Chain Factor

It's a little web-based game. Nice and addictive. It's tetris-like, but turn based rather than timed, which makes it easy to leave in the background.

Compact Calendar

This is my favorite calendar for year-at-a-glance on my cubicle wall. I actually modify mine in Excel and print it out anew periodically. Basically, I shade in days when the office is closed in one color, and vacation/floating days in another, and bold the dates for events I won't be missing work for, but may need to schedule around. Then on the side, I count down remaining vacation/floating/sick days. (This is what my current one looks like.)

Oh, hey, see that bottom line, where it says "1 floating, 0 vacation"? That means I still have one floating day I need to pin down...
 

(There's a poll below)

I figure asking for tomorrow is kind of cruel short notice, so I'm starting the poll for the day after tomorrow. Listed are all of the possible dates. I'm already taking Monday the 18th because it's the last full day Dad'll be in NJ. I've also already put in for all off Christmas week and the Monday before New Year's (I am so surprised they didn't just put Dec 31 on the 2008 holiday schedule, but, hey, I have the vacation time to use up anyway.)

Friday the 14th would make a nice long weekend, but it's also the day of our free holiday hot breakfast. Friday the 21st would make for a longer break, but I bet it's going to be a short day anyway. I probably should not take Wednesday the 12th, because we have an after-work dinner thingy that day. Hm.
 

Christmas Gifts

I'll bite the bullet for the adults on my list, but now I need to get gifts for a 3-year old (male), a 3-and-a-half-year-old (female), and a 5-and-a-half year old (male). Both boys are in the same household, and will have their stuff mailed to them. Ideas?

When should I take my last floating day?