Vacation

1. Christmas Vacation is based on the late, great John Hughes' short story Christmas '59, the second Vacation story to be published in National Lampoon's Magazine. The first was Vacation '58, which was the basis for the original National Lampoon's Vacation. This explains the label on the home movie reel Clark finds in the attic: "X-Mas '59."

2. The Griswolds live right next door to the Murtaughs! Both Christmas Vacation and Lethal Weapon were filmed on the same back lot at Warner Brothers Studios. Also, the house front shown in the home movie Clark watches in the attic is the same one used on the television shows Bewitched (1964) and The New Gidget (1986).

3. The black Chicago Bears cap Clark wears appears in all four Vacation movies: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), European Vacation (1985), Christmas Vacation (1989), and Vegas Vacation (1997). Like most every John Hughes character, Clark is from Chicago.

4. The movie has four Saturday Night Live alumni: Chase, Randy Quaid, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Brian Doyle-Murray.

5. Only two Christmas-themed movies came out in 1989: Prancer and Christmas Vacation. A 13-year-old Johnny Galecki (who plays Rusty) is in both of them.

6. In both Vacation and European Vacation, Rusty is presumably older than Audrey. But in Christmas Vacation, Audrey (played by Juliette Lewis) is the older sibling.

7. Frank Capra III was assistant director on Christmas Vacation. His grandfather and namesake, Hollywood legend Frank Capra, directed It's a Wonderful Life (1946), arguably the most-watched Christmas movie ever made.

8. It's the only Vacation movie not to feature Lindsey Buckingham's song "Holiday Road" throughout the entire film.

9. Cousin Eddie (Quaid) has a son named Rocky, a fact not unnoticed by Sylvester Stallone, who included footage from Christmas Vacation in his film, Rocky V. Plus, Rocky's Las Vegas T-shirt predicts the series' future: The next sequel would be Vegas Vacation.

10. Christmas Vacation is the final film of Mae Questel, whose film career began in 1930 as the voice of Betty Boop.

11. The old Dodge pickup that tailgates Clark and the family in the opening scenes of the movie is the same one driven by Kurt Russell in Overboard.

12. When Clark is in bed trying to read People Magazine with sticky fingers from the tree sap, the person shown on the cover of the magazine is Matty Simmons, this film's producer.

13. During the shopping scene, Eddie asks Clark if it was his company that "killed all those people in India." He's referencing the Bhopal disaster, also known as the Union Carbide disaster, which saw leaks from a Union Carbide pesticide plant go airborne. Thousands of people died and many more were hospitalized.

14. Galecki pays tribute to the man playing his dad when he looks at his bare wrist, pretending to have a watch on, and excuses himself after the Christmas lights don't turn on. The fake watch gag was a Chevy Chase trademark.

15. Saavy Vacation fans will notice Clark and Cousin Eddie drinking egg nog out of Wally World mugs. Wally World, of course, being the impetus for the title excursion in the original National Lampoon's Vacation.

16. Rocky doesn't have a line in the film.

17. Gene Autry's "Here Comes Santa Claus" scores the scene when the police storm the Griswolds' house. Coincidentally, Randy Quaid is Autry's third cousin.

18. Just before Clark gets locked in the attic, he pulls out an old present from a hidden slot: a card that reads "Happy Mother's Day 1983, Love Clark." The first movie, National Lampoon's Vacation, was released the same year.

19. If it looks like Ruby Sue is wearing a wig, it's because she is. The filmmakers decided young actress Ellen Hamilton Latzen's pixie haircut was inappropriate for her character.

20. All the presents on the credenza when Clark goes in to give his to Mr. Shirley are identically shaped and likely the same gift.

21. The scene where the cat chews the Christmas lights wire and gets electrocuted was nearly cut from the movie. Prior to the first test screening, Warner Brothers executives wanted the scene taken out, fearing it might offend some viewers. But producer Matty Simmons championed the scene, and they eventually gave in. After the first test screening, the audience had scored the cat electrocution scene as their favorite in the film.

22. In several outdoor scenes at the Griswold home, a powder blue 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible can be seen parked out front. This was the last of the rare curved glass slab sides and is sought-after by collectors. The 1964 Continental convertible had straight glass windows to provide more interior space.

23. Christmas Vacation is one of three films released in 1989 to feature a trendy animated title sequence, a signature of late '80s/early '90s comedies. The other two are Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Troop Beverly Hills.

24. Roger Ebert wasn't a fan of Christmas Vacation: "The movie is curious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn't work.”

25. Despite being a "Christmas movie," Christmas Day is never actually seen. The film ends on Christmas Eve.

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Most of us take a few days off around Christmas to spend time with our family and friends. While vacations seem like they should be restful, most of us sabotage our vacations and fill them with work and stress.
Here are six ways to make the most of your vacation so that you can return to work in the New Year ready to take on another year!

1. Check your emails only once a day.

One of the greatest benefits of technology is that you never are really away from the office. You can stay on top of emails at the grocery store, the car pool lane, or even the dentist chair. While this may be a huge advantage during the course of the year, it can make an otherwise restful vacation stressful. During your vacation, make a rule that you will only check your email once a day, and don’t break it!
Church leaders, be sure to notify your staff of your “holiday email rule,” and tell them that if the matter is urgent to be sure to signify that in the subject line. Turn off your email notifications on your phone, and enjoy time with your family and friends.

2. Don't answer your phone.

Many people assume that if someone calls, it must be important. While this may be true, not everything that is important is urgent. Let the call go to voicemail, and then determine whether the matter is urgent enough to call back right away or if it can wait until you return to the office. If you want to acknowledge the receipt of the voicemail, you can send back a quick text saying, "I got your voicemail, and I will be happy to deal with this when I return on Monday."

3. Go on a date with your spouse.

Holidays are a time filled with extended family members and friends. Take advantage of the extra hands, and go on a date with your spouse. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles are typically more than happy to entertain the little ones while you slip away for some quality time with your spouse. Ministry is hard, not just on those who are a part of a church staff but also on their spouses. Take time to debrief about the highs and lows of the past year and make goals as a couple and a family for the upcoming year. Enjoy your time together, and come back from vacation stronger together.

4. Sleep.

With friends and family in for the holiday, it is tempting to stay up late and say that you will catch up with sleep by sleeping in. Most of us know that this is not reality. Kids (even if they are not yours) are up early whether it is vacation or not. Staying up late while playing board games and watching movies is so much fun, and spending time with extended family is important – but neither of those are as important as being well rested. Coming off of the Christmas season while serving on a church staff is exhausting, and most of us build up a huge sleep debt. Make sleeping a priority for your vacation so you can start the New Year on the right foot.

5. Start healthy habits.

Speaking of starting the year off on the right foot, spend time while you are on vacation thinking about your goals for the New Year. Whether it be eating healthier, getting more sleep, spending more quality time with your spouse and kids, or exercising, vacation provides the time you need to break bad habits and start new ones.

6. Plug back in.

While on vacation, spend some extra time in prayer and in the Word. Not in research or study for your next sermon but in genuine time with God. Find peace in the scripture; find rest in the Word. As a Pastor or a church staff member, you have spent a year working long hours behind the scenes, serving your church and your family without rest. You are probably spiritually and emotionally spent. Spend time getting filled back up. Find time to go outside and enjoy creation or have spiritually encouraging conversations with your spouse or friends. Come back to work in the New Year refreshed, renewed, and ready to serve another year.

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HGTV host Matt Blashaw thinks the chief appeal of a vacation home is its convenience.
"It's an easy vacation," he explains. "The point is just to go have everything set up the way you want. You know the area, and you know you're going to have fun."




The vacation may be easy, but the second mortgage probably isn't.

For that reason, Blashaw helps families on his show, "Vacation House For Free," renovate under-the-weather homes into retreats worth renting out when the family isn't in residence.


Of course, no house is actually free, but by earning money on the home when it would otherwise be vacant, homeowners can essentially get a vacation house that pays for itself.
"You're contributing to your wealth and your future," Blashaw says, "not throwing your money away on Hilton and Marriott. You're building equity in what I think is the best investment anyone can have, which is real estate. Plus, people want to have a place they can retire to, so it's a win-win."
It's not quite as easy as it sounds, especially if you've never undertaken a renovation. Here, Blashaw provides his top tips for turning your vacation home into a free home.

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In Japan, there is a small island in the city of Takehara. It’s jam-packed with feral rabbits that are very comfortable around humans. With just some food and a calm approach, a human gets “attacked” by a hoard of bunnies. What a lucky guy!

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Good night

Summer is the best time for us to cash in those vacation days and go somewhere really special. But it’s important we take these getaways seriously, and avoid all the typical travel destinations. So check out some of the most original destinations in the world, and grab a Stoli cocktail when you’re ready to start browsing for flights and hotels.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore:

Bahia, Brazil:

Be the “Girl From Ipanema” in Bahia, Brazil. Seriously, this locale is where songwriter Vinicius de Moraes lived when he wrote the famously tropical tune. Close to the equator and the South Atlantic Ocean, beaches stretch along the coast and make it the perfect spot to enjoy coconut cocktails along the water.

Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya:

A giraffe peeking into your bedroom? That’s just another day at Giraffe Manor. Built in the 1930s, this hotel has a resident herd (you read that correctly) of Rothschild Giraffes. Apparently, they “vy for your attention at the breakfast table,” so definitely hold on to your biscuits.

Kawachi Fuji Garden, Japan:

This stunning flower arch is called “The Wisteria Tunnel” and you can visit it in the Kawachi Fuji Garden in Japan—just a 4-hour bus ride from Tokyo.


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Japan wants to cut off its workaholics, and America could learn a thing or two from the proposal.

A measure slated to come before Japan’s parliament sometime in the next four months will require workers to use at least five of their 10 guaranteed paid vacation days per year. The United States, where many employees leave vacation days unused or don't have any at all, might do well to craft a similar model for its workers, even if Americans' reasons for ignoring paid time off are quite different from those of Japanese wage earners.

Overworking is a chronic problem in Japan. In the 1990s, the term for sudden death caused by exhaustion and overwork became a household name: karoshi.

Group identity is deeply ingrained in many facets of the ethnically homogenous country's culture, and Japanese workers are afraid of letting their colleagues down by voluntarily taking time off, says Paul Jaffe, a former longtime resident of Japan and consultant at Japanese Intercultural Consulting.

“People tend to not want to put burdens on other people and not push their own benefit ahead of others,” Jaffe told The Huffington Post. “It’s very common for people to have vacation days they don’t take.”

To convince workers to spend time away from the office, the Japanese government has created more national holidays in recent years. If the whole team is encouraged to take the day off, the thinking goes, then individuals will. But public holidays do not guarantee paid time off, so they may act as more of a nudge than a push. Now, the government hopes mandatory time off will help foster a culture in which workers prioritize their free time and expect colleagues to do so, too.

Many workers in the United States also leave unused vacation days on the table. About 40 percent of Americans didn’t plan to take all of their time off last year, according to a survey from the U.S. Travel Association and GfK, a market research firm. More than 20 percent of workers said the main reason was fear that their absence would prove them to be replaceable.

A survey released last month found almost 42 percent of Americans didn’t take a single vacation day in 2014. This Google Consumer Surveys report, published for travel website Skift, also found that women tended to use fewer vacation days than men, and that employees in younger age ranges were going light on vacation days.

A federal policy for mandatory time off, similar to what is being proposed in Japan, might allay the fears of workers spooked about losing their jobs for spending time away from the office. It would be a big step, though. As it stands, the U.S. is the only advanced economy that doesn’t require companies to offer paid leave.



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Lisbon, Portugal

1. Get your employees involved

Before you leave, take time to teach your employees what needs to be done. Be sure to write it down so they can't forget. You should also write out potential problems and the responses your employees need to take before they call you.

Then, you can go a step further and ...

2. Take a pre-vacation

This will make your employees more confident, and help you know you can relax. Not only that, you might find an employee who excels at a task and can take it over permanently, freeing you up for more important projects when you get back.

3. Pick your moment

You've probably been in your business long enough to know some slack times where things aren't as busy. It could be as simple as knowing what days of the week are busy vs. less busy.

4. Finish major projects

That way, you aren't sitting on a relaxing beach in Hawaii thinking about how to end the third chapter of that important financial report, or sketching out a new floor arrangement for your store's products. Nobody wants that.

5. Supercharge your communications

As a small business owner or high-responsibility employee, clients and employees are going to try to get a hold of you. You can put a stop to most of that by preparing your employees and letting your clients know you won't be available.

However, work doesn't stop just because you aren't there. There might be times that someone really needs to get a hold of you, which means keeping your phone on. But then you'll probably end up fielding less important calls, or at least having to silence your phone. There's a better way.

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Four-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is used to feeling the heat on the football field, but it was a decision he made on a recent family vacation to tropical Costa Rica that has him in hot water with his fans.

The New England Patriots quarterback suffered through a brutal winter like so many Bostonians, so he jetted off for an early spring getaway to thaw out. During the vacation, Brady chose to take the advice of his haters and jumped off a cliff.

He didn't get injured during the jump into a pool of water at the bottom of the cliff, but he did post video of the experience to his Facebook page, saying, "Never doing that again! #AirBrady".

Pro Football Talk notes that the jump may have been a violation of Brady's contract with the Patriots, but it's unlikely the franchise will punish him.

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