 8-)


    so what does this mean....you now will work about 72.3 days a year?
    outside of educators, i know of no one who gets as much vacation time as you. amazing. :mrgreen:

    my husband works for the government, and he is at top salary/leave. he gets 5 weeks.
    i get 4.5 and that never changes for anyone in my firm, not even partners. both are considered very generous packages. (plus add in holiday leave on top of that)
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • dunkmandunkman Posts: 19,646
    dunkman wrote:
    I have just done 5 years with the government so I now get an extra 8 days leave this year! woo-haa!! 8-)


    so what does this mean....you now will work about 72.3 days a year?
    outside of educators, i know of no one who gets as much vacation time as you. amazing. :mrgreen:

    my husband works for the government, and he is at top salary/leave. he gets 5 weeks.
    i get 4.5 and that never changes for anyone in my firm, not even partners. both are considered very generous packages. (plus add in holiday leave on top of that)


    i now get 32 days actual leave... with 7 stats and 4 'floaters' which can be taken at any time... as we don't get overtime we work Flexi-time which means i can 'bank up' a total of 7 hours per month which we can use as a flexi-day but only 1 per month.

    so 43 days actual leave days... and if i can manage it I could have 12 flexi days off throughout the year...

    when i see that typed out it is pretty awesome indeed... but i take solace in the fact that i work much harder than teachers and I also provide a more valuable service to the general populace. ;)
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • LauriLauri Posts: 748
    polaris_x wrote:
    Lauri wrote:
    It's not MY formula, I didn't want this to happen. I have bills. My student loans are like a second rent. Plus I had to go into this do-gooder field, and I took this job because I need a job, even though I could possibly make slightly more somewhere else, but I couldn't wait for that so...there you go.

    try and make it your formula ... do you want it to go like this indefinitely?

    no! absolutely not! the only thing I could do is get a new job, but I just got this one last year, and before that I only had my job for a year, so I need to show some kind of stability in my career (and job searching just means more stressful work and this one isn't bad except for the pay). And besides honestly, in my field I think I could make a little more, maybe $5,000-$10,000 more a year, but it still wouldn't be enough to cover my expenses. My last job just covered my expenses, but I hated it because it really wasn't what I want to do and I was working for the bad guys. Then I got laid off which I was actually happy about. I just found out last night that I think I actually could sell some photos to stock photo companies...I don't know I have to research that more and see if I can make a little extra cash doing that, because other than getting an entirely new career in like investment banking or something, I don't have many options. My savings are down to $800, my two low-limit credit cards are maxed out...fun is just not in my forecast, but it needs to be.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    here's a plan:

    1. find some smaller things you can do for yourself that would make you happy that won't cost you too much (maybe spend a day taking pictures).
    2. fix your debt issue - debt will always be a ball and chain
    3. prioritize your spending so that you can live within the means you are earning ... it's pretty clear you need to find some savings on your expenses somewhere
    4. diversifying your revenue stream is a great idea (i get paid from doing multiple things) - the variety helps keep you interested
    5. plan on doing something larger for yourself say 6 months from now so when the days are real shite - you have something to look forward to ...

    if all else fails - find a sugar daddy ... ;)
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    edited March 2010
    dunkman wrote:
    dunkman wrote:
    I have just done 5 years with the government so I now get an extra 8 days leave this year! woo-haa!! 8-)


    so what does this mean....you now will work about 72.3 days a year?
    outside of educators, i know of no one who gets as much vacation time as you. amazing. :mrgreen:

    my husband works for the government, and he is at top salary/leave. he gets 5 weeks.
    i get 4.5 and that never changes for anyone in my firm, not even partners. both are considered very generous packages. (plus add in holiday leave on top of that)


    i now get 32 days actual leave... with 7 stats and 4 'floaters' which can be taken at any time... as we don't get overtime we work Flexi-time which means i can 'bank up' a total of 7 hours per month which we can use as a flexi-day but only 1 per month.

    so 43 days actual leave days... and if i can manage it I could have 12 flexi days off throughout the year...

    when i see that typed out it is pretty awesome indeed... but i take solace in the fact that i work much harder than teachers and I also provide a more valuable service to the general populace. ;)


    hahahahahaa...well alrighty then.
    as long as you are protecting the universe, guess you deserve it. ;)


    i feel quite fortunate. i received 10 holidays and 3 weeks from the get-go, and after 2 years went up to 10 holidays + 22 vacation days. also, our firm is quite generous. last year, got the whole week off between christmas and new years as a "gift"...year before they threw in an extra day for independence day weekend, etc. so even tho it's no where near the amount of time i got off while teaching, i really like that i can take say a week in september off, or october...not dictated by a school schedule. it was impossible for mr. dream and i to coordinate our time off, so until i lieft teaching, we had little vacation time together. so i am actually happier with my current schedule. :D now....2 teaches as a couple THAT is ideal. however, i already fell in love with mr. dream, so eh well....maybe in a next life. ;)


    and, basically what you're saying is you could possibly have, up to 55 paid days off? is that including holidays, or do you get that in addition to? no wonder yer so damn feckin' happy.....:D haha. good for you!


    late edit - 7 hours a month = 1 workday? so you don't even work an 8 hour day? sheesh. :P
    Post edited by decides2dream on
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    well my next vacation is here

    madison-square-garden.jpg

    so, yeah, i'm sooo ready for a vacation!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    norm wrote:
    well my next vacation is here

    madison-square-garden.jpg

    so, yeah, i'm sooo ready for a vacation!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:


    BEST vacation you can take!
    :thumbup:
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • chadwickchadwick Posts: 21,157
    everyone needs "me" time. rather it's an hour or less everyday or longer. i firmly believe in taking time for myself. i do this constantly and it does upset some people. oh well and to bad. i do it for my own mental health and clarity. if my friends want to be around a decent person then by god leave me be for awhile. i require time to myself. you could say i take mini vacations daily.
    for poetry through the ceiling. ISBN: 1 4241 8840 7

    "Hear me, my chiefs!
    I am tired; my heart is
    sick and sad. From where
    the sun stands I will fight
    no more forever."

    Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
  • LauriLauri Posts: 748
    polaris_x wrote:
    here's a plan:

    1. find some smaller things you can do for yourself that would make you happy that won't cost you too much (maybe spend a day taking pictures).
    2. fix your debt issue - debt will always be a ball and chain
    3. prioritize your spending so that you can live within the means you are earning ... it's pretty clear you need to find some savings on your expenses somewhere
    4. diversifying your revenue stream is a great idea (i get paid from doing multiple things) - the variety helps keep you interested
    5. plan on doing something larger for yourself say 6 months from now so when the days are real shite - you have something to look forward to ...

    if all else fails - find a sugar daddy ... ;)

    ok well honesty, you don't really know my financial situation, so a lot of the inherent assumptions here are pretty off. It's pretty easy to say "fix your debt problem." Don't you think I would if I could? besides the credit cards are a drop in the bucket compared to my student loans, which unless I suddenly win the lottery, will not be paid off until I'm 60. Also you don't know what my expenses are...I kind of take offense that someone would assume that I live an extravagant lifestyle without knowing me. Almost all of my expenses are my student loan payments and there's nothing I can do about that.

    Yeah I am trying to come up with a plan for a day off though. I need to really plan in advance and make sure I don't feel as though I wasted it. I'm probably gonna wait for some nicer weather...so you know still just trying to plug along. Planning something for myself for 6 months sounds great, but I can't, I have 2 weddings right around that time, so that's what I'm saving and planning for. But I'm not looking forward to either of the destinations, as much as I'm trying to convince myself that I have to make them fun because they're my "vacation." To me a real "vacation" is something one chooses for themselves to spend their money on because they know they'll enjoy it, and any time there's an obligation involved in a trip it's not very "vacationy." I thought the last wedding I went to was going to be a vacation, because I was excited about the location. And while it was really good to see my friends, I only had about 1 day and a lot of traveling.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    Lauri wrote:
    ok well honesty, you don't really know my financial situation, so a lot of the inherent assumptions here are pretty off. It's pretty easy to say "fix your debt problem." Don't you think I would if I could? besides the credit cards are a drop in the bucket compared to my student loans, which unless I suddenly win the lottery, will not be paid off until I'm 60. Also you don't know what my expenses are...I kind of take offense that someone would assume that I live an extravagant lifestyle without knowing me. Almost all of my expenses are my student loan payments and there's nothing I can do about that.

    Yeah I am trying to come up with a plan for a day off though. I need to really plan in advance and make sure I don't feel as though I wasted it. I'm probably gonna wait for some nicer weather...so you know still just trying to plug along. Planning something for myself for 6 months sounds great, but I can't, I have 2 weddings right around that time, so that's what I'm saving and planning for. But I'm not looking forward to either of the destinations, as much as I'm trying to convince myself that I have to make them fun because they're my "vacation." To me a real "vacation" is something one chooses for themselves to spend their money on because they know they'll enjoy it, and any time there's an obligation involved in a trip it's not very "vacationy." I thought the last wedding I went to was going to be a vacation, because I was excited about the location. And while it was really good to see my friends, I only had about 1 day and a lot of traveling.

    sorry but i make no assumptions ... if you read what i wrote - the advice holds true regardless of your actual situation ... you yourself said you need to tackle that debt ... i didn't say you weren't trying nor that you were living an extravagant lifestyle ...
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    norm wrote:
    well my next vacation is here

    madison-square-garden.jpg

    so, yeah, i'm sooo ready for a vacation!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:

    woohooo ... we're doing the same vacation!
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    norm wrote:
    well my next vacation is here

    madison-square-garden.jpg

    so, yeah, i'm sooo ready for a vacation!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:
    niiiiiice! i took that one in 08, was SO good! enjoy :D

    even carving time out on the weekend for things you love is important for your well being. that doens't require any extra money or time off of work, you already have it off! :)
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    norm wrote:
    well my next vacation is here

    madison-square-garden.jpg

    so, yeah, i'm sooo ready for a vacation!! :mrgreen::mrgreen:
    niiiiiice! i took that one in 08, was SO good! enjoy :D

    even carving time out on the weekend for things you love is important for your well being. that doens't require any extra money or time off of work, you already have it off! :)

    yep! even if only for a few hours, just unplug from reality and do something that refreshes your mind...a walk, luch with friends, movie or my personal favorite...nothing! :D
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    norm wrote:
    yep! even if only for a few hours, just unplug from reality and do something that refreshes your mind...a walk, luch with friends, movie or my personal favorite...nothing! :D
    HUGE fan of nothing here *thumbs up* heehee

    even with all of life's hardships, one has to have a good state of mind to get thru and appreciate the hell out of every moment. as the wise sage neil finn once said, 'love this life, don't wait till the next one comes' :)
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    as the wise sage neil finn once said, 'love this life, don't wait till the next one comes' :)


    that kiwi knows his shit! :thumbup: :mrgreen:
  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    norm wrote:
    as the wise sage neil finn once said, 'love this life, don't wait till the next one comes' :)


    that kiwi knows his shit! :thumbup: :mrgreen:
    WORD!
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    norm wrote:
    even carving time out on the weekend for things you love is important for your well being. that doens't require any extra money or time off of work, you already have it off! :)

    yep! even if only for a few hours, just unplug from reality and do something that refreshes your mind...a walk, luch with friends, movie or my personal favorite...nothing! :D



    it is an art to do *nothing* well....and well, i am an artist. :mrgreen:
    i can happily sit out in my garden ALL day, glass of wine in hand...magazine in lap. hell, the magazine isn't even necessary. nor the wine - tho it does make it so much better. just *being*....listening to nature, to the fountain gurgle, the dogs play, bliss! can do the same at a park, almost anywhere....and oftentimes, so much more restorative than going away, traveling - tho i LOVE that! - and besides...infinitely less expensive. plus, you don't have to pack. :lol:
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


  • chiquimonkeychiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    norm wrote:
    even carving time out on the weekend for things you love is important for your well being. that doens't require any extra money or time off of work, you already have it off! :)

    yep! even if only for a few hours, just unplug from reality and do something that refreshes your mind...a walk, luch with friends, movie or my personal favorite...nothing! :D



    it is an art to do *nothing* well....and well, i am an artist. :mrgreen:
    i can happily sit out in my garden ALL day, glass of wine in hand...magazine in lap. hell, the magazine isn't even necessary. nor the wine - tho it does make it so much better. just *being*....listening to nature, to the fountain gurgle, the dogs play, bliss! can do the same at a park, almost anywhere....and oftentimes, so much more restorative than going away, traveling - tho i LOVE that! - and besides...infinitely less expensive. plus, you don't have to pack. :lol:
    restorative is the key word for sure! and i agree with all that, especially it being good not having to pack :lol:
  • LauriLauri Posts: 748

    it is an art to do *nothing* well....and well, i am an artist. :mrgreen:
    i can happily sit out in my garden ALL day, glass of wine in hand...magazine in lap. hell, the magazine isn't even necessary. nor the wine - tho it does make it so much better. just *being*....listening to nature, to the fountain gurgle, the dogs play, bliss! can do the same at a park, almost anywhere....and oftentimes, so much more restorative than going away, traveling - tho i LOVE that! - and besides...infinitely less expensive. plus, you don't have to pack. :lol:

    I do nothing all the time, but I'm pretty bad at it. Usually when I'm doing nothing it's because I have so many things I should or could be doing that I can't organize/decide which one to do so I just check out. I do nothing at least 3 week nights a week, and then usually most of the weekend. And then it always happens that suddenly it's friday night and I haven't made any weekend plans yet, so when I wake up on saturday, the only thing I can think of to do is work out or clean, and I'll often procrastinate on those and not even get them done. Like tomorrow, it's supposed to be sunny (though a little cold) and I would like to go for a bike ride. But because I haven't organized with anyone or planned anything, I might not even get to do that (I don't have a route mapped, I'm not prepared to go too-too far into the suburbs alone, etc). My only option then is to go on the really crowded bike path (death trap) which is only a 20-mile ride, and I'll probably just think "why bother?" Haha weekends actually really stress me out!

    I do enjoy sitting on my porch and stuff, but being ADHD things like this can be problematic for me.

    True, packing, flying, etc are stressful! I wonder though if I would find them as stressful if I were going to do something fun and didn't need to worry about anyone else, wasn't cramming too much into a tiny period, etc. You know, an actual "vacation."
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