I got a $50 gift card to Home Depot, which doesn't suck. It's better than last year's $25 car wash gift card. I don't think I've ever worked anywhere that did actual cash Christmas bonuses. My bosses always say cash just isn't festive enough. Oddly, the employees always seem to disagree.

Yay bonus! At my independent school, we get a check from parents who donate to us through the parent association. The amount varies based on who thinks you are evil and how many students you have. I have high hopes this year, however, because in addition to two sections of 12th grade AP Lit, I am teaching two sections of 6th graders! The senior parents are usually over it.

Yay for bonus! Pix I hope you get something nice.

I saw my shrink today, the feeling of restlessness I've had is Akathisia (he likes using the proper words) from the saphris. It may go away, it may not. If I didn't have a history of asthma I could have beta blockers, but , alas, that's I'm blocked from that.

So, new plan - I keep taking the Saphris to see how I can tolerate the akathisia and if I can tolerate it or it gets better then on Jan 3 I can increase the dose.

If, in the meantime, it gets to be too much I call him and I start on slow release lithium.

My company kind of sucks when it comes to holiday cheer. No Christmas bonus, no holiday party for the last few years, and we are forced to use PTO for whatever days aren't holidays over Christmas week. Bah humbug!

In my department, they give each faculty member an envelope to put money in for a staff gift, and the money gets divided among the office staff. Then there's a "Staff Appreciation of the Faculty" tea, where everyone goes into the conference room and has tea and cookies, and that's about it. I was going to go wrap presents for Toys For Tots a few days ago, but by the time I finished meeting with students and could get there, they'd already posted on facebook that they'd finished all the presents and didn't need any more people.

My company kind of sucks when it comes to holiday cheer. No Christmas bonus, no holiday party for the last few years, and we are forced to use PTO for whatever days aren't holidays over Christmas week.

Hah. I'm actually super excited because I just checked and realized I get both 12/24 AND 12/25 as holidays!! Also since I work from home I never get a holiday party, but they just planned something for all the Seattle-area employees in January. Which is awesome. ...if only the rest of the company made me as happy. Argh. I wrote a long email to my boss yesterday that ended in "No, seriously, I want off this project. I know that means someone else will have to work on it, but I've been on it 9 months, and I feel I've put in my time"

I should be clear: we get 12/24 and 12/25 off as paid holidays. But the office has a mandatory shut down for the entire week and all employees have to take the rest of those days as PTO, whether you want to or not. I'm actually glad not to have to beg off of the holiday party, but feel bad for those that like to go. I should also state that I have an excellent salary and benefits and I work from home, so I'm pretty pleased for the most part.

I get Xmas day off, but that's it.

I've been trying to take this Friday off - out of my paid vacation - and so far I have 6 hours of OT this week. Two more hous of OT and I get the day off without using vacation time. Oy.

This time of year is so frustrating. Either people are already on vacation and aren't answering questions or they are freaking out about year end and wanting everything yesterday.

We get 12/24, 12/25, 12/31 and 1/1 off, paid. Something to be said for working for the state, but that's about all anymore.

And then there are days like today, where the chancellor of the university waits until 4:30pm to close the campus tomorrow due to weather. All the offices on the university close at 4:30pm. I stayed until 5:30pm updating phone messages and e-mail accounts so anyone calling into our division knows there will be no one there to answer questions or provide service. And of course, we have to use PTO to make up the eight hours we're closed.

At least I can do all my Christmas baking tomorrow!