edit...

um, so as an edit to the below post, my last day will now probably be jan 23. i found out over shutdown when i went to my pre-surgery consult that i can't get lasik, so i have to get PRK. the difference, in a nutshell, is that i get the same results, just more painful and longer recovery. with lasik i would have been able to see, drive, and operate normally by the next day. with PRK, i won't be able to drive to my own post-surgery follow-up, 5 days later. hence, i won't be able to go into work for my exit interview until i can actually see. but it doesn't change the # of working days i have left. i just use more PTO.

what else did i do during shutdown? well i finally paid off my car, then proceeded to get into a car accident. stinking point on my record too :( i was backing out of my driveway, and did not see my neighbor, who had just turned the corner into our cul-de-sac. sigh. my car will need a new bumper & taillight, his car... will need a new door and then some.

i also managed to slam my leg into this 1.5 foot high marble box statue structure thing at the mall in union square, fall over the marble thing, and hit the guy standing on the other side of it. a - no joke - 6 inch bruise is now finally starting to appear on my shin. i was in so much pain i couldn't even walk after that happened. the shin's got no padding... so imagine slamming your bone into solid marble. yeah. ouch.

but onto the good things...

i got *real* lights on our christmas tree. now seriously. compare the two and tell me which you like better.

tree #1


or tree #2


no contest, right?! :)

didn't have to work, which is always great. :) spent time with family... we spent a night in the city since my parents had a free room at the ritz-carlton. had dinner there, which easily may have been the best meal i've ever had.

in general, hung out with people, relaxed, read, went to a bday party, opened our house to people for new years eve, stayed up till 5am (when i had to crash... i don't think i've stayed up that late since college), watched art & bernd try that last song on guitar hero 3 for more than an hour until daniel came and schooled them all. i posted that video on facebook.

10 working days left!! and one of those is basically my exit interview. my last real working day will be thurs, jan 17. i actually have a buttload of work to get done, though i'm pretty sure i won't be able to finish everything they want me to get done by my last day. *shrug* oh well. i gave them a 3-freaking-month notice, so it's not my fault they still haven't found a replacement, or tried to start some projects so late. countdown begins...