Strange predictament...but now I'm in a strange position where I have less than 1 wk. left to identify date blocks of vacation days until the end of 2009. Due to initial period of probation as a new employee, I cannot go on vacation until 6 months after my anniversary.

This means killing off my vacation days later. I can only carry over 35 unused vacation hrs. into following year.

For me, I usually try to make each vacation day "special", going out of town, or doing things in home town that I find very difficult to schedule or entertaining the rare visitors who have flown in to visit me, during business work days. So far, it's been going out of town but I can't afford do this for every vacation day.

So what percentage of your vacation time annually do you?:

a) Take an out of town trip

b) Stay at home but do something that's difficult to schedule: ie. medical appointment(s), take a course/test, children's event, etc.

c) Entertain visitors from out of town

d) Clean the house, garden, household chores. (someone told me this that she cleaned her house for several hrs.....and frankly I was abit amazed. I would never waste a whole vacation day to do this. But hey, some have busy schedules...)