Still vacationing! Just got back from 5 days in Chicago. My digital camera got a serious workout (let's just say I took every possible photo of and from the Sears Tower), as did the iPod I bought at the Apple Store in Schaumburg. Spent a wacky New Year's Eve downtown with my good old friends Peter and Danny, and even hung out briefly at Peter's with Jared.

I actually want to use my last two days off (i.e., this weekend) scratching things off my “Annoying But Necessary” to-do list. The real test of the vacation's efficacy, I suppose, is whether this desire translates into action. We'll see!