I played hooky from work today and...

[bobadame]

When I was in school about a hundred years ago, there were days that I could not make myself go to school. I'd go down to the pool hall and play snooker with the retired old codgers in the next town or sometimes I'd just drive around on country roads looking for old cars. Today was one of those days. I took the day off just to "mess around".
I've got this old Dwarf Car that I haven't used since about '96 so today I got it running. Still need to bleed the brakes and the clutch but it sure gave me a grin to hear it run again. So, How about a new thread? Take a mental health day now and then and report your adventures here.

 

[fury9]

When I take a day off I feel guilty?

 

[1948]

man thats a neat little race car. just change out the rims and tires and it would look right out of the 60s! just like my family used to race.

 

[jabberwoki]

Hope your boss is not on the journal!!

 

[bobadame]

Hope your boss is not on the journal!!

My boss is knee deep in Dark Matter. No really, he's a scientist.

 

[805gregg]

In this economy? Make evey dollar you can.

 

[bobadame]

man thats a neat little race car. just change out the rims and tires and it would look right out of the 60s! just like my family used to race.

Got any pictures of those old race cars?

 

[admranger]

Hope your boss is not on the journal!!

I was thinking the same thing.

I was also thinking I want a hi-res version of your avatar pic.

 

[bobadame]

Jeez guys, lighten up. I took an unplanned vacation day in the middle of the week. Things are slow at work this week. It was a good day to not be there. Normally I would be working on the house or fixing something for somebody. Many times I use my vacation days to work my part time business. Today I just played hooky from all that and had a bit of fun. I'm not going to get fired, the job isn't going to collapse. Everything is OK.. Really.

 

[thammel]

You may not believe this but I started working full-time in 1973, almost 39 years ago. In those 39 years I've never taken a mental health day. It just doesn't feel right to me. That's me, and there are times I wish I would or could do that. I've got plenty of vacation time and am maxed out on sick time.

I'm jealous!
Tom

 

[-Brent-]

I think it's good you took a mental health day, there's nothing wrong with it. Mental health is important!

When I worked on a framing crew we tried to always work the crappy, rainy, freezing and dog sick days so when the first gorgeous day would come we'd take it off. We busted our rears to earn those "beach days," as we called them.

 

[Boost Creep]

i had a mental health day today too so i went to the beach

 

[nathank]

I have done this plenty of times. It's amazing what one day of doing whatever YOU want to do can rejuvenate you.

 

[bobadame]

Life is so short guys. We spend about 80% of our lifetime "making a living". I started working full time in 1969. During all that time I've been unemployed maybe a total of 2 weeks. Many of those years I worked lots of overtime for the extra money. Even now I have a full time job and a part time business. I don't mean to get on a soap box about this but I'm OK with taking a break a few days a year to just chill and today was kinda special. I've got an old flathead motor that's been in storage since 1968. I'd like to hear it run again too. Maybe in the fall.

 

[Bull]

I support you, Bob.

If work was all there was to life, it wouldn't be much of one. And, unless you all know something I don't, you can't take too many of those hard earned dollars with you when you step off the train and enter Willoughby.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Guess what, I'm with the OP and I'm not taking one mental health day...I'm taking 6 of them, with no plans other than do some fishing with my son and grandson and play in the garage. Why? Because I have a salaried job that says I can and after watching my dad in law fight stage four cancer the last few months, I have a new spin on life. Take the time when you can because when it's gone, it's gone fellas.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

This is an old joke but I've had a case of "**** Glaucoma" now and then.
You know... "I can't see my *** going to work today!"

 

[brslk]

I work with a guy that prides himself on not taking one day off in his 12 years with the company. Not sick days, not a vacation or anything.
I got real tired of his patting himself on the back one day and told him I wish he would have taken a few days off when he was sick because he brought in his virus and made several of his co-workers sick and they weren't holier than thou and they lost money because they took days off.
I also pointed out to him that he is more likely to be fired from the company we work for even though he has been there a couple of years more than I and his excellent attendance counts for **** because I know more about the day to day running of the company than him.
I also told him that I work to live... I don't live to work.
I work to be able to spend time with friends and family and it's a balancing act.

If your work is keeping you away from all you enjoy then it isn't worth it.

You only get one life.

Like the quote says "no one ever died wishing they had spent more time at work"

Bruce.

 

[Boost Creep]

I also told him that I work to live... I don't live to work.
I work to be able to spend time with friends and family and it's a balancing act.

If your work is keeping you away from all you enjoy then it isn't worth it.

You only get one life.

Like the quote says "no one ever died wishing they had spent more time at work"

this is exactally how i feel about this too. i'm very lucky to have a job thats decently generous with personal time and most of its paid so i still make the same amount if i show up or not. i want to make the most out of life while i have the chance so i try to do fun stuff whenever i can. i don't ever look back with fond memories of that day at work that one time but i'll remember the fun i went out and had today

 

[invizibletouch]

Chronic hooky player.

 

[brslk]

this is exactally how i feel about this too. i'm very lucky to have a job thats decently generous with personal time and most of its paid so i still make the same amount if i show up or not. i want to make the most out of life while i have the chance so i try to do fun stuff whenever i can. i don't ever look back with fond memories of that day at work that one time but i'll remember the fun i went out and had today

Some people get it!

 

[esburger]

i had a mental health day today too so i went to the beach

ahhhh.... good ole silver lake! love that place!!

 

[Lippyp]

Good on you! I do it now and then and its usually nothing dramatic, often just some unplanned tinkering in the garage. TBH I am due a big day off soon (I'm a house husband/full time dad and sometimes its hard to give yourself that personal time as the wife is inclined to think I have it easy really despite what she says!)

 

[theoldwizard1]

I thought Dwarf cars were supposed to be cheap to run. How come it has been sitting in the barn ?

What chassis and engine are you running ?

 

[Daedalus]

Good for you! If we can't step back and enjoy life, what's the point? I am often maxed out on vacation days, but every now and then I'll have worked several 9 or 10 hour days in a row, and the co lets me flex my time so I can have an afternoon or a whole day off to putter about as I please without using up my vacation. I save that for the real trips with the wife.

 

[santagary]

When I was in school about a hundred years ago, there were days that I could not make myself go to school. I'd go down to the pool hall and play snooker with the retired old codgers in the next town or sometimes I'd just drive around on country roads looking for old cars. Today was one of those days. I took the day off just to "mess around".
I've got this old Dwarf Car that I haven't used since about '96 so today I got it running. Still need to bleed the brakes and the clutch but it sure gave me a grin to hear it run again. So, How about a new thread? Take a mental health day now and then and report your adventures here.

You must wor k for the government and not on straight commission like I do!

 

[bobadame]

Hey Gary, My day job gives me pretty generous time off but my own business is not so simple. There have been years that I've used most of my vacation days to work in my machine shop. It's hard to turn down $50. per hour to "spend the day" doing nothing productive. In fact that's just what I was doing in Pagosa for a few days last week. It is worth it though. I enjoyed the ride down and back and about 10 hours soaking in the hot springs, love that place.

 

[1948]

Got any pictures of those old race cars?

sure

 

[ears]

I play hooky as often as I can. My job is flexible at times, as long as I get what needs doing done. I have a standing order with my boss for days off.

Seems like most of the time I'm doing some sort of side work. I love working though and only take on stuff that I want to do

 

[Vettedrmr]

Unfortunately I've been taking several vacation days lately working on getting our house ready to put on the market (I'm retiring from my current career at the end of this year). My wife and I have been painting the interior (as painters go I'm a great engineer!), just about got that done, roofers should get the roof repair work done Thursday, kitchen re-model should be finished Friday, outside paint done Saturday! Whew! I've had to come back to work just to take a break!

On the fun side of things this is my latest project, a '99 Miata with an LS1 shoehorned in it:

One thing's for sure, she's a lot faster than I know how to drive!

Y'all have a good one,
Mike

 

[neutron]

I'm with you Bob, I take them when I can get them, especially if I have a good project going.

I'm Jim, new to the forum. I have a pole building going up now. I like to repair/rebuild my toys to keep them going past their expiration date. My barn, basement, and shed are max'd out with implements and tools to it's time for another outbuilding. The guy with the most outbuildings wins.

 

[plinker]

Sometimes on the weekend when the to-do list is a mile long, it pays to say screw it and just go fishing. I imagine this would apply at work as well occasinally.

 

[demonspeed]

I had to take yesterday off to go to some doctors appts (which ended up being pointless but that's a long story).

I was done with the appts by about 11 am so I did a few things around the garage, watched some tv, and went out on my kayak. A pretty enjoyable day overall.

Unfortunately I work flat-rate and yesterday ended up being a really busy day, so I missed out on a shitload of money. Oh well, that's life I guess. At least I got to enjoy the day.

 

[Weekend_warrior]

If I can find someone to go ride dirtbikes with a mental health day in the middle of the week is great. I've done it before at our lease with a few guys. It was great to have the place all to ourselves. about 15,000 acres or so all ours. Not another soul in site.

 

[Test Tech]

i had a mental health day today too so i went to the beach

I recognize that beach I think, its the dunes at Silver Lake isn't it?

You lucky devil!!!!

 

[RTcat]

Take a mental health day now and then and report your adventures here.

Nothing better than a big snowstorm on a Monday. Tuesday the trails get hammered. Wednesday the groomers get out and I tell the boss I won't be in tomorrow. Sleep in a little on Thursday morning and then at 8:00 I'm looking at trails like this for the rest of the day.

Nothing more relaxing than spending a weekday on the high side of the speedometer

 

[cashishift]

When I take a day off I feel guilty?

Never felt that way in my life..

I wish the US was more like Europe in the vacation/time off aspect. Live to work, not work to live.

 

[Capt Chrysler]

I have fired folks for taking to many "mental health day now and then".

Ya, sign on to work. Not call in at 6:00 AM with some BS reason for not coming in. This short notice craps stacks up everyone else with their work.


And YES I had a fellow pull this yesterday. And I ended up with 2 guys on OT to cover his A$$. Sure they made a little extra money (and cost me more). But, all had plans for after 5 PM, but were here finishing the days work quota. So it would make the shipping dead line.

Real simple, miss the dead line, customer will not except a late shipment-due to a late ship date. Customer orders from someone else. I lay folks off, due to less work.

Capt. Chrysler

 

[-Brent-]

I have fired folks for taking to many "mental health day now and then".

Too much of anything is not workable. The problem you mention is not what the OP posted, rather it's abuse and therefore not really related. I can play devil's advocate, too, and pose that maybe those folks you mention actually needed a break (or couldn't hang) due to how they're managed, not being right for the job, etc.?

I've run a biz and I get where you're coming from. I don't consider calling in with a hangover or other irresponsibility related to what the OP had posted, i.e., a mental health day.

 

[flht1997]

For most of my life I never called in sick, even if i was sick I'd still go in, growing up on a farm there was not a "sick day" ever, and that has really stuck with me. I will however call in now if i am actually sick. BUT, i am now a school teacher and not a mechanic, so i do get about 8 weeks off in a row, but it is unpaid.