Monday is what many advertisers call "President's Day". Federal government employees are apparently required to refer to this day as Washington's Birthday. My calendar refers to Monday, the 18th of February in the Year of our Lord 2013, as "Washington's Birthday, Observed".
It all makes my head spin when I pause to think about it.
When I was a kid, we had two holidays in February: Lincoln's Birthday on the 12th and Washington's Birthday on the 22nd. If those dates fell on a weekday, then we got the day off from school. If they fell on a weekend, oh well, maybe you'd get the day off next year. This was in the days before Congress started the observation of holidays on Mondays. So we could all get a three-day weekend. Maybe.
I say maybe because my company does not take Washington's Birthday as a holiday. We'll all be at work marveling at the lack of traffic coming into work. Because most everyone else has the day off. Except for people who work at coffee shops, restaurants, most retail activities and my company. So who IS off this Monday anyway? Oh yeah, the Government.
Yup, I think most, if not all, of our elected officials in Washington should be given a permanent vacation.
But that's just my opinion, YMMV.
Guess I'll go watch some more Firefly, while I have the opportunity, after all, some of us have to work tomorrow.
The fewer days the folks in Washington work, the less damage they can do
ReplyDeleteAmen to that.
DeleteThe older I get the more I actively dislike the "Monday holiday" rule. We might have gone to the same shool as kids, as my schedule in the way-back was the same as yours. I also worked on every "Presidents Day" after I got outta the AF, too. I was always grateful for the lack of traffic on my morning commute.
ReplyDeleteI get that whole Monday holiday dislike thing. I disliked it when they started it. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect on January 1, 1971, while I was a senior in high school (how many years did you have in the AF by then Buck?)
DeleteI disliked it back then, I dislike it now. When I was on active duty, holidays were very much a hit or miss affair. I was grateful when I got them, understood when I didn't. I DID sign up for that.
I truly think that Monday holiday thing was one of the things starting us down this road to perdition. Holidays weren't meaningful any more, they were just part of a three-day weekend. Instead of remembering the fallen on Memorial Day, we have cook-outs, we have sales. Boo, hisss.
(how many years did you have in the AF by then Buck?)
DeleteSeven and a half. ;-)
As for holidays on active duty... I worked a "nine and three" schedule... 3 mids, 3 days, 3 swings, 72 hours off... the first five or six years I was in. The ONLY holidays I got off were New Years when I was single and Christmas after I married (unless a holiday fell during my scheduled break), and that's because my Enlightened Leadership went to what was euphemistically called a Holiday Schedule, wherein we divided our maintenance guys into "married" and "not" and then worked 12-hour shifts during those two weeks. Given my working conditions it's a freakin' wonder I re-enlisted. The 9&3 schedule is the worst abomination I ever encountered in my entire career.
/rant
Sorry.
I'm stunned you re-enlisted. I thought the flight line was brutal compared to my later gig (computer programmer). Flight line work schedule was a walk in the park compared to what you did. Wow.
DeleteOh, feel free to rant here as much as you'd like, whenever you'd like. I am a connoisseur of fine rants. Your rants are vintage.
It's a holiday? Everyone I know is working today.
ReplyDeleteSame here Lou.
DeleteI got the day off, sort of made up for all of the many Saturdays and Sundays and Christmas's and Easters and such I was on call, unable to go home, have a beer, or go anywhere, but not making a cent unless the bat phone went off.
ReplyDeleteBut I understand, let the day fall on the day it was meant to be. That's only fair.
On call, but unpaid. The things we do for our country.
DeleteIf I haven't done so before, I thank you for your service Brigid.