Day Three for Me

When a major holiday like Christmas or the Fourth of July falls on a Friday or Monday, people are likely to try to get the following day or preceding day off.  They want to stretch out their three day weekend into a four or five day weekend.  After all, many of us do not go to work because we like to, we go to work to earn days off and, maybe, some money to spend on those extra days.
So, when the governing body of the State of Minnesota couldn't get it together enough to stay open, and closed on July first, I admit I looked at it as a "free day".  Sure it was bad not getting paid for that Friday, but it really seemed like just another day off. Not only that, but with the Fourth on Monday, it was like a 4 day weekend. Hooray! Right? But that was then.
Today is Wednesday the 6th. and while it is also the 6th day of the government shut down, it is only the third day I would have gone to work, if it were open.  Well, if it were open and I was feeling well and the kids didn't have any illnesses or appointments or we weren't using a vacation day to go to Valley Fair or visit Grandpa and Grandma at the lake.  I think the way to put it best is like this: Today is the third I would have chosen to go to work, if that choice were mine.  And that's the thing, isn't it?  They took that choice away from me and from 21,999 or so, other folks.
We still got paid. And we will again. Being that the state runs its paychecks two weeks behind, we got paid on July first and will again get paid on July 15th.  It's almost like getting paid to do nothing, right? WRONG. Because when they call us back to work and, hopefully, they call ALL OF US back to work, it will be like working for nothing until we get caught up again. Oh yeah, and since we were laid off on July 1st, we were technically NOT employees on July 4th, so we don't get holiday pay for that day.
This is not feeling like an extra-free-day-vacation anymore.  The shed is cleaned and organized. The garage is next. I've written, or at least started one story, and I've found my blog again. Big Deal. Believe it or not, I'd rather have gone to work and earned days off than be given days off. Choice is everything. I'd like to have mine back.