If a weekend is Saturday and Sunday, why doesn't a calendar week begin with Monday and end with Sunday? Why do people say they can't wait for the weekend when they know they can and will?

Have you ever noticed people don't ask if you had a good Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, but ask if you had a good weekend? I used to respond in great detail about my activities until I realized people really didn't care. It's another version of "How are you?" - something asked out of habit - not out of actual interest.

Although I understand why people say they wish it were the weekend, I hope they understand why I wish their wishes won't come true - time goes too fast already.

During the work week we envision the weekend as time to relax - to be with family and friends. How many times have we said, "We'll do that this weekend" and actually did whatever it was? Probably as often as the check really has been in the mail.

However, not getting mail is one of the things I like best about Sundays. No mail - no bills. In fact, to help control the rising cost of stamps, I'd be willing - very willing - not to get mail on Saturdays.

Because my husband and I both do freelance work and work out of home offices, there's no big difference between weekdays and weekends - except in my mind.

I'm programmed to stay home week nights. Saturday morning is programmed for errands; and the rest of the weekend IS MEANT TO BE FOR movies, concerts, galleries - for time to play. This provides balance to my week, as well as the fun of anticipating the weekend.

Although we go out for dinner on the weekends, dinner's different. I'll go out for dinner any night. That's not play. That's survival.

As a schoolgirl I dreaded Mondays. When I worked as a secretary, I dreaded Mondays. To compensate for this, I don't plan any appointments for Mondays. I've made friends with Mondays.

Of course, if the three-day weekend was a reality, Mondays would have a lot more friends. Not having to drive to and from work would save money on gas, exposure to colds and flu in the work place would be cut by twenty percent and there'd finally be time to clean out the basement. Well, two out of three is reason enough to have three-day weekends!