Meh...Guys like me who are single/no kids. 42 hours of pay for 3-days gone and I still make the family Christmas set by my parents, since my sisters can't make it into town on Christmas Day. I won't set my "availability" to the family in hopes of a GS and if anything changes, I'll always choose the family. But when it works out (which it looks like it will this year), then I'll grab another 42 hours for 2 nights away.

Always been thankful to have grown up in a family that's never cared the exact date we celebrate, just that we have everyone there, which is all that really matters. I see far to many people stress about ensuring they have this exact date off, and/or fly themselves crazy trying to fill up before Christmas. Also I've seen the stress leading up to the holidays as people try to figure out how they'll have Christmas for their kids, then shuttle their families from this grandparents to the next, etc... They visit for a few hours then it's round up the kids hunny this side of the family is out of time... When we have our get togethers everyone is there for the duration with no worry of the next event, and it's awesome. Plus, with a few extra pennies, my nieces and nephews get spoiled just that much more by their uncle .