Post Navidad Depression

Christmas was good — we went to the in-laws and were surrounded by wonderful friends and family. As the carnivores ate their SUPER expensive and, we assume, madcow-free standing rib roast, I dined on a fine piece of sashimi-grade ahi seared lightly on each side. All was good. Got a way nifty shirt with batik print on it and new cookware from the in-laws and a way cool Gameboy with Super Mario World 3 and Zelda from my lovely wife. I’m so the 12-year-old this year.

But, here it is, Dec. 26th, and I’m back at work for the ONE DAY between Christmas and the weekend. I know that folks who work retail often must work on days like today as a majority of the non-retail world has the day off and wants to spend their Christmas money to buy half-priced candy canes. But I’m in the minority of the non-retail world that fears the loss of my 8-10 hours would negatively affect the company’s bottom line. Never mind that, because so many folks are on vacation right now, there’s really not a whole hell of a lot to do. I could leave early, but the warden has a habit of walking the halls under the guise of handing out holiday treats with the real intention of noting who has left early. Oh to work for a company where employees are valued as contributors to the team rather than just resources to be managed.

But, at least I’m surrounded by some talented students whose artwork adorns our otherwise sterile hallways. The graduate school features much of their students’ work on the walls of my floor, so we’re treated to some extremely mature talent. Amongst the work displayed are several storyboards from a couple of animation students who could really give the folks at Disney a run for their money. My favorite is for an animated feature that tells the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, which speaks to my classical background. I’d love to see more of the old myths told in animated form (Hercules was good and cute, but WAY too Disneyfied). Unfortunately, my reptilian mind often outweighs my appreciation for artistic talent, as I can’t help but pass the storyboard each day without thinking, “Dude, Eurydice is stacked!”

C’est la vie. Hope you’re having a Merry post-Christmas, enjoying your new toys and the warmth of family while those of us chained to the mines continue our work to better society by ensuring our website backgrounds remain just the right shade of red on every monitor (#FF0000, for the record).