What do you all do for a living?

[LagerHead]

I'm a senior consultant at a telecommunications company. I worked my ass off for years so I wouldn't have to work my ass off for my whole life. I live by one simple crred:

I work to live. I don't live to work.

 

[Crash Cash]

I work to live. I don't live to work.

Oh hell yeah. I'm a software developer at a large tech company, and my boss has serious health problems from trying to cover every base and see every unforeseen issue and working 24x7x365. In addition, I think his marriage is going to start suffering soon. Me, I'm neither married nor do I have a kid.

While I'll bend over backwards to help the company on a weekend if we have a rollout then, I also expect that I will be able to take my vacations, and when I'm on vacation then I'm probably not going to be reachable. It's a two-way street.

 

[BikerGeek99]

The wife and I both for the same company - a very large, very corporate entity in the healthcare industry.

We've both been around here long enough to each be eligible for 31 days of paid time off a year.

We usually don't have any problems using it all up. When the wife and I took our 3-week ride to the west coast last July, we both stared talking with our respective bosses in January about it. After 6 months of planning, everyone knew not to pile crap on our plates if they wanted it done.

As lager said, I work to live, I don't live to work.

 

[Niehart]

ummmmmmm.

D

 

[FastSpy]

The real estate industry is notorious for weekend work and I've experienced it first hand since my SO is an agent. Weekends showing properties and holding open houses sure consume a major part of weekend free time. Even late evenings to close deals, view homes and sign clients are common.

Her group has, during the summer months, acquired college students/grads that are not licensed yet but would like to learn real estate. They get some advance training and then start off with weekend open houses. This does free up some valuable weekend time for her. However, as I'm sure you are aware, open houses generate leads that can produce signed clients and sales.

Believe me,, I've thought about this subject too since I want her to travel with me and I've got 10 weeks of vacation this year (haven't used much over the last few years and can carry over). If you do determine what will work, please share.. Now what to do with all those bank foreclosures that have yet to hit the market??

 

[TomInPA]

I am a self-employed environmental consultant. Like you, I don't get paid if I don't work, but unlike you I play anyway.

I have a number of friends in the real estate business, and certainly don't claim much knowledge of what it takes to succeed. The ones who manage to get away, have an assistant that works hourly to do the open houses, paper gophering and take phone calls and other office tasks. This seems to open up a lot of time that is still productive in making the office work and keeping things moving. When they travel, they have a laptop, phone and other tools and are not really out of touch. Even when out of town, you can take a call, discuss an offer, execute paperwork electronically, communicate with brokers on the other side of the deal and get things moving to a closure. You may not be able to be gone for weeks, but, with a little modestly skilled help in your office, and cooperation with other brokers, you can keep the deals in the pipeline moving forward. You know this, but can't let go.

 

[Crash Cash]

Now I *have* had them expect me to drop everything during Bike Week, when I expect to go see the vendors to do boot/glove/jacket shopping I don't get to do the rest of the year. Usually it's something that's slid down the schedule for 2 months because people can't plan to save their asses, but *absolutely has to be done this weekend*. Since they've known my plans since at least July the year before, I don't cut them much slack.

On the other hand, it's Florida. There's not much to do or anyplace to go around here on vacation. The roads are boring and so are most of the tourist traps.

 

[SacramentoMike]

.

I used to be the Governor of California, but the new guy just was sworn in, so I have a lot of free time. I'll probably make some more movies, but I can pick and choose which ones I take, since I'm already totally rich, and my wife's family has squazillions anyway.

.

,

,

,

,

,

Oh, wait. That's some other guy. I'm retired. And LOVE it. Jim Morrison, welcome to Happy Land. In 750 days, that is.

.

 

[FJRay]

Spent 40+ years as a mechanic/machinist/jack of all trades. Got hurt on the job and after many years of bull shit and politics ended up with a small pension. I have all the time off in the world but can't take advantage of it without funds so I have a nice shop and do what I can without causing more health issues. I hang out here for the entertainment.

 

[zed88]

I'm a young guy (25) and work for a large insurance type company as the head of our 1 man IT department. I'm accessible pretty much 24 hours a day for most of the year, and regularly work odd hours, evenings, and weekends when we launch products. Last year the wife and I took a 15 day bike vacation, and toured the entire south east, and then got back and got married a month later and left for a week. The year before we did something similar for 11 days. She's a teacher so the time off issue is a bit easier for her. We've tried to structure our life around doing what we want to do. We save throughout the year to travel during the summers (our slow time at work too).

We bought a town-home instead of a house so we wouldn't get stuck maintaining the place, or needing that much space when we were gone (plus the savings easily pays for vacations). And I still get docked for going over our vacation policy. I know plenty of people with money but not time to travel, and we diden't want to get stuck in that boat. We just tried to scale our lifestyle back a bit so we don't spend everything we make, and then plan on getting docked for vacation. The more older people I meet, the more I hear about how when they were younger they could put in 600 mile days and see the country, but now they'd rather stay close to home. I figure I don't want to look back and see my life spent like that. I'd rather look back and have great stories to tell, than be able to say I earned some more $$$ or had the latest toys.

I'd say if you can swing it try getting a assistant. I doubt any of your customers will think poorly of you for taking some time off, so you can be fresh and rejuvenated when your working with them.

 

[LagerHead]

The real estate industry is notorious for weekend work and I've experienced it first hand since my SO is an agent. Weekends showing properties and holding open houses sure consume a major part of weekend free time. Even late evenings to close deals, view homes and sign clients are common.

Her group has, during the summer months, acquired college students/grads that are not licensed yet but would like to learn real estate. They get some advance training and then start off with weekend open houses. This does free up some valuable weekend time for her. However, as I'm sure you are aware, open houses generate leads that can produce signed clients and sales.

Believe me,, I've thought about this subject too since I want her to travel with me and I've got 10 weeks of vacation this year (haven't used much over the last few years and can carry over). If you do determine what will work, please share.. Now what to do with all those bank foreclosures that have yet to hit the market??

To me it sounds like money is is the thing holding you up. If so, take the time off and stay around the house and just chill, or enjoy some of the local scenery. If not, make a deal with another agent that during your vacations your voice mail/email refer your clients to him and vice versa. You lose during your vacation but gain during his. All in all it should be a wash.

Nobody has ever said on their death bed, "I wish I had worked more." I guarantee you I won't.

 

[JR'SFJR]

Now retired for several years, but was a teacher for over 30 yrs., which was good for 1-4 wk. trips. We always tried to travel in the summer with the family or a motorcycle trip, which the kids appreciate now. When my son was young, he rode copilot. Take the time off!!! I also worked part time, either teaching at the tech. college, wrenching on cars, or driving semi otr to support the habit. I always tent camp, so travel is quite inexpensive. The wife is traveled out, so I always plan a 3-4 week summer trip on the bike and ready to go again this summer.

 

[beemerdons]

ummmmmmm.

D

PLEASE NOTE: While I've freely admitted I'm more worthless than Fairlaner, Papa Chuy Viejo is absolutely NOT admitting I'm more worthless than Niehart!!! jes' sayin'

 

[GalaxyBlue]

What do i do for a living? The job that everyone hates, Including me... Truck Driver. FML

 

[dj bill]

im employed as a adult movie reviewer.i am partial to canadian porn,the girls are randyer and dont need sweaters.

 

[Fairlaner]

you wish..........

R

 

[Ack535]

My oldest brother is in Real Estate in Upstate NY and works his ass off much like you do. I force him to take time off, but he is always on his Crackberry or whiney clients from NYC are blowing his celly up... I force him to visit me and take time off.

Me, I work in a large governmental investigative agency (I can't disclose the name of) that primarily handles white collar crime. I work around 50 plus hours per week, but generally speaking have weekends and holidays off. Vacation is scheduled around my court time and quite often my vacation plans are re-scheduled due to mandatory court appearences etc.

Pete

 

[juniorfjr]

I am the managing optician at a small optical shop in a large clinic. My patients tell me I'm the best there is at it, my contemporaries tell me I'm at the top of the profession. My bosses tell me they can replace me with a monkey. They won't get me any help, so I've had to cancel trips and always carry too much paid time off to the next year. Right now I could take the summer off if I could find a replacement. By now I thought I'd be resting on my laurels, but It'll wait for 6 more years. Then I'll be the old guy that fills in, when I want to.

 

[ultimateanswer]

Up until about a month and a half ago I worked for one of the local Yamaha dealers as a Sales Manager and before that a Sales Consultant. The dealership fell upon hard times and the old bastard that runs the place decided that he could run it for less than what he paid me. So on a whim I took a friends advice and applied with an was offered a buyer position with the local CarMax dealership. So far the scene is much nicer than where I was at, mostly because the owner doesn't come in once a month and fire half my staff, and doesn't destroy my office calling us all lazy, stupid and implying that we generally don't give a f*ck...

 

[madmike2]

At one point, in my younger years, I was in business with my father and understand 12 hours X 7 days X 52 weeks. It sucks! I much prefer my current status: weekends off, paid vacation, etc.

However, I have friends who are in sales and the weekends are their best opportunity times. They manage to take days off during the week. This actually works to their benefit because the places they visit don't suffer the "weekend crush".

None of us know the financial or success pressure you are under so most of us can't offer a concrete solution. I was a single father for years and didn't have any personal time. Now (for the last 15 years) that she is an adult and has her own household I am free to do as I please with my time.

A personal insight: recreation can be hyphenated as re-creation. At some point we ALL need that.