The 5 Day Weekend

For our family, Saturdays are somewhat sacred.  You see, six out of seven days of the week, we are slaves to the alarm clock.  But not on Saturdays.  Saturdays are for sleeping late, watching cartoons, staying in our 'jammies' (sometimes all day!)  Of course, for me weekends are also for chores and errands, so it's not unusual to hear the kids say, "Do we have to go to the store, Mom?" They just want a day to lay around and veg - and I don't blame them.  After all. do you think I really like going to WalMart on Saturday?

The Waffle recently heard a talk radio program where this guy was advocating for the 5 Day Weekend.  Seriously.  His thoughts on the subject were that American families, ours being no different, spend way too much time being busy and not enough time relaxing.  The idea that weekends are for relaxing is just that, an idea.  Especially in families where both parents are working outside of the home and the children are in school.  He says that there isn't enough 'down time' on Saturday and Sunday for anyone to truly relax.  He also said that we, as workers, would be more productive if we were more relaxed and refreshed when we were at work instead of so tired, stressed and worn out.  

I don't know if his ideas would really work, and I probably never will because I can't see them ever truly catching on . . . but, BOY could I go for some 5 Day Weekends!  After I spent the first of my 5 days cleaning the house and running errands, maybe the next day I could repaint the computer room (I bought the paint 3 months ago), I might also find the time to read a book, and then maybe the Waffle and I could go away for a long weekend without missing work.  On another 5 Day Weekend, we could hang out playing games for a day, go visit some friends or family out of town and still get back in time for the 2 day workweek.   

I know, some of you are saying, isn't that called a vacation?  Well, yes.  But haven't you ever gone on vacation and tried to cram so much in that you needed another vacation to recover when you got home?  I know you have, especially if you have vacationed with children!  

Last March the Waffle and I went away for a few days - just us.  We dropped the kids off at school on Thursday morning, then got in the car and drove to Gatlinburg, TN.  We arrived at our cabin just in time to see our favorite TV show.  Then for two full days we didn't do much else but sit around and watch movies, cook when we were hungry and sit in the hot tub.  Oh, and sleep. Of course we slept!  On Sunday we got up and went to church, then drove back home.  It was sooooooooooo relaxing!  (And almost a 5 Day Weekend.)  When some friends of ours were planning a trip there this past fall, they asked if we had any suggestions of places to eat. We didn't because we didn't eat out.  We cooked all our meals in the cabin, except lunch on our way home Sunday.  They just laughed, but that's ok.  Everybody's idea of a vacation is different.  

I can't wait to do it again . . .