Best Way To Spend a “Sick” Day in Chicago

By Elvin Yavuz on August 2, 2010

Runny nose, sneezing, coughing and aching are the typical symptoms that define a sick day and a good Nyquil advertisement but how about those “sick days” when you are carelessly hanging out at the beach and kicking back with a tasty ice-cold beer at Castaways? You call in sick to work when you really aren’t sick? No, you would never do that. . . would you?

According to the “Summer Absenteeism” survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, 39% of full-time employees fake sick days. Also, as temperatures rise and leisurely activities are aplenty, 30% of employees call in sick to enjoy a summer day off.

Whether your reason for a “sick day” is a mental health day, tickets to a Sox or Cubs game or simply because you partied too hard the night before, Gozamos wants to know how to best spend a “sick day” in Chicago. Don’t worry, we won’t tell your boss!

Brian
“Lay out on the beach with the book, Molloy by Samuel Beckett.”

Joey
“I went bike riding through Wicker Park.”

Maddy
“I went to an all night African dance party that started at 1:00am and lasted until 6:00am!”

Aaron
“I ditched work to come out and visit Chicago and day drink with friends.”

Remi
“I spent 13 hours playing Final Fantasy video game.”

Tina P
“After partying all night at the W Hotel, I called in sick to work. My boyfriend and I then went to 35th Street Beach, slept in the car for a couple hours, drank beers and then went to the Sox game. We were lucky they didn’t display us on the Jumbotron or else we would have gotten fired!”

Jane and Danna
“We rode our bikes in the rain…while high on mushrooms!”

Stephanie
“I spent the day drinking on a boat.”

Patty
“I convinced my boyfriend to also call in sick and we spent the day in Lake Forest shopping for houses we couldn’t afford.”

Marie
“Spent the day hanging out at the dog beach and checked out guys who apparently also called in “sick” to work…or just didn’t have jobs. Next time I call in “sick” I’m off to the nearest fire station to check out Chicago’s finest!”