2006-05-04 
 

summer vacation

Left work a bit early today for a doctor's appointment. We determined that whatever ails me is not what the original doctors were all excited about. For the most part they tried not to show it, but I did feel at times like a rare bug surrounded by overly excited entomologists. Yes, I'm still a mystery to modern medicine, but a relatively healthy one...just an average bug with oddly colored wings.

On the way to the doctor, I realized that what I need right now isn't just a week away from work, but an actual summer vacation. I've managed to have quite a few in my life, but haven't managed more than two weeks off at a stretch since 1998.

The realization made me want to catalog them all. I know! That idea's got to have you more curious than a cat on Sunday! So strap yourself in and hold on for an exciting review of...

THE SUMMERS OF MIKEY
You must be THIS bored to continue on the ride.

1-4 Every day was summer vacation! It started with nipples and nappies and ended when Mom dropped me off in that strange school place for the first time.

5-15 Standard school summers off, and they always seemed to start shortly before my birthday. Bonus!

16-18 Technically working during those summers, but only part time and at Friendlys to boot. I often look back at that job and count it as one of the best I ever had. No real pressure other than the compressed gas inside the whip cream dispenser.

19 Took an internship (thanks to Dad) that involved filing medical documents and/or pretending to file medical documents while actually reading my latest book. (My first real job in corporate america and I learned quite quickly that being a temp who is too good at something causes resentment amongst the permanent folk.)

I should also mention that there were four of us in the file room doing a job that truly only required one and a half people. Yes, I got a lot of reading done...oh and some sleeping. At some point that summer I realized that taking short naps while "filing" had nothing to do with the dullness of the job and everything to do with the fact that I'd contracted mononucleouses. This meant several weeks off during which Mom actually expected me to lie on the couch and watch TV! When God invented mono, he gave a gift to teenagers everywhere.

20 Another internship during which I actually worked for most of the summer and rediscovered my love of computers. (Thanks again Dad!)

21 One week as a parking attendant in a job my grandfather got me. I was fired several hours before the job ended allowing me to mark off that particular box on the "things to do before I die" list. Dad actually told me not too worry too much about the joblessness since I was entering my senior year and would never have a true summer off again, Mom seemed complicit in this simply because she didn't mention my jobless state once. (In case you haven't put two and two together, my parents are so much cooler than yours.)

22 Graduated in May and didn't start working at my first post college job until late August. I admit to dragging my feet a bit because I feared it truly would be my last long break. Most of my memories of this summer are bathed in a golden light, like a cheesey flashback in a WB drama.

23 No actual summer months off, but I did intentionally take October and half of November off during a job transition. I used the time off to fully remove the closet door I'd been peeking out of and burned it up in a celebratory bonfire of gayness. The light of the bonfire showed me a side of Boston I hadn't realized existed.

24 Happy to be gay and working in Boston, life was a party. Who needed summer vacation?

25 Left work the week of Labor Day and used September to drive across the country. Didn't find my first SF job until October. My second Indian Summer Vacation.

26 Happy to be living and working in San Francisco, life was a party. Who needed summer vacation?

27 Asked for a raise in May. Didn't get it. Left first week of June. Took a few weeks off and then temped sporadically until the old job called back offering more money. Told 'em I had some stuff to finish up and went back last week of July. (Cleverly avoiding a month long gap in my resume. Pretty sneaky, Sis!)

28 The week before my birthday in June, having finally paid off the credit card debt incurred by moving and living in San Francisco, I decided to leave corporate office work behind. Yes, I would finally become the bohemian revolutionary I'd originally come to San Francisco to be!

Translation: I racked up some new credit card debt while working part time as an advertising manager for a (now defunct) local gay rag called Creampuff. This involved many afternoons spent in area gay bars trying to track down the owners and convince them that they ought to advertise with us. The bartenders usually did their job and claimed no knowledge of the owners whereabouts, but they often gave me a free beer for my troubles. I also had access to free movie passes, event tickets, museum exhibits etc. because various PR firms hoped we'd help promote them. (Sure, I had to write a review or two, but this blog shows what an awful time I have giving my opinion out.) Oh, and no cover or waiting in line at many of my favorite bars and clubs. Very fun, but not conducive to a growing bank account.

In November of that year, after 5 1/2 months, I ended my longest summer vacation since the age of four and returned to the world of cubes and copy machines.

Seven years later I'm really craving one, but society tends to frown on adults indulging in such a youthful activity.

Hmmmm....maybe if I call it a sabbatical?

Labels: dose of mikey, medical mystery, memory lane

* posted by me at 10:34 PM

Comments:

One nice thing about going back to grad school was making summers "special" again. Of course, in theater there are frequent long, involuntary vacations anyway...maybe we can smoosh our problems together and wind up with the perfect amount of vacation time?

# posted by Brian : 2:55 PM, May 05, 2006

 

Or you can do what I did...get a job in a school. 29 days 'til summer vacation!! I like keeping up with you on your blog, Mike! Miss you! "Wolly"

# posted by Anonymous : 9:19 AM, May 06, 2006

 

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