Family and Community Day - the verdict

Ditto to DarkLadyWolfMother. The ANU was actually fairly busy, though it was all us foreigners. Overall, a f–king retarded holiday. If you’re gonna give off Tuesday, make Monday a holiday, too.

congrats maelinar.
I spent the evening before with family.. and the day itself at extended family’s house. Whether or not they were there, is irelevant.

Congratultions!

Went shopping at Woden Plaza and the Canberra Centre…

I am pleased to announce Mini Maelinar Mk II was born on Family and Community Day. In response to the question, I was in the maternity ward at the hospital all day.

I ended up at work anyway. The only difference was I was the only one there, so I actually got work done.

Works for me.

I had a marvellous time just relaxing. And why shouldn’t we have this day? We work like bloody trojans all year round just to be told that this has cost the economy a vast amount of money. Well, all you whinging business owners can go kiss a smoking dog’s turd for all I care. You make enough money out of us all the rest of the year (including shoving your prices up at Xmas, Easter etc. etc.), so shut up! Life’s tough, deal with it!
If they do away with it next year, I’ll just go sick anyway. See? No saving!

I would have preferred to be at work. You work till 12, have lunch, sit around eating more food, drinking champagne until the big race hits and then spend the rest of the afternoon drunk, giggling to customers. It’s a great work day. I missed all that this year. Sat on the couch watching the race. Still a nice day with my wife, but would have definately preferred to be at work for half a day and have another day off in August or something like Eftb mentioned.

the racecourse was pulling in a decent income yesterday. pity they were so disorganised and didn’t seem to realise that a public holiday would mean bigger crowds than normal. 45minutes in line for a portaloo is not my idea of fun. neither is waiting 1 hour for a drink. But it was still a fun day out. lots of families having picnics and stuff.
Dickson restaurants were doing a roaring trade in the evening. much better than a normal tueday night, all the punters out celebrating over dinner and more drinks. A pity some businesses decided to believe the hype about a ghost town and not open, there was less choice than usual but everyone packed into the restaurants that were open.
I’m all for public holidays, especially ones that break up the week and make the working week shorter.

Interesting to note – the ACT Chamber of Commerce and Industry were closed on Monday as well as Tuesday. I’m sure their struggling small business members would have been pleased to hear their subscription fees allowed everyone in that office to have two days off!

We had a great day – managed a sleep in and then spent the day at home with the family. Like many small business owners, I end up putting in some weird and long hours and weekends are often spent managing household guff like groceries etc or getting the kids to sporting activities so having a day to just spend together was a real bonus.

I just don’t understand the overblown hysterical wailing and gnashing of teeth from the business lobby – if they were ever wondering about why membership numbers are on the wane, they would only need to look at the blinkered and nonsensical drivel that they’re spokes-people have been putting out.

Completely agree with barney, we work too much and any day off work is most definitely NOT a waste of time.

I spent the afternoon with my parents and the evening at a bbq (bonding with the community 🙂

It sounds like most people spent quality time with atleast one other person which sounds to me way more important than slaving away at work all day. I doubt at the end of my life I’m going to look back and think, “Damn I should have spent more time at work”.

I only had 1/2 day off, and due to the cold weather decided to take my family to the National Library for a coffee and cake. What a surprise! Packed out, lots to eat at reasonable prices, but curses, I’d already eaten my packed lunch.
I was heartened to hear that the 10% loading was passed on to the staff as penalty rates, so I had my banana and toffee cake and coffee with a clear conscience.

I have a nice day with a bbq melb cup party with friends. Family day in Glebe park looked packed as we drove past too.

Plenty of other states have public holidays on tuesday (cup day) or a thursday (show day) etc and the earth doesn’t fall in.

It is better for things like school and uni curriculums and childcare to not have every holiday on a monday.

Down the coast!

Mowed the lawn, and then went to the Burns Club for lunch and a few beers. The Burns Club wasn’t as packed as I thought it’d be, either.

I still think it is stupid to have a public holiday on a Tuesday though.

For the love of god, won’t somebody think of the chickenmen?

Had a great day spent with family & friends. No complaints here.

Can’t disagree with that.

Was a bloody ghost town last night, tried to take my girly out for dinner and the first 4 restaurants I called were shut. The one I ended up going to only had 4 other patrons all night.

I am never one to complain about a day off work, any public holiday even if it is on a tuesday and has a stupid reason – lets be honest and call it a melbourne cup holiday if thats what it is for!

if I hadn’t have already been taking this friday off I would have taken monday and made it a long weekend to go to the coast (as I’m sure half of canberra did).

It certainly was not a community day for me – hubby and I spent the day out in the bloody wind putting up a new fence on our property! – but again I won’t complain about having a free day off!

You have a good point EtFb – give us a public holiday in August, it would be much more appreciated then I think – then we can all go back to haveing melbouurne cup at work, doing the sweeps and lunch and champers, or chucking a sicky and going out to the racecourse 🙂

Does life only consist of getting up and going to work ? The problem with society these days is that WE WORK TOO MUCH !

I always like a holiday, and I took the Monday off too, but it’s still bloody stupid. The financial hit the local caterers took is enough reason not to do it again. Give us a holiday some time between June (Queen’s Birthday) and October (Labour Day) during the long holiday drought!