As my vacation draws to a close, it is time to take a look back at the events of the past week and a half, but always with an eye toward the future which lies ahead. It is at times like these that we must somberly reflect on the true meaning of life, the essence of these moments, and look for guidance from the Great Penguin who lives within all of us.

Since the beginning of this glorious jaunt, I have done many things, and I have done nothing. I have accomplished much, and I have reveled in laziness. I have gone on indulgant shopping sprees, and I have practiced fiscal abstinence. I have feasted, and I have fested.

Since the last time I departed the place called "work", I bought a new couch, more memory for Argo, a folding table, multiple DVDs, and an epic supply of food. The Castle Lair went through the finishing stages of becoming a place I can happily call "home".

Then, for the second half, I bought virtually nothing. Everything needed had already been purchased. I remained comfortably nestled inside the Lair for many days, rarely venturing outside but for a walk or to talk the garbage out.

The Collective Code was patched and updated. The Lounge code got some much needed attention and new features added. While there were some things that I would have liked to code, but didn't quite get around to, I'm happy with what was done.

I also managed to get my sleep schedule almost entirely reversed. In an endeavor to give the gears a quick reset, chemical substances will almost certainly be employed both tonight and tomorrow morning to give the brain a nudge. Back to work with me. And a good thing too. While this sort of behavior is fun for a while, it wouldn't be healthy in the long term, even if it were economically sustainable.

I spent today doing lots of sleeping, a little bit of cleaning up, and went outside to dispose of garbage and check the mail for the first time since Saturday. (Can it really be that two hours ago, I hadn't taken a single step outside the Lair in 3 days? Heehee.)

My frozen pizza should be getting done, and it's almost time for the new Buffy. Willow, Willow, Willow, whatever shall become of thee? Stay tuned.