It's Labor Day weekend in the U.S., and you know what that means, right? Labor.

My brothers and I used to grouse all the time that our friends got to take this weekend as a holiday, but that our father took the name of the day literally. He always put us to work around the place, clearing weeds, building things, etc. Now that I'm older, I can't escape that habit. Kris and I started last night...

As part of our ongoing decluttering project, we're converting our library into a den. That is, we're removing five bookshelves (72" high x 30" wide x 12" deep) to make room for future furniture. (By future furniture, I mean furniture that I will save for and purchase in the next three years.) This requires book purging, as I've mentioned before.

Meanwhile, there are tons of outside tasks that need completed. I need to purge my collection of Mac disks (c. 1989) from the workshop, finish building the horseshoe pits, tie up the berry canes, pick the berries, harvest corn, mow the lawn, clear underbrush, and more.

But what I really want to do is work on my sites. I have 47 GRS entries open in my text editor (no joke), all in various stages of completion. I have notes on another six or seven sitting on my desk. I have three books that I've finished and need to review. Also, I've neglected my personal site for far too long, and want to get that ramped back up.

This Labor Day weekend, friends, I'll be laboring.

(Speaking of which, so will Trent's wife! Congrats, Trent & family!)

I know what it's like to have an old man who just doesn't get the idea of a "day off". I spent one of my college spring break vacations installing an in-ground sprinkler system, something I swore I'd never do again. If you've ever run a DitchWitch (a ginormous chainsaw in the dirt) you know what I mean.

But I'll take care of your share of the holiday. With Monday off and my company's 'every other Friday off' policy (aka 80 hours in 9 days instead of 10) I'm taking a 9-day vacation for the price of 3. I'll be in NYC at Coney Island, a Yankees game, Philly for the King Tut exhibit and American History, and Atlantic City trying to GetPoorSlowly.

First off, NEVER knock the ditchwitch. That thing saves you some serious digging. Imagine installing that sprinkler system with just a shovel.

I do the complete opposite for labor day...nothing. I take labor day as a celebration of labor which I do all year so it is my one day where I don't do anything. Actually none of my coworkers really do either and even if work wanted us to come in they have to get special permission from the union.

So have fun laboring, I'll be at the local parade then eating some BBQ

I'm kind of weirede out by the fact that I have an assistant who gets paid less than me, so the company likes to make her work the time and a half days. So I actually get to see my wife now and again. We may or may not make an idea run. Otherwise, we're refusing to make any plans. I'll probably grill though as my Chicago citizenship would probably be revoked otherwise.

Just had good food and watched some football , not a bad way to spend a day,,nice that America's workers get a day of their own