Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for June 21, 2004

Vacating is the premise

With summer officially upon us (the season began Sunday, for those of you who seemed to have misplaced your wall calendars), it's time to devise plans for a long vacation - and then somehow not worry about the goings-on at work while you're away.

That is just one of the errors made time and again by overworked employees when they finally do get a chance to get away - this according to the results of a recent survey conducted by OfficeTeam, a staffing service with more than 300 outlets around the globe. The company asked exactly 571 employed people of both genders to name "the biggest mistake you made when you took your last vacation from work."

Interestingly, 43 percent of those polled conceded they "didn't take enough time off" from their jobs to actually enjoy their vacations, while 17 percent said they "couldn't relax" or turn their thoughts away from work. Another 8 percent admitted they "checked in with the office too much," and 7 percent claimed they didn't sufficiently prepare or organize their work before hanging up the "Gone Fishin'" sign. (Another 23 percent checked the survey box marked "other," or simply didn't offer an answer.)

With that in mind, OfficeTeam's team urges would-be vacationers not to "wait until you're in dire need of a vacation to take one." Also, be sure to change office voice mail and e-mail messages to let colleagues know that you're away, and fight the temptation to check on things while you're supposed to be sipping umbrella drinks on the beach.

Back-seat drivers?

Of course, there's no guarantee the jaunt will be a pleasant one, especially if you're traveling by car with a significant other. In fact, computing giant Microsoft cites stats that say 75 percent of couples point to driving directions as a "major source of auto arguments."

The Microsoft-ites have teamed with relationship expert/author David Coleman (aka The Dating Doctor) to offer some tips that squabbling sweethearts can employ to help maintain the peace - and, hopefully, their unions - while on the open road. Among them:

Wiener takes it all

Doubtful there's much to be perturbed about while riding aboard the famous Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. That hot-dog-shaped rig just screams fun.

A fleet of Wienermobiles hit the nation's highways last month in honor of the company's "Oh I Wish" contest. The vehicles will spend the summer trekking around the country collecting "wishes" from people young and old. This fall, 50 wishes will be selected, and the winners will get the use of one of the vehicles for a day and up to $5,000 to help see his or her wish to fruition.

There's no need to tail the Wienermobile all summer to enter the contest. In 50 words or less, explain what you'd do with the vehicle and the cash to make your dream come true, and submit it by July 29 to www.oscarmay-er.com (where complete rules are also available), or mail it in care of the contest to P.O. Box 4778, Blair, NE 68009-4778.

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