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21 December 2007
Matrix OK, who's working next week? →[More:] I'm not back in the office until 2nd January. What about yourself?
Today is my last day at work until January 2nd!! Our office is closed on Monday, which means that I only had to take two vacation days! I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet, so guess what I'll be doing this weekend...
after today, i'm officially off for nine days and "on call" for two, but i have this strange feeling that my cell phone might be malfunctioning during that time.
New Years is the main holiday "oshogatsu". Lots of people go back to their home towns and we are supposed to have completely cleaned our houses and only eat osechi - simple cold bento packs or soup which can be prepared before so that "wives" get the time off as well (lots of companies sell these now so they aren't always all home made).
About 5 or 6 years ago Tokyo would go almost completely dead over the 3 days - now though there are big sales on the 3rd and some restaurants stay open.
Christmas is more for couples and is purely commercial.
I'm in on Thursday and Friday. The week after, as a concession, because of all the anxiety and uncertainty of the last three months over the planned layoffs, they're giving us New Year's Eve, as a one-off, and because it's on a Monday too, I suspect.
Not working, and really looking forward to it. I've been insanely busy (and, thus, MetaChat-inactive) since October, and god DAMN it's going to be nice to unclench for a week.
Today is the last day our office is open. Not officially back until the 3rd at my p/t job. But I am behind on some freelance stuff so I have to catch up. So yeah working, but not horrendously working. Stuff I need/want to do but haven't had the time.
I'm off today through Tuesday, then back Wednesday - Friday. But then I'm off the whole next week, using up the last of my vacation/comp time from 2007.
Yesterday was my last day in the office until Jan 2. I don't normally take so much time off, but we can only carry over 10 vacation days to the following year, and before Thanksgiving I was sitting on 23!! I had to take the whole week of Thanksgiving off, all of Christmas week, and several random Fridays in November and December
Any day I take off is a day without pay as I'm hourly. No holidays or sick or vacation days for me. So, I'd rather be working. I will take the 25th off so as not to spoil things for my Mom, but I'll see if my boss will let me work all the other days.
Today was my last day until the 3rd - I am officially working on Monday and Friday next week but I have told them I will be available by phone if they need me (and I live really close to the office so not a real drama if I have to go in). I don't have a boss at the moment - my boss left last week and won't be replaced until April, so 'them' is my colleagues and the people we manage. I have the most seniority in my office and we have a couple of quite new managers so I expect some calls next week (bummer).
We get paid overtime rates AND a day added to annual leave for each day we work on the 25th-28th, 31st and 1st, so it makes financial sense to work but I really can't be arsed.
I'm covering the network for my office, a 12-hour shift. I look forwad to 12 hours of absolute boredom, and catching up on Jann Wenner's new book, Gonzo.
I'm ridiculously underemployed and doing mostly seasonal work, so I'm off until about the 6th (doing some off-island visiting starting the 27th). It's not like any work would come up then, anyway. I do have to finish off a freelance editing job in that time, but that's it. I may be off for an unspecified time after that, too, but not by choice.
I was talked into cooking for Christmas, but I may have to beg that down to an overseeing role and letting someone else do the labor. Otherwise, of course, I no longer work.
Working Monday, hopefully will be able to leave early, off Tuesday.
Most likely working late on NYE, although I won't stay past 8:30 since that's the last bus before 11, and no way am I celebrating new years on public transit.