Long Weekend

In 1975, my aunt and I returned from visiting my mother in Germany.  We landed on August 27th, my aunt's birthday (her geburtstag, as it were).  When I got home there was still time to go school shopping for new clothes for the upcoming school year, and to adjust to the time zone.

Now school starts in mid-August and still gets out around the same time as it did when I was a child.  Yes, we get more vacation days during school, and the school year is a few days longer.  I'm sure everyone enjoys getting the entire Thanksgiving week off rather than, as it was in my day, going to school on Monday and Tuesday of that week.  Additionally, I like getting a whole week off in February for "Ski Week" (officially, Presidents Week).  Two weeks at Christmas and a week for Spring Break haven't changed.

A few years ago, someone in my district administration noticed that, since school started in mid-August, both teachers and students started taking days off in October.  Thus was born the idea of giving a 4-day weekend in early October; we get a chance to recharge the batteries, so the theory goes, and should be able to make it until the next holiday, Veterans Day.  By giving teachers the days off we eliminate a spate of days of not having enough substitute teachers, and by giving students the days off we cut down on unexcused absences and avoid losing state funding, which depends on attendance.  What can go wrong?  Any economist could have predicted that there would be a number of teachers out last Thursday, and those economists would have been correct!

I don't like to miss work days, though, so my camping trip didn't start until Friday.  A friend from work and her family, as well as some of her extended family and friends, and I all took our trailers to Coloma for a weekend of serious eating.  I'm still stuffed!  And it was nice to get away for a couple days.

click to enlarge

Mine is the 3rd trailer from the left.