Various and Sundry are having a Random Monday. Or, Monday, Randomly.

[lagilman]

Well, that weekend went by in a blink. I know I got things accomplished but mostly I'm looking around thinking "well, I'm glad I have this pocket day to get more things done before everyone's back in their offices tomorrow."

If you're in the States, do you have today off for MLK Day? (Publishing mostly switched from Columbus Day to MLK Day as a paid holiday, years ago.) If not, is it an annoyance, or a whachagonnao shrug? I have fond memories of paid holidays, myself...

Meanwhile, I'm having the not-unfamiliar urge to go ice skating. This is actually possible around here - there are good, not-insanely-crowded, not-madly-overpriced rinks in NYC. However, I hate rental skates - they never fit right, the blades aren't properly maintained, and there's not enough ankle support. Wondering if it's worth it to buy proper skates for the 1-2x a year I actually use them...

(and yes, I was one of those annoying single-digits, fearlessly zipping around the skating rink. My parents breathed a sigh of relief when I decided that I didn't want to continue lessons, because that meant they didn't have to weigh the 5am drives to the rink vs telling me I couldn't do something I loved... But I look back now and think "dear dog, I was an athletic child. Skating, skiing, horseback riding; ok, maybe I earned the "Forward, Faster" motto honestly...)

And in another random switch of topics, I am thinking about putting my current motto up on hallway wall. But me + stenciling = mess. Anyone have any experience with vinyl letters?

Comments

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Technically, I have MLK Day off. However, I'm working due to reasons I can't explain in a public post.

Most companies I worked for in the past had done away with Columbus Day ages ago, and they used MLK Day as an excuse to convert Presidents' Day to a "Floating Holiday", eliminating the holiday while at the same time letting it seem like they're being sensitive to having MLK Day as a Holiday.

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

I've worked at Microsoft for years, and they give neither Presidents' Day not MLK Day off. It's always bothered me, but it's not uncommon in the Seattle area. And I don't even think about Columbus Day anymore. People are barely aware of it.

[girasole.livejournal.com]

Shoe size? I have a pair of ice skates, used perhaps five times, but twenty years ago. I would be happy to give them to you, if they fit. They are a size 6, I believe. And I am pretty sure I know where they are.

[wolfsilveroak.livejournal.com]

Mark gets today off, a fairly recent change within his company. He got to chose whether to take it off or not though and he chose to have it off, which is good, since our vet is supposed to call about picking up Max kitty's ashes today and we wanted to do it together.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Columbus Day is Generally Not Recognized in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe the Catholic schools, but that's about it.

DH works for a large Portland-area corporation, and they've never given MLK or Presidents' Day off. There used to be a "floating holiday" but that's now gone as well.

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

Me and the kids get MLK off, but my husband does not.

What is the current motto?

[janetl.livejournal.com]

I get Martin Luther King Jr day as a holiday at this job, which is the first that's ever given it. I have never had Columbus Day as a holiday. In the last 10 years or so, other employers have given President's day as a holiday -- I don't recall any of my earlier employers having President's day.

I'm surprised that my employer gives MLK day, because they are stingy with holidays. I work in software development, and I've usually had 9-10 holidays per year. We get 7, which means we don't get the Friday after Thanksgiving, or a 'floating' day next to either the 4th of July or Christmas. I think the problem is that the company has about 2,000 poorly paid employees doing either commission sales or phone support, so the 500 or so IT/marketing/finance/management types get the same benefits package. We also have a $3,000 deductible on medical. Every year before Christmas, there's an announcement that if you're hard up, you can apply for a $50 gift card to help buy groceries. It makes me furious.

Hey, if you decide to move from Seattle Cozy mysteries to Seattle Noir, check out #SeattleNoir on twitter. It's hilarious.

[lagilman]

alas, I am a size 8.

[lagilman]

"I'm terrified, but not afraid."

it looks terrible in Latin, but better in French, or at least as well as I can translate it:

Je suis terrifiée, mais n'a pas peur

[phantomminuet.livejournal.com]

I have MLK Day off, because I'm union, and we negotiated it as a holiday. However, I am working half a day, because my upcoming hearing schedule sucks. I'd rather be out doing some kind of service activity or watching inauguration coverage.

[damiana-swan.livejournal.com]

I do have today off. Which, as an employee of a non-profit hospital, means I am required to use 8 hours of my rather limited paid time off for a date that I don't honestly care about having off. Unlike when I worked at A Large Software Company in Redmond, holidays are not separate from vacation time, or from sick days. It's all one lump, and we have 8 days a year we're required to take off whether we want those dates or not.

That being said, I'm actually glad to have today off, because it turns out the past several weeks of family drama have worn me out a lot more than I thought, and just being able to sleep as much as I want for 3 days in a row is being very useful.

[smoemeth.livejournal.com]

Nobody had today off in this house ... I don't know if the music industry technically gets any days off, actually.