[LM24] So, How Much DO You Deserve It?

[Aysedasi]

Each year I tell myself - and more particularly my long-suffering other half - that I really do deserve my trip to Le Mans. Sometimes she even believes me!

For me, my daily grind at work has become pretty much a daily nightmare, with several times more work to do than was the case a year or two ago and a lot less staff to do it. And having had a pay freeze for 3 years, I'm effectively being paid a lot less now to do it.... But my organisation's CEO simply tells us - 'You've got a job, if you don't like it, no-one forces you to stay.... - but if you do, you have to work even harder....'.

I know not everyone here has partners to make peace with, but I guess there is still a self-justification routine that goes on with the time away and the expense?

So, how much do you deserve your trip to Le Mans?

[GT6]

Well after 11 months of retirement I probably don't but I am still going anyway

[Aysedasi]

Honest and straight-forward Simon!

[vincegail]

Sorry I don't see why there should be any justification before you can go. Does that mean I should feel guilty if I don't have one?

Not that I'm retired, but just like Simon, no matter what, I'm still going.

[Aysedasi]

No, that''s fine, if you're a free bird and have no need for a reason.... Perhaps it's an older person with partner, kids and mortgage thing......

[Victor_RO]

Four years of University are almost done, been working as well for the last year and a half, my head is nearing explosion point. I need a few days away from it all, I need to find my happy place, and I suspect that my happy place is somewhere in the suburbs of Le Mans.

[wewantourdarbyback]

No real need for justification, as I am fortunately in the position where my girlfriend loves motorsport and is jealous whenever I don't take her with me (but at the same time insists I go).

But working 50-65 hour weeks minimum with no reward and a boss whose happy to put my future at risk with the stuff he puts out (one day the **** may hit the fan and I worry a little for my CV) I feel my yearly getaway to one of my 'happy places' is deserved.

Ayse, I know exactly how you feel, without wanting to turn this into a confessional, when we pointed out our hours push us below minimum wage our MD just looked at us and pointed out how many young journalists don't have a job.

Ah well, it all pays for Le Man (just).

[CTD]

Well, I'm lucky enough to be a free man right now (just splitted with my Girlfriend), and had planed the trip before I started at my current job/education.
- I wanted to go, so now I'm going .

If I need reasons to go, I can use on the fact that I too work all the time, and need to get away from everything that reminds me of the ex, until I move.
Honestly, Le Mans is the best place for me to "shut down" my regular life, and just let the Le Mans fan take 100% control.

[aneesh99]

I'd like to say I deserve it but time off as a student doc in the NHS, it isn't going to happen. Would be nice to be able to go instead of listening for the last few years on the ward, curse my hours!

[Dani Filth]

for me it's easy .. if the company doesn't understand that i'm going on vacation in june they don't deserve me

[Aysedasi]

I'm with you there Dani - I don't have any trouble at all getting the time off - no-one else wants leave in the middle of June, thankfully....

Originally Posted by CTD

Honestly, Le Mans is the best place for me to "shut down" my regular life, and just let the Le Mans fan take 100% control.

This is exactly it for me - a whole week and a bit of total Le Mans escapism. A huge 'high' during which I don't really have to worry about anything much else. Glorious selfishness!

[whitemr2]

I am going because I CAN. No complains from the misses. Lucky me she understands and thinks I deserve it. What great l(w)ive I have.

[AstonGeoff]

I can't remember why now but back in 2004 I didn't go after having gone for the previous 3 or 4 years, but was like a bear with a sore head all weekend at home. Sooooo the wife just said, no, not never again, i'm not putting up with this another time, just go from now on! And I have.

So no real justification needed anymore

[isynge]

AstonGeoff raises an interesting one.

I almost think fondly back to the couple of years before I started going, when the week at home had a certain appeal, catching scrutineering highlights, then qualifying coverage (2006's Thursday night I distinctly remember being quite exciting), and then the ceremony of digging in to watch the race.

No comparison with being there, and I suspect I'd be pretty grumpy if I didn't go - knowing how much fun being there is, but figure there's benefit to having some recent experience of what a fun time it is for those who watch it at home.

How do I justify it? It's a holiday, an opportunity to visit a nice part of the world, and sets things up for the summer, which we generally work through, not being constrained by school holidays and tending to take big holidays in the autumn.

Do I deserve it? I think so - but I suppose I'm in the happy situation that it's never a question that's really come up - instead being something that sits happily in the family diary (much like Spa now increasingly does) and happens.

[Mal]

I used to have a lot of hassle to the point that I didn't go for about 4 years after we got married. Then I went back and she has since realised that I go whatever she says so there is no point fighting it..... It is still a taboo subject at home though - luckily my son is now getting interested and is desperate to go so things are easing.

I think she perceived it a completely drunk weekend ...... I dont know where she got that idea from but she would be totally wrong

[nobster]

just because of the small drama we had with a car stolen from us... hell yeah I deserve this!

[Elaviel]

Just finished 4 years of a Maths degree does that count?

Plus i may be teaching this time next years so might not get a chance to go for a while!

[Gingers4Justice]

My Dad went in 1987 for the first time. A series of rather unfortunate family events left my parents with money, and despite being a young man training for ordination he took the opportunity to do a few things he didn't think he could do with children.

It's now gone down in family folklore, that my dad came back and asked my mum for "just one more year", because he simply had to go again.

My Mum went with him in '88, and enjoyed what she thought would be a pleasant trip to France to get that funny race out of my dad's system.

How wrong she was! My dad has only missed 4 since - 1990 to be ordained, 1994 for my birth, 1997 for my sister's birth and unfortunately 2011 due to a badly-timed conference.

When we were a young family, we'd have our family holidays in June so dad could go the race, and he took a 4 year old me and an 11 month old baby to qualifying in 1998, and I was absolutely transfixed. From that point on it became inconceivable that I wouldn't come to Le Mans.

I don't know what I've done to deserve it, or my dad for that matter, all we know it's the best thing in the world and it's just what we do. I'm really glad my younger sister asked to come this year, and I hope she enjoys herself. Three out of four members wanted to go to Le Mans this year....what's my mum done to deserve the right to stop us all from going?

[rdjones]

Originally Posted by Mal

I used to have a lot of hassle to the point that I didn't go for about 4 years after we got married.

I know what you mean, I have not been since 2009 (that's the year that we moved in together) I have manged to strike deal where I get the TV for weekend.

However this year will be different as we have the little one so I may have to miss a bit of the race so she can watch In The Night Garden and Postman Pat.

But she is allowing me to return next year and hopefully she will allow to return the year after and the one after that....

[frostie]

Originally Posted by rdjones

However this year will be different as we have the little one so I may have to miss a bit of the race so she can watch In The Night Garden and Postman Pat

Well at least Pat drives a diesel and the roads around Greendale look to have some interesting corners so you could (almost) imagine that he's driving at Le Mans

[Tim the Grey]

Frostie? Have you SEEN how the Ninky-Nonk drives? Definitely an ex F1 driver.
I have LM24 and Spa24 as my MUST DO list these days. Anything else is a bonus!
She Who Shall Be Obeyed can take time out if she wishes.
My big kids enjoy it, Joe's not too sure just yet. Certainly he's not ready for 3 hour races. He likes hillclimbs, though.

[Muppetdave901]

Le Mans is just my 'must do' each year. The one thing I am transfixed on doing each year and I think the Mrs now gets this (ten minutes of watching Wednesday Quali/practice with my 'commentary' the year she told me I couldn't go was enough to change that permanently and I was booked on Chunnel ten minutes later and in France by 6PM Friday!!!).

My 'group' has evolved, started as the archetypal boys on the beer, but last year we had one 6 month old, one 3 year old and one 8 year old with us (kiddie quotient changes each year!). Quite honestly, I think I prefer what we do now to just being constantly ****ed. LM is now just a fraction of ten days holiday over there, and given the crap I've had in my business the last few months I can't wait to get over there and shut off a bit.

[Simmi]

Really interesting thread. I'm sure everyone sets out saying 'it won't be an issue and X and Y won't stop me from attending the race' - but that's not always the reality.

I'm 25 (in two days) and I'm conscious that I've got a window now where I can make these trips without issue. I'm trying to tick things off, but the only problem is when you do something that can't just be ticked off once.

I've made it clear to work (through banging on about it) that it means a lot to me and as such it's not a problem. Everyone deserves a holiday.

When things start to evolve and get more complicated I'll dig my heels in. If it means I have to do some other hellish activity to even the score at another time of year then so be it. I wouldn't miss the birth of a child to go, but that's all about planning and logistics.

[batmobile]

Of course I deserve this, otherwise I would'nt have been born here.

[Muppetdave901]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I wouldn't miss the birth of a child to go, but that's all about planning and logistics.

Got the Mrs on my case about baby #2 now, I'm going celibate from now until Xmas!