It's Official...

My parole day is HERE!!!!

See, good behavior does pay off... When I learned my co-worker was not in fact taking this week off (I wondered how she could, since I knew payroll was not done), I decided to ask the bossman if I could burn my last three vacation days this week. So, instead of having three more days of punishment, I am FREE!!!

I sat at my desk Friday, bored out of my skull. The boss has not given me any new assignments for days-- nay, WEEKS-- and it was a ridiculously slow workday. My new job description will have me doing even less for him than we originally discussed, and as he has been working the "since you're leaving so soon" attitude, he hasn't been giving me new projects to start. So, other than taping more commercial segments this afternoon, I have ab - so - freakin - lutely nothing to do until 5pm.

The fact that I am getting paroled today also means I will not have access to internet until after the new year. So I just wanted to wish everyone a safe, happy and peaceful 2006. So many folks have had a horrendous 2005, and are counting down the minutes until they can tear the old calendar to shreds. The drama that has saturated my office reached epic proportions this year, and knowing that I will now be freed from the day-to-day trivialities of he said /she said is almost more than I can comprehend. I won't belabor the point. I'll be content to wish blessings upon all my friends (both cyber and in-person) and family, and to thank those of you who have given me so much... money, food, a kind word, offers of revenge, ideas for where to bury the evidence ... To all of you, my thanks. Your tender (mostly) mercies have helped me to survive another rotation around the solar system, for which I am eternally grateful.

P.S. Each year I try to pick a theme or motto to guide my hand, heart and actions. Three years ago, I chose "Small minds are bothered by small things." (attributed to Benjamin Disraeli) The following year, I chose, "Let it go... let it flow." (are you sensing a theme here?) For 2005 I went to one-word simplicity: DIGNITY. When you only get 24 hours in a day, and a third of those are spent near people with whom I would never willingly choose to associate, I've needed constant reminders to keep myself from lowering my behavior to their pathetic level.

My 2006 motto? "I Have a Dream" (partly inspired by the phrase "free at last, free at last, thank GOD ALMIGHTY, FREE... AT... LAST!") Also inspired by the fact that my new work is going to involve a large proportion of visioning. Visioning of projects, goals, objectives, funding...

Wish me luck & God bless you all ~