Plans for a Getaway and Vacation in Future Die Suddenly

Sigh.

So finally the economic downturn has set its sights on me. With the hotel not doing as well as it had been expected at beget time last year due to the sudden wave of stock market suckiness, here at work we are being "encouraged" to use our vacation. While normally I wouldn't mind this, as any excuse to take some days off and go on an adventure would be welcome, other stock market suckiness shock waves are being felt by my better half.

Garren is being told that he will have to go down to a 4 day work week which he can either supplement with his vacation or go with the 5th day unpaid. This basically makes for the disappearance of our previously planned trip to Chicago as any extra use of vacation time is just not possible. It also means that we are both going to be wiped out of vacation time that we may not be able to accrue in time for a trip to Europe or anywhere else next year.

So basically I'm saddled with being told to take 6 days off before the end of the year and with no plans to go anywhere. I don't want to take them off all together as it will be too depressing sitting around the house doing nothing for a week so I think I might go down to a 4 day work week myself till the end of the year. While this is a nice thought, not being able to use my vacation time the way I would like is disappointing.

So I'm going to just go sit in the corner over here and watch my dreams of an actual vacation with Garren go down the toilet with the stock market. Boo bad economy! Boo!