There is a slight buzz across the Canadian provinces and it has nothing to do with Black Flies. The Victoria Day Long Weekend is upon us and, for those who are fortunate enough to have Monday off, that means a three-day weekend. The multi-lane highways that allow travelers to reach our vacation destinations in Muskoka are already becoming congested and the stress levels of those trapped in their cars in slow-moving traffic is escalating exponentially.
They’re coming. The locals feel the change in atmosphere like a phantom pain in a missing appendage. We sometimes wake in the early hours of Friday morning in a cold sweat, knowing what is in store but never fully prepared. Although we survive this phenomenon every year we are never able to control the urge to flee and hibernate until November.
When faced with the promise of a three-day weekend, historically, I would be overjoyed. Now the long weekends have the reverse effect on me. I work in hospitality so those three precious days are a thing of the past. What began as joyous memories of lounging in the sun without a care in the world slowly evolved into feeling like I am in a constantly moving rocking chair – it gives me something to do for three days, but it gets me nowhere.
Long weekends, for those of us on the job, become extremely long. We awake on Friday morning to the guarantee that our work day has just been multiplied by 1 1/2 times its normal duration and will continue as such until the small reprieve we get with a regular work day on Tuesday.
Long weekends, for those who have clawed their way through traffic to arrive in the sanctity of Muskoka feel the time slipping away as soon as they step out of their cars. What they had anticipated would be three days of recharging their batteries becomes a blur of time and, before they even realize what happened, they are getting back into that vehicular jungle to fight for their place in the highway hierarchy on the way back to the city.
(image credit: citynews.ca)
Whichever side you are on this weekend – take some time to enjoy it. At least it’s not snowing!!
polysyllabic profundities 
When I worked in restaurants, I preferred Tuesdays and Wednesdays off.
On three day weekends, that meant that as soon as Monday was over, I could go right out on a bender.
good times…
Hope your recovery comes soon, and is not as physically destructive! 😉
Your title says it all! I hope you survive the weekend and get a little vacation of your own, soon 🙂
I try and avoid travel on long weekends for this very reason (too much traffic). I hope the weekend isn’t too laborious for you, just know that you can have a long weekend when others are at work 😉
The problem I always have with three-day weekends is that I always seem to think I can get more done than I actually can.
“This will be the day I spackle and repaint the garage!” I announce to the world at large. But what I forget is that everyone else has a three-day weekend, too. And a few of those everyone-elses expect me to be available to do things that are neither fun nor spackle-and-paint-related.
And on Tuesday I go back to work grumbly.
Try to enjoy your (sort of) long weekend as best you can, my friend! I’m rooting for you!