12.23.11 - Last day at the law firm.

I went to work to find everyone giving each other baked goods and alcohol and other gifts.  I had made cards for my own team, but several people had made gifts for every single person at the firm!  I walked out of there with several different sets of baked goods, a gift card to Panera, and a bottle of Merlot.  Plus my team had its own Secret Santa and Nanci got me a 500 recipe 5-ingredient cookbook.  Yessss.  I made Ian an elaborate and purposefully difficult Harry Potter crossword, which he is looking forward to.  What's more, several people in the office wanted their own copies of it.  It's pretty spectacular when people thoroughly enjoy a gift that took so much effort.  It was also a convenient segue into many Harry Potter-based conversations, which were fun.

The morning went by quickly and then everyone headed over to a local restaurant for the firm Christmas Party.  This firm has a tradition called the Rookie Show which they host every Christmas.  Every person who was hired within the last year has to perform in what amounts to a silly talent show.  Since today is my last day, I probably could've gotten out of it, but I'd already re-written "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" for the occasion, so I decided to just go ahead and do it.  I was the 4th act up and the ones before me included a very good violinist, so that was tricky to follow.  In the end, though, I didn't get booed (a common occurrence at the Rookie Show) and actually got a fair amount of applause, so I was satisfied.

The rest of the show was a lot of fun to watch.  Some people were truly talented (great pop-and-lock routine, for example) and others embraced their talentlessness wonderfully, and it ended up being a lot of laughs.  Afterward I gave my team the Christmas cards I'd made them (which had included copies of my poem, hence not giving them out before the show) and got my bonus and said goodbye.  Two of my team reiterated that if I ever need recommendations or other support to let them know, which was very sweet.  

I'm really glad today ended up being my last day because I doubt I could've left on a higher note than that.

On to packing to go to ST. LOUIS tomorrow!!  Woohoo!

Home Video production

12.5.11 - So Many Good Things Are Happening Right Now I Have To Make A List

1. Someone at work at a client conference or co-counsel conference or some other kind of conference that involved lunch, and I got to take two extra sandwiches home for dinner (one for me, one for a late-snack for Jack when he comes home) and I am now eating the one for me, and it has EGGPLANT on it (which should almost get it's own entry in this list.)

2. I found the Christmas CDs I'd burned last year, and am listening to a live version of Mariah Carey's "O Holy Night" that I forgot about and that I love maybe more than the recorded version.

3. I just changed out of my work clothes into baggy pajamas even though it is only 6:21pm.

4. I just turned on my space heater.

5. When you pull into my apartment complex the Christmas tree from our apartment (2nd floor) is the first thing you see, and it's pretty.

6. I got a letter from Hugo WITH PICTURES.

7. And right after that I got a text from Jill saying Sola loves the chess word search I made her.

8. I gave notice at work today.

9. And my boss was totally understanding about it.

10. And then I signed the contract for the job I am switching to and picked up the application.  Get that?  I already have the job and I haven't even formally applied yet.

11.  And the job is at the Boys and Girls Club, and I suspect it will be a great experience.  Super excited!