I like the in town vacation. A few years ago, I won a package that included a couple of hotel nights in town and it felt like a total luxury.

Not to say airfare isn't cool too, but I'm with Sophia on the "but then *I* have to pay for hotel and other stuff".

Would you guys find a weekend, including a fancy dinner, in the town where you live a better gift than a plain airline gift certificate?

Well, with the airline gift certificate I might feel obligated to use it for a flight I would have taken anyway so, while it would be nice to save the money, it wouldn't be much of a treat.

I'm with the people that aren't Vortex. I like recognition gifts that are totally gifty, and less practical.

I'd dig a night in a fancy local hotel with fancy dinner. We actually do that ourselves (well, in Cambridge and we live in Salem, about ~45 minutes away) and I'd be psyched to get it as a gift.

Well, with the airline gift certificate I might feel obligated to use it for a flight I would have taken anyway so, while it would be nice to save the money, it wouldn't be much of a treat.

This--I'd probably initially be more excited about the airline thing, but in the end it would be less luxurious. OTOH, if I were strapped for cash, that might not matter. :)

Of course, it took me almost a year to use the movie passes I got from my boss for CHRISTMAS, so...

I kind of want to cry you guys. My toe still hurts after ten days, it's still swollen, it's crooked and I have no idea what to do. I don't have a GP because I changed insurance earlier this year. I kind of just want to go to the hospital but this is obviously not urgent care. I feel stupid for not knowing how medical care works.

I would never use a hotel room in town. I don't see the point, unless you're escaping your children.

I kind of just want to go to the hospital but this is obviously not urgent care.

Go to urgent care! Which is not the ER! I know there's one in Rockville, and one in Crystal City. Not sure where others are. They're like less than the emergency room, but great if you don't have a doc (or yours is hard to make an appointment with).

I would never use a hotel room in town. I don't see the point, unless you're escaping your children.

Maybe a hotel gift cert for a chain? And tell him the idea is for him to use it in town, but then he has the option to use it out of town as well?

bon, you need to see a doctor. No matter how you accomplish that, you shouldn't feel stupid.

If it were me, I'd pick a GP off the insurance list by location, call and tell the office I was in pain so they would see me quickly. See doctor, get whatever referral or treatment. If I didn't like the doctor, I'd worry about that later.

I love it when corporate sends out an e-mail communication which makes everyone in the company start thinking that they need to go home and update their resumes.