Seriously?

This one is for all my editor friends out there. I'm sure you've all experienced frustration with vendors, but I think the following example takes this all-too-common occurrence to a rather ridiculous level. Here is an illustration from a 1st proof I received.
Here is my comment in response to the image: "This boy looks identical to the boy on p. 3. Please change so he looks more like he's doing a kung fu move (or karate chop) and less like he's dancing." Now, keep in mind that the page on which the above illustration appears is page 6; that's only 3 pages away from the first iteration of this boy in the book!

So, guess what I got back in 2nd proof?
I mean, really? When I saw this, my initial reaction was, "If this weren't happening to me, it'd be hilarious." Sigh. Why are good vendors so impossible to find? On the bright side, vendor mishaps and inadequacies can provide an endless supply of laughs (sardonic though they may be) at the office. One of us merely has to say, "hiya!" and ironic hilarity ensues. Gotta look at the silver lining, right? ;P

Probably One of the Strangest Things I've Ever Had to Do for Work

Yesterday morning, I walked into the office to the news that we needed an emergency recording of someone saying the word "toy" in Mandarin (玩具). The vocabulary word was added at the last minute (after the recording of the English-Mandarin pronunciation guide was already done), so we had to scramble and come up with a creative patch job to add the word. Anyway, I was the only Mandarin-speaking person on site that day, so I gamely undertook the task. Oh, and I was supposed to sound like a 6-year-old Chinese boy.

It may seem like a simple enough task, but our office building is not an ideal environment for audio recording. Drooper found out from Facilities that there was a so-called Privacy Room on the third floor, so we headed there with his microphone and digital recorder. The Privacy Room turned out to be a small, dark closet equipped with a chair, a desk, and a phone. I imagine its main purpose was for personal phone calls (since most of us are in cubes). So, we set up and did a couple of takes, but the ambient noise was actually quite loud. See, the Privacy Room was right next to the elevators and a stairwell. As a result, we frequently heard sounds of gears turning, echoing footsteps ("Damn high heels!" Drooper exclaimed), or voices and laughter. Unfortunately, these background sounds got picked up by the mic.

Drooper came up with a way to combat the ambient noise. He said that if I didn't mind, it would help if I threw a jacket over my head & did the recording under the jacket. This project was just getting odder and odder, but hey, it had to be done. So Drooper ran downstairs to get his jacket, and a short while later, I was huddled under a large leather jacket in the weird Privacy Room, saying "玩具" multiple times into a handheld mic. Truly, this had to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever had to do for a job! But, the task was accomplished, so all's well that ends well!

Sniffles

Another holiday season, another cold. Alas, toward the end of my visit with Sis, I caught a cold (probably from my dad). Now I am blowing my nose every few minutes and plying myself with hot water and throat lozenges. (No, I will not be venturing out for matzo ball soup.) Thank goodness I get to work from home this week. Though there are deadlines to meet, at least I get to stay in my pajamas and work in the relative comfort of my home. Telecommuting is a wonderful invention.

2008 probably wasn't a great year for most people, but I really can't complain. After all, I finally escaped Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie, and though the road has been a bit on the bumpy side, I truly enjoy my new job. My team is awesome, and the work is engaging and creative. Here's hoping everyone's 2009 is filled with health, happiness, and fulfillment. Happy New Year!

Immersion

After nearly 10 months of freelancing for the Mouse, I was finally brought on as permanent staff last week. Becoming "official" meant I had to participate in a day and a half of orientation (or, as some have dubbed it, "indoctrination"). I actually found the experience very interesting, and it was quite a nice morale booster. The highlight of the orientation was a tour of the studio lot, during which we got to walk into the sound stage for Eli Stone. Though I don't follow the show (and it is yet another ABC show slated for cancellation), it was still pretty cool. And I loved that the statue of Dopey (part of the facade of the executives' building) was adorned with a large Santa's hat in celebration of the holiday season.

We also visited the Archive Library, where we marveled over historical Disney artifacts. Did you know that decades ago, Donald Duck lime cola and Donald Duck frozen flounder fillets could be found in stores? Of course, the Archive Library also displayed props from recent films; these included Prince Edward's sword from Enchanted, the cursed medallion from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Julie Andrews' Genovian driver's license from The Princess Diaries. The best part was when the librarian brought out an Academy Award, and we actually got to hold it. The Oscar felt very heavy and substantial. No wonder so many winners remark on its heftiness!

To cap off the day of immersion, we were given tickets to attend the company holiday party at Disneyland that night. (We were brought on just in time for it!) The park was open only to employees and family members from 8 to midnight. It's been years since I've been to Disneyland, so I had a blast (despite the long day). We hit the Indiana Jones ride, Pirates of the Caribbean (the repeated references to the film trilogy felt a bit forced), the Haunted Mansion (brilliantly redone in a Nightmare Before Christmas theme, just for the holidays), Star Tours (probably my favorite ride), Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (no line, but I apparently suck at it!), and Space Mountain. It felt very much like grad night. ;) Even though I didn't get home till around 2 AM (and I still had another half day of orientation the next morning), I am so glad I went. To top it off, the holiday decorations were absolutely beautiful.
It certainly puts one in a festive mood. Only 9 more days till Christmas! Yay!

South Park Office

Some weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to send the South Park Studios link to some colleagues. Before I knew it, a viral campaign was underway to get everyone on the team to create South Park avatars! The results were pretty hilarious, so I decided to create a collage showing the avatars of the participants. (This image shows about half of our team.)
Some people took a metaphorical approach, with a few swerving deep into outlandish territory. (The avatar with the horns and blood, for example, was created by a very sweet, calm, quiet girl!) Others took a more literal approach. In fact, it's a little frightening how much some of these avatars resemble their human counterparts! Regardless, it was quite an amusing team-building project.

Speaking of Kawaii Things...

On Saturday, I went to visit my friend Rockhopper. In addition to having lots of fun playing Wii Fit and watching Seinfeld episodes on DVD, we looked through some of her souvenirs from a trip to Japan earlier this year. Among the items was a mini origami notepad from the Osaka Aquarium. You can write notes on one side and then fold the paper into a penguin or sea otter. It really was too adorable for words.
And now let's segue to something that presents a somewhat twisted but very hilarious take on "kawaii-ness." I first learned about Meghan Murphy's Kawaii Not comics months ago at a happy hour gathering after work. One of the senior producers whipped out a very cute, animé-looking book and passed it around. We were each told to tear out one page and share it with everyone. We flipped through the pages amid much laughter, and it was immediately obvious that we all appreciated the "cute gone bad" humor of the 4-panel comic strips. I thought it was so funny that I had to buy a copy for myself (and one for my sister, too). If you like cute stuff with an edge, check out Murphy's Kawaii Not website. A new webcomic is posted every few days.

Lunchtime Adventures

On Monday, three work friends and I decided to go out for lunch rather than get food from the commissary (a fancy, entertainment term for cafeteria). We went to Zankou Chicken and had a nice, relaxing meal in a patio area. On our way back, however, a most unusual thing happened. We were in the right lane, nearing a traffic light, when a large yellow firetruck traveling on the intersecting street made a right turn directly into our lane. Face to face with the imposing fire engine, we pulled to the curb to allow the truck to keep going. (I suppose there is no "wrong way" for emergency vehicles.) To our chagrin, the fire engine moved forward a couple of feet and stopped, effectively trapping our car! Now, how often does that happen?!
The EMT/firefighters got off the truck, pulled on latex gloves, and entered the 99¢ store we were parked next to. (We hypothesized that perhaps someone had passed out in there due to the heat.) This turn of events left us with no recourse but to walk across the street to the 7-Eleven and get some ice cream for dessert. Though no one asked about our long lunch, I think we had a damn good excuse for coming back late (and photographic proof, too!).

The following day, six of us piled into a rental mini-van and went to Katsuya, a Japanese restaurant at the Americana shopping center, for lunch. The presentation was lovely, but the food was just okay and a bit on the pricey side. Unfortunately, the wait was very long (particularly for my order, a simple teriyaki salmon lunch). My Sr. Producer actually had to call our writers and move our one o'clock meeting back an hour because there was no way we'd make it, given the slow service. (Even with the extra hour, we were still a few minutes late.) The most vocal of our troupe, who happens to have experience running restaurants, complained to the waitress about the excessive wait, and the restaurant ended up comping my entrée. (Later, I skimmed the postings on yelp and found this to be common practice at Katsuya, at least the one in Glendale.)

Anyway, the most memorable (i.e., strangest) part of this dining experience was seeing the bathroom design. It is super dark, with very limited glows of light. The stalls were almost darker than the common area in the bathroom. It felt eerie and claustrophobic. The mirrored walls added to the bizarre effect. By far the oddest feature of the bathroom was the main mirror above the sinks, where two creepy geisha faces in stark, ghostly white would fade in and fade out. I mean, this is a restaurant, not a haunted house. What is the purpose of scaring the heck out of your customers? Does fear increase people's appetite? This just seemed like an extraordinarily strange gimmick. Here are some online quotes I found about the infamous bathroom mirror (courtesy of postings on yelp and Chowhound):

• beware if u go to katsuya- i ran out from the bathrooms screaming (scary-as-hell-mirrors).
• DO NOT LOOK STRAIGHT INTO THE BATHROOM MIRROR AT KATSUYA!!!!! I didn't think the food was that bad, but I would never go into the bathroom by myself again.
• I went in to wash my hands and suddenly a face appeared in the mirror (that wasn't mine) and scared the HELL out of me. I guess whenever someone flushes a lighted face shows up? It was definitely memorable.

To help you visualize, here's an amateur video I found of the mirror (though it doesn't quite capture the creepiness of the live experience):

Katsuya Restroom

The sinks, I will allow, were very cool...

Chalk Festival

One of the perks of freelancing for a creative giant is the exposure to amazing artistic talent. A week or so ago, there was a chalk festival held at the offices. Despite the scorching heat, employees and their children happily created ephemeral art on the concrete ground. It helped that the company provided Baskin Robbins ice cream to participants and browsers alike. (The only downside was that I got pulled into an impromptu meeting as I was finishing the last of my Mint Chip ice cream, and sat there blissfully unaware of the melted chocolate at the corner of my mouth until a team member kindly gave me a napkin. Rather embarrassing, but I digress.)

Much of the art was so beautifully crafted and awe-inspiring that I was moved to share some images with you. Hopefully, none of the artists will take offense at my posting their work on my humble blog. (Click on images to see them larger.)

Two different but equally lovely takes on the dreamy Alice (of Wonderland fame)...

Two wonderfully rendered Disney villains...

This Narnia homage was created by professional chalk artists hired for the event. You can get a sense of the 3-D effect in the first image. And check out the detail of the lion. Quite amazing.

I just loved this classic illustration of the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Cuteness, close up...

With the movie opening in June, several people portrayed Wall-E. I found this one particularly adorable.

I just found this image hilarious. Hey Kool-Aid!

Okay, I never really liked the Popeye cartoons, but this image is so brilliantly subversive that I had to include it. Disney folk will understand why it's subversive. ;)

With blasting winds and a couple days of unexpected showers, the chalk art has become mere smudges of color on concrete. I am so glad I took pictures before they faded into memory.

Very Busy... But Happy

I have neglected this blog shamefully. Work has been taking up most of my time, as many of you know. But, despite the long hours, I can't remember when I've ever felt so fulfilled by my career life. I still marvel at this feeling. I mean, I am glad to be driving to the client's office (on the sometimes nightmarish 101, no less), and I am still in good spirits when I drive home at night. I enjoy the creative editorial work, and I like and respect the people I work with/for. It feels rather odd to be one of those rare breeds of people who actually like their jobs, but I am certainly not complaining!

The only grey cloud in the past few weeks actually came in the form of a Factorie ghost. Last week, I came home to a message from the local Factorie HR rep requesting that I call and answer some additional questions. Considering that I'd been happily free from that former place of drudgery, er, employment for 2 months, I wasn't sure I'd wanted to return the call. Still, my curiosity was piqued. None of my other Factorie alumni friends had received such a call. A tiny, tiny part of me wondered if the organization was actually investigating improper business practices, given the massive turnover numbers... It was a silly and vain hope, but I suppose I ought to be glad that this ability to hope hadn't been quashed by my many years at the Factorie.

To make a long story short, I made the call, and it was a terrible waste of time. The rep basically read me a survey to answer over the phone. After the 20-minute conversation, I actually felt rather upset and angry. Many of the negative feelings and memories that I'd started to put behind me came rushing back. It was particularly aggravating that the phone survey was intended to influence my answers and that the rep actually defended the inequities and poor managerial decisions rampant at the Factorie. I felt like I had to detox all over again! It certainly reaffirmed how glad I am to be out of there and to be working at a much, much healthier place!

Anyway, I am going to ride out my current gig for as long as I can and see where it takes me. Hopefully, it will lead to a more permanent position, and even if it doesn't, it is a great experience and stepping stone. And perhaps it won't always be this busy, so I will have more time for personal writing, including my humble blog posts. ;)

Look What I Won!

During an interactive presentation/training session last week, I somehow emerged as the winner! The prize was this adorable Mickey plush toy. When you press his palm, his pointing finger lights up (à la ET). Oh yes, and the presentation was very informative, inspiring, and loads of fun. Even as a freelance editor, I feel very much a part of the team. I know it's early and perhaps a bit premature to make this declaration, but I'm going to do it anyway: I love my new career! I feel engaged and challenged and happy; I don't even mind the inevitable bumps and growing pains along the way. Here's to new chapters and brighter days. =)

My Infamous Quote Board

I've been meaning to post this photo of my Factorie office quote board in its final state prior to erasure. Caught up in the busy whirl of my new career as a freelancer, I kept forgetting to upload the image. So, here, at long last, it is. (Click on the photo to see it larger.) Ah, fun times! ;P

Detox

One would think that I'd be luxuriating in my newfound freedom by now. It is true that there have been moments when an unexpected smile would sneak up on me, taking me by surprise and causing me to marvel at this new stage in my life. I would close my eyes, take a deep breath, and let the smile spread through my being. Those are certainly nice moments, but I apparently still have some anger to work out during this detox period, and what better way to get it out of my system than through this blog?

There have been many times in the past year and a half that I wish I had the courage and audacity to carry this bag around Madame, my former boss. (Former ~ how lovely that sounds!) The bag features characters designed by Lela Lee, founder of Angry Little Girls. True, I was not actually born here, but I might as well have been. English, though not my first language, is my best language. When EvilRedhead first showed me the ALG site, I connected with Kim (the angry little Asian girl) for obvious reasons. She's the cartoon embodiment of my rarely-seen dark side. Of course, I also liked Xyla, the gloomy girl who seems to be a human, female version of Eeyore (one of my favorite Disney characters). Although I never got around to purchasing this bag and parading it in front of certain insidiously prejudiced individuals, it's nice to see someone find such a creative, funny, and financially rewarding way of dealing with unpleasant experiences and the darker emotions.

It is interesting how products can often crystallize our experiences, thoughts, and emotions, sometimes in uncanny ways. Take this beautiful perpetual calendar I purchased last month. The gorgeous book features a work of art and a related quote for each day of the year. After tearing off the shrink wrap, I spent a good amount of time perusing and admiring the glossy artworks. I also looked up various birthdays of family and friends. Quite by accident, I came across Madame's birthday. Much to my amusement and sense of the apropos, the artwork for that day was Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare, a piece I was quite familiar with from my grad school days. The painting has been frequently used on covers of Gothic fiction, and critics have noted connections between it and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Given Madame's nightmarish reign, Fuseli's artwork was eerily fitting...

Graduation Day (and One Last Assigment)

I am overwhelmed by all the heartfelt well wishes, support, and happy sentiments expressed by my fellow Factorie friends. Lest I get overly maudlin here, I will try to keep this short and sweet: Thank you all for your warmth, kindness, humor, and understanding throughout my tenure at Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie. Your friendships have enriched my life in immeasurable ways, and though I know these bonds will continue, I shall miss those daily office interactions! You are such a fun, talented, awesome, and genuinely good group of people. I feel blessed to have met and known you. =)

It is worth a mention (because I know some of you are curious) that during this last week, Madame and the Principal said nary a word to me about my impending graduation. Perhaps it is fitting that I leave in the same invisible manner that I existed in their world. The school counselor, however, did invite me into her office to have a little chat at the end of the day. I will admit that I'd been having an existential debate about what, if anything, I should say. Some statements, gently and diplomatically couched, did emerge from my lips during our conversation. I'm not sure what good or harm those words might do, but I can't call them back now. Ah well!

Before I sign off as a Factorie member and fully embrace my sabbatical, I offer you my final chapter in the Billy Goat Chronicles: Azazel's Adventures, Part III. Only's Only & KPGirl, I leave you to continue the photo-biography of this remarkable goat's life!

Azazel founds, chairs, and implements the Welcome Baaack Committee just in time to greet KPGirl on her return from a well-deserved vacation.

Foraging through the office labyrinth yields some tasty greens.

On one of his expeditions, Azazel ventures into the Office of Darkness and is maliciously attacked by a chupacabra.

During his convalescence, the billy goat picks up some new talents. Watch for Azazel on the World Poker Tour.

Azazel's Vindication

They snubbed him at the Office Holiday Film Festival, but he would not be silenced. Using all the resources at his command, Azazel has found a way to bring his performance to the people. This is for all you Factorie workers who were disappointed at the party. (And if you happen to be a non-Factorie reader of this blog, please indulge--or ignore--this little piece of mad frivolity!)



P.S. Many thanks to Prillis for humoring me and reprising her rousing rendition of the Dreidel Song. This parting gift is much appreciated! ;P

Feelin' Twirly

As the countdown continues toward my last day at the Factorie, I've been scrambling to get in some annual check-ups. Yesterday morning was the eye appointment. Every year, I come out of this appointment thinking about the South Park episode where Cartman has to wear these weird looking glasses, and his doctor doesn't trust him to keep them on, so he staples them to Cartman's head. Now, nothing nearly so drastic has ever happened to me at the ophthalmologist's office, but I always feel a bit twirly after having my eyes dilated. (I think the picture here captures quite well how I felt yesterday!)

I am certainly glad that I exhibit no signs of glaucoma or cataracts, but surely there must be a better way to check for these diseases. Think about it: they dilate your eyes, shine bright beams of lights at you, and then send you to pick out new glasses when your vision is completely wonky. I shudder to think of what my new glasses will actually look like when they're ready. (Okay, I'm exaggerating. I picked out a pair with a thin wire frame in a metallic pinkish purple. They seemed very cute... at least they did to my badly focused eyes.) Afterward, I drove to work (thankfully a short drive) and spent the rest of the morning squinting and seeing white glows around everyone. It's quite a trippy experience. Though my normal vision returned by the afternoon, it came with an attendant headache. Well, at least I got it over with. I'm certainly glad that this particular brand of twirliness comes only once a year!

P.S. If you wish to create your own South Park avatar, go to http://www.sp-studio.de/

The Dice Are Cast

After 6 years 8 months and 1 day of toiling at Ye Olde Textbooke Factorie, I finally found the strength and courage to tender my resignation on Wednesday. It was a bit of a surreal experience that left me dazed and emotionally drained. For much of Tuesday, I walked around with a leaden feeling in my chest and butterflies in my stomach. Communicating this decision to my boss, Madame Googly Eyes (name courtesy of Arby), was not going to be pleasant. She is not known to be a rational individual and has had a history of unleashing a rather nasty vindictive streak. However, I'd reached a point of no return. 2007, a year of indignities at the Factorie, made me realize that I could no longer tolerate the pervasive poor management, inequities, prejudice, mistreatment, and unhealthy corporate culture. My career had become stagnant, and it was time to make a change. So, after a sleepless night, I went into the office early and gave notice. It was probably the googliest I'd ever seen Madame, but I survived. The conversation, though not the most comfortable, was actually not as bad as I thought.

After my resignation was finally accepted, I proceeded to tell my teammates and friends. This was both easier and more difficult. I genuinely regret leaving my team in a lurch, and it saddens me that I'll no longer share in the daily jokes, conversations, and camaraderie that have brightened many a difficult day. I am profoundly grateful for the friendships that I've found at the Factorie; these are friendships that I know will continue outside of work, but I shall sorely miss having an office family.

Perhaps it is unwise to leave a secure albeit unsatisfactory job in these times of economic uncertainty. However, it is a gamble I'm willing to make. To quote a lovely Sondheim lyric that Rockhopper recently shared with me: "The choice may be mistaken/ The choosing was not." And so I take this leap, with a heart full of optimism, excitement, trepidation, and most of all hope.

"What Is That? A Super Goat?"

So quoth my brother-in-law upon seeing this image of our office scapegoat on my digital camera. Well, I'm sure Azazel would be flattered to be considered a Super Goat, but 'tis only his humble self bedecked in holiday finery (and my scarf) as he assumed the role of a yule goat over the Christmas and New Year breaks. What is a yule goat, you say? Here is wikipedia's explanation: "The Yule Goat is one of the oldest Scandinavian and Northern European Yule and Christmas symbols and traditions. Yule Goat originally denoted the goat that was slaughtered around Yule, but it may also indicate a goat figure made out of straw. It is also used about the custom of going door-to-door singing carols and getting food and drinks in return, often fruit, cakes and sweets. 'Going Yule Goat' is similar to the British custom wassailing, both with heathen roots." See? I didn't make it up! I love the photos included on wikipedia's yule goat page, so I shall link to them here for your enjoyment.














I realize that it is well past the yule, but a miserable cold laid me out flat for almost a week. I spent the last several days of my vacation in a kind of illness-fogged stupor. Although writing produced during that kind of mental haze may have proved interesting (or downright bizarre), I was too enervated to attempt it. I'm still not sure how I dragged myself back to work this Thursday last. Thankfully, the weekend (though wet) was just around the corner, and I finally feel more or less myself again. So, that is my excuse for this belated entry on yule goats and my belated wish to everyone for a 2008 filled with health, happiness, and good fortune.

Azazel's Adventures, Part II

Many apologies to Azazel's devote followers for the delay in this posting. I hope you'll find the latest installment in our billy goat's adventures to be worth the wait.

Distraught after being cut from the Holiday Video, Azazel succumbs to a weekend of irresponsible drinking.

Tragedy comes in pairs. Missing his owner while she travels to Ohio for a surprise family visit, Azazel indulges in a spate of tears and self-pity.

Feeling much more himself, Azazel gives it a go as a beatnik poet. Hey daddy-o...

I actually have another photo of our beloved scapegoat, but I think it merits an entry all on its own, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I return from San Diego for it. ;P I remain, your faithful chronicler, Aire.

Azazel's Adventures

Allow me to introduce the latest addition to our office coterie, Azazel the Scapegoat. The creation of Only's Only and her artist husband TJ, Azazel joined our staff two weeks ago. There really could not be a more appropriate mascot for our department. Brilliantly wrought of papier–mâché, paint, and yarn, this scapegoat captured our hearts and tickled our funny bones the second he arrived. An overachiever, Azazel has already accomplished much in his very young life--approximately 16 days. To read about his birth, visit Only's Only's blog. Here, I offer a photo journal of Azazel's adventures thus far.

Azazel's papier–mâché body drying upside down during the birthing process.
Photo courtesy of Only's Only.

Settling in to his perch at the office, a mere 2 days after he was born.

Hosting his first office book club.
As you can see, he is already popular with some of the office regulars,
PJ (Pooh Junior) and Tux.

Directing his first film, Kidman.
He bears a striking resemblance to his predecessor, Cecil B., does he not?

Stepping in to fill my shoes while I take some much-needed vacation days to de-stress.

P.S. If you wish to know the origin of his name, hie yourself to Wikipedia's explanation of scapegoat.

The Psychology of Darkness

Since the time change, my afternoons at work have become progressively hampered by moodiness. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it's undeniable that the sun's earlier setting schedule has affected my state of mind and, consequently, my productivity.

It starts around three o'clock, when slanting rays of late-afternoon sunlight begin to hit the highly reflective windows of a neighboring building, sending concentrated beams unerringly into my window and blinding me as I attempt to work at my computer. (I know, I know, at least I have a window. But, I never realized that damaged retinas were part of the deal when I was given this boon of a window office.) Around 4:00, an orange glow sets in around the horizon, and it would actually be pretty if the golden beams weren't now hitting a different building, creating a big bright glare that, though not quite so blinding, is still distracting and bothersome. By 5:00, everything becomes a dark purple-tinged blur, and I can see the white, fluorescent-bathed reflection of my office better than I can the outside view. When I leave the building at 5:30, I walk out into a shadowy night.

There is just something depressing about leaving work when it's dark. Even though I have the same amount of evening hours as I did before the time change, it just feels so late. I honestly do not know how people living closer to the poles deal with their much more drastic daylight changes. Sometimes, I wish I could succumb to the hibernation impulse called forth by increased darkness and colder temperatures... or at least its human equivalent of burrowing beneath a thick, warm comforter with either a good book or a TV remote in hand... and maybe a mug of warm milk or hot cocoa on the nightstand... Hmm, does the advent of winter cause one to regress?