Whining for a moment, followed by a moment of pure ecstacy

After you come back from vacation, it's always a sigh, a shrug, a looong drive home, a quick night's sleep, a short shower, a nano-second's drive to work, followed by eight or nine long, grueling hours.

Checking 823 e-mails (true story, I had 823), listening to three confused, weird voicemails and one overly happy one, it's a dark, depressing look at the next 50-some weeks of your life til you get another week's vacation.

Here's where the bright side comes in.

Suckas, I won an extra week's vacation next year in the United Way drawing at work.

Yeah, that means SIX extra days off in 2008 because I donated the $120-some for that one extra day, plus the FIVE I won in that drawing.

Luck's on my side. Of course, I could drink half this glass of sweet, sweet victory and say that Dave won't be able to take off with me.

But, I think I might find something to do.