I've managed to do absolutely no work all morning and think that I can probably keep this up until Wednesday. I spent about an hour on MapQuest this morning getting driving directions for just about everywhere on the continent. Missoula? A mere 28 hours away! Providence? 9 hours and twenty minutes! This continues for the remainder of the hour. I could have entertained myself like this all day if I hadn't spilled a large paper cup filled with steaming coffee all over my lap, thank you very much and "Whoops...need to go home for a sec!"

Unfortunately I only live about 3 miles away from work, but I took the dogs for a walk after I changed clothing, so that burned up a little more time. I returned to the office to discover bagels, helped myself to an onion topped with veggie cream cheese (coworkers beware) before plunking back in my cube (have to sit in my 'visitor' chair as my desk chair is coffee-soaked) and poking around journalscape, reading some highly amusing entries.

Then...well...returned a few e-mails, tried to whittle down my Amazon Wishlist (crossing my fingers with the hopes that my sisters bought my any of the 347 items for Christmas), listened to the Ataris for a bit, sampled the newest Korn CD (not a favorite band of mine, but three of the songs completely blew me away), trying to find an article on the net explaining why Manson decided to cancel his Cleveland show (friend of mine said they heard on the radio that he was 'tired'....well BOO FREAKIN' HOO!). Made a few personal calls, and look! Only three hours left!

My weekend was as exciting as ever. I had Friday night off and had planned on some severe Christmas shopping but the weather obviously had other plans for me, so I stayed in with a few mugs of Assam and some books I borrowed from my sister, relieved that I wasn't driving around in the blizzard.

Saturday night and Sunday night I worked at the restaurant. We've been very busy for the holidays on top of being short-staffed. The big guys made the call two weeks ago to drastically cut labor. How's that for timing? I feel horrible for the servers there whose only source of income is working at that hell-hole. I've worked at restaurants since college, but never have I depended solely on tips to pay rent, car payments, or child care. I don't think I could deal with that kind of uncertainty. I think they're all struggling so I've been giving up shifts right and left to help them out.

As for the whole Christmas issue, I'll be relieved when it's all over. I have a hell of a lot of shopping and wrapping to do, and I'm just wishing I could run away for awhile (hence the whole MapQuest deal above). Don't really want to pretend to be happy and joyful. Not with things the way the are.

I'm going to a Christmas party next weekend at a friend-of-a-friend's. It'll be one of those gatherings of investment-banker types where I'll be trying to decide whether or not I'll be able to join the ranks with a clear conscience. Hopefully I'll be able to reign in my sarcasm and be pleasant. Hell, who am I kidding? I'll probably spend the evening scowling in the corner with a flask of bourbon while they drink Cab, eat stinky cheese, and talk about....gee, what do those people talk about? Books, maybe. The kind that start with "Ten Things..." or "How to..." or "Maximize your..." or "Build your..." I cannot abide books like that. Although I wonder if they have a book called "Mixing with Corporate-Ladder Climbing Yuppies for Dummies with Dreadlocks"?

I have to go check Amazon.