Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 | 8:37 a.m.
Take a little trip
It's nearly Labor Day weekend, when roads, planes, trains and hotels throughout the country will be jam-packed with travelers in search of a final summer getaway.
If the vacation of your dreams isn't the sort of sojourn afforded by your bank account, enter travel website Expedia's Picture Your Perfect Trip contest for a chance to win a customized $2,000 trip including plane tickets, lodging, a rental car and activities at the destination.
If you're age 18 or older, enter your e-mail address by Sept. 30 at expediapromotions.com. Create a "perfect trip" by selecting a destination, travel dates, accommodations and such. Don't worry: There's no purchase necessary to play, so you won't have to fork over any cash or actually book reservations.
Meanwhile, in a pop-up window, a virtual photo "game card" will develop sort of like a Polaroid snapshot revealing a picturesque destination and the message of whether you're an instant winner. (Your humble scribe saw the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset, but was a loser.)
Don't lose hope: A grand-prize winner and five first-prize winners, who get Nikon digital cameras, will be named each day. The bad news: Contestants are only allowed one chance per day to play. Go ahead and pack your bags, but don't hold your breath.
Break from the routine
So much for celebrating Labor Day: You're all out of vacation time at work. The closest you'll get to visiting an exotic locale this year is turning on the faucets in the employee washroom and pretending it's a pounding island waterfall.
Never fear: OfficeResort.com is here. The website belongs to a Seattle company and offers all sorts of gadgets, music and tips for adding a wee bit of relaxation to the workplace.
Its "Healing Gallery" features slide shows and moving pictures free for the downloading tranquil spots that may help take your mind off the mile-high pile of paperwork teetering on your desk.
Among the virtual destinations: Springtime in San Francisco, the Northwestern United States, a tulip festival, snowcapped winter mountains and sun-soaked Hawaiian beaches. Visualize yourself slathered in suntan oil, sipping one of those icy-cold umbrella drinks, when in reality you're gulping lukewarm coffee from a mug that hasn't been washed in months. Now, get back to work.
What's the buzz?
Consider retreating to the back yard this holiday weekend for an end-of-the-summer shindig, be it a barbecue, pool party or picnic. What's on the menu is irrelevant; just make sure to buy plenty of soda.
You'll need to dedicate at least one of those plastic bottles not for drinking, but catching bees, wasps, hornets and other stinging pests with the help of the aptly named Soda Bottle Wasp Trap, manufactured by Minneapolis-based McNaughton Incorporated, makers of such outdoorsy products as bird feeders/waterers and squirrel repellent.
The Soda Bottle Wasp Trap is made of yellow plastic and shaped like a daisy. It screws onto said bottle, which should contain some sticky, non-diet soda, beer or sugar water to lure the little buggers into the trap. Once inside, they're, well, trapped.
When the party's over and your flying friends have met their maker screw the cap on the bottle and toss it into the garbage (skip the recycling bin with this one). The trap costs $4 (plus shipping and handling) and can be ordered by calling (800) GADJITS or visiting gadjits.com.
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