I'll be absent for a while because DH and I are leaving tomorrow for a weekend away. Next week I'll also (hopefully) find out if I will be getting surgery to fix my sinus problems. I haven't been able to smell or taste since June (other than once at Elena's and once at Thanksgiving).

Apparently in my six months at my new job I have accured through bonuses and overtime a grand total of 114.75 hours of Paid Time Off.

I have to use it by the end of the year or lose it.

I'm taking off Thanksgiving day, then I will be off from December 7- December 23, work four days (including Christmas) then have a four day weekend.

I will work 9 days in December.

And no, I have no idea what I'll be doing. I'm still in "Holy Crap!" mode.

Great-Uncle is coming around some. He will likely have some hemiplegia, but everyone is pretty optimistic. I think the vibes worked. Thanks.

I'll be dark this weekend as I'm going to New Orleans.

Slightly early in this announcement.

I'm going to spend Thanksgiving with Mom's family (and Mom). I'll be gone Monday Nov 25- Dec 2. I'll be dark through that entire time (my god I'm already starting to go through withdrawl). I will be able to check email periodically but I doubt I'll be able to sneak more than an hour or so online at a time.

Prayers and vibes for safe flying and for to the VCR gods for Buffy and Smallville taping.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy Thanksgiving. And, of course, PIE!!!!

I'm going to be on the radio Sunday night. (I'm posting this now so that people who read this from work will know about it -- although I suppose if they read from work they won't be able to hear the Webcast Sunday anyway...)

There is a live streaming Webcast. It airs at 9 p.m. EST (other time zones, do the math). The URL is [link] In the left-hand column, toward the bottom is a link that says "On Air" -- click that, and it gives you a choice of Windows Media or Real Audio. Pick one, and you get the streaming audio of whatever is currently being broadcast.

It's a show my writing school does every week -- I'll be reading a long-ish (7-8 minutes) piece about my period of not writing, and what it's been like coming back to writing.

At 6pm I head for the airport where I will be taking a little plane to Virginia to visit a friend for the weekend. That will be immediately followed by me taking a big plane to Oakland to visit the family for ritual sacrifice, pie, and likely mingling with Hec, JZ and who knows who else. I'll be back in Beantown Dec. 3. During this adventure, I will be cutting back on my time online.

An addendum to my way in advance I'm going dark post. I will be going dark Sunday afternoon to Monday night (Dec 2). If you need to get in touch with me please email me at askyefic (@) yahoo.com.

Thanks.

Shameless self-promotion, redux...

I'm on the radio TONIGHT! And there IS a Webcast.

9 p.m. EST, 8 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain, and 6 p.m. West-Coasties.

Info here: Steph L. "If the Apocalypse Comes, Beep Me" Nov 22, 2002 2:19:55 pm EST

I'll be around less often this week as I visit my Dad in Arlington, MA and Laura's folks in New London, CT.