The Work Day Lunch Hour We asked Tripod readers to tell us about their lunch break, and there were no real surprises. Most of you worked through lunch time and ate at your desks. ErikaP: Lunch? Who has time for lunch? I've always worked in the kind of office where no one has time for lunch. Around 2 pm everyone realizes they're starving and order in. Sometimes I make time to take a walk in the middle of the day, but it's a rarity. CherylGuerin: I usually work right through my lunch. I start work at 6:30 a.m., so if I save my lunch hour till the end of the day, I'm finished with work at 2:30 — which is really great now that summer is on its way. About once a month I do take lunch and meet a friend who took a buy out from the company, and we have a sandwich and a beer (or two) to catch up on each others' lives.

And the second runner-up for the typical lunch experience? Running errands.

FaireyMae: I spend my lunch break paying bills and waiting in line at the revenue office. All the places to do the things which I need to do close before I get off work!

Garzella_Vickers: I never have time to grab a bite to eat. By the time I get out of classes, it's "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, off to work I go." If I do get any free time at all, I'm running ridiculous errands for my family. And if I do ever get a lunch it's Spaghetti O's from the supermarket.

HoustonActor: A typical lunch hour for me is racing into the cafeteria in my office building, inhaling a vegetable plate, then jumping into the car and running errands. Maybe once a week I go to a nice, sit-down restaurant with a friend for Chinese or Thai.

People, have you ever heard of kicking back for lunch and having a "time out?" Those of you who can take up to 1 hour and 15 minutes have no excuse. Yet, some had as little as 20 minutes. And of course, 20 minutes leaves you time for nothing but chow.

SandiJ: I get 20 minutes for lunch. When that time comes you are ready for lunch! My friends and I usually brown bag. Forget about taking those relaxing walks, reading books, or running errands û in 20 minutes you don't have the time.

Many members recognized that lunch should be a stress-free time to collect yourself:

seeword:It's important to 'get away' from work — either physically or mentally — during the hour lunch.

buggy2: I try hard to carve out some time for myself — my office door closed, my phone on "do not disturb," and my work set aside — but I usually can only do this about 60% of the time. I bring my food 'cause my fiancé and I are saving for a house (hey, even $5 a day helps!). And I surf the Web a lot...it's revolutionized lunch hours!

ronknights: I utilize the lunch time to get away, without going out into the "real world" and fighting traffic in order to run errands, etc. I'll spend some time relaxing, and getting rid of any morning stress.

SHUGHES: With the exception of a few days a month when I need to run errands, I make it a point to have lunch in peace. I always have a book with me, and my favorite thing in the whole world is to eat alone and read. I never invite anyone to lunch with me because it would be SO rude to read and ignore my lunch partner. Rarely do I accept lunch invitations from others, as it would seriously impinge on my quiet time. I choose mellow little Mom and Pop cafés who've come to understand my peccadillos about reading and being left alone.

Aside from allowing a "time-out" in a hectic work day, lunch is a time to catch up with co-workers, gripe, commiserate, and bond:

Beatrice: When I worked in the greenhouses at a family farm, lunch was the only opportunity we had to sit down during the day (which was actually a boon for keeping in shape). We'd gather in the back room of the farm stand, scam produce that wasn't good enough for retail sale, suck down some coffee, and fight over using the microwave. We'd gossip and laugh and share food — I'd say it contributed to our being a tight-knit greenhouse crew.

flowmotion: As soon as that big hand and little hand are straight up twelve noon, I make a mad dash for a cigarette break, then grab my daily lunch date. We stroll down to one of the many restaurants, unless we are both broke that day, and we eat in the cast cafe. And if we are both totally broke (like the day before pay day — you know what I'm talking about), we make a mad dash across the street and do a fast sprint around Disneyland park before having to get "back to work" as our boss would always tell us.

HKoseff: I work in NYC, so the first thing I do is leave my windowless office, dash down to the corner, and toss myself onto the steps. The corner of 6th Ave and 55th Street gets sun from about 12:30 - 2:00, and I'm there to catch it. It's become the meeting place for about ten of us, all working in the same building but in different departments. Lunch-time is our time to vent, smoke, gossip, and watch the daily parade.

I've got to give HKoseff a gold star. There's no better way to spend lunch than by being outside...exercising, even!

LynneO: I spend my hour walking with an office mate. We try to chit-chat about things outside of the office. Getting out for that hour is very important to me, and I miss that break if I have another obligation. I usually bring lunch and eat during the day. I save money and I have a free exercise routine.

dtaylor: I spend part of my lunch time walking a mile or so. It invigorates, improves health, keeps the appetite down (I will often still eat a sandwich) and is good for fellowship when someone will walk with me.

BWARD: I usually try to walk a mile or two during my lunch break. I'm not an early riser, so getting up at 7:00 allows me to get to work at 8:30. I usually don't leave work before 6:15, so by the time I get home and have dinner, even during daylight-savings-time, it's often too late to walk. This form of exercise at midday refreshes and keeps me energetic and able to go the rest of the day without that late afternoon slump.

And I can't help but admire those who go for a full-blown workout at lunch — getting all hot and sweaty, and then returning to their desks.

gks: I usually eat lunch at my desk, but I'm a grazer so feeding time is 11 am - 1:30 pm. I take my "lunch hour" [at 2-3 pm] to either run along the Charles, or get some shopping done downtown. Nothing like a brisk 6 miles in the middle of the day to clear yer head!

sgarrick: Three times per week I spend my lunch hour playing racquetball. The first 45 minutes are spent on the game, the following 30 minutes are spent showering and eating some pasta.

What were the most innovative ways to spend lunch? estling likes to vary his/her routine by walking to a nearby art museum for some culture once or twice a week. But the best report came from rootie:

I have a friend who has a great system going. If I had the time, I'd do this too. She walks to a nearby bookstore and reads another chapter of some mystery book they have on the shelf. Sometimes it takes her weeks to finish the book, without buying it of course, but it's definitely something to look forward to in the day.

Well, that about wraps things up. Thank you for your input.

I've learned that many members are too overworked, and frazzled to actually set foot outside of their office for meals. Others seek to re-invigorate themselves during their break, while some aspire to physical fitness. You know what category you fall into. My advice: break out of the mold and revolutionize lunch. (Even if it's only outsmarting The Man by freeloading in a bookstore.)