Hmmm... Well... Now might be a good time to do a little (low cost) home improvements (if you own your home). Here are a few inexpensive examples of things that I have done (on weekends, mostly) over the years:

1) Paint the outside of your home (or a portion of it). Example, the garage doors, a front, side, or back wall, or the garage, if it is detached.
2) Repaint a room, or two, or three.
3) Replace the carpet in a room (tools cost about $100 & remnents are 1/3 - 1/2 price of carpet on the roll).
4) Do some serious car cleaning & garage junk purging. Then hold a garage sale.

A little more expensive (&, or, more difficult):

1) Insulate, sheetrock, tape, mud, prime, & paint your garage. You can do this in stages.
2) Rescreen a screen porch. While the screens are off, repaint the porch.
3) Do a complete clean & detail job on your car.
4) Fill the cracks & resurface your driveway (if it is asphalt).

You can also just have some fun:

1) Fix up a bicycle & go on a bicycle ride.
2) Go to the beach.
3) Go and ride your motorcycle (if you have one).
4) Go to a museum (check out the free days & go then if the museum has them).
4) Write a children's book for your young kids (if you have young kids).

Saving lots of money & give maybe give the taxing authorities a pay cut:

1) Quit drinking. (No more liquor taxes.)
2) Quit smoking. (No more outrageous tobacco taxes!)
3) Quit the health club & start walking/hiking.
4) Take the dog (if you have one) for a long walk.

Spend a little money:

Get a herding dog (I have an Austraalian Kelpie) & go out and train the dog to herd sheep. Then enter some competetive trials & have a great time. (And learn the principles of modern management: You control the dog & the dog controls the sheep!)
(And, yes, this *can* be applied to your job when you go back!)

So, there are lots of things to do with a short furlough. Plan to enjoy your time & you will.

David Ecale