. . . .er, OK, OK, I'm a bit late. I'm sorry. Sean bought Halo 2 on Sunday and tonight I started playing the game . . . and could not stop. It's worse than Friday when Fortner brought the game over and Sean, Fortner, and I stayed up 'till three thirty in the morning playing deathmatch (admittedly, we did have a three hour break from 11 - 2 when we hung with Kate and Traxx, but that's just inicdental). And granted I didn't expect Ryan and Dave to become so possessed with killing each other (in true brotherly-love fashion) when I showed them the original Halo on Saturday. these things just sort of happened.

So, um, this whole job search thing isn't going. At all. I'm trying. (Sort of.) The resume's ready and everything. But sitting down and looking for jobs? Mmmm--not so much.

I am not freaking out as much like I was yesterday, though. For one thing, I talked with Stoney Run about the lease and I'm starting to hatch a schedule, working around the impening friggin' physical inventory. And I confirmed with Matt that I could take the last three days off in December, making my actual end-date Dec 23.So this gives me more room the breathe.

Oddly, this comes in contrast with my company officially announcing the closing of its Totowa branch in March on next year. The president of the company came down to mmet everyone and have a big speech at 2:00. His big speech essentially boiled down to: "High, it's nice to meet you, you've all done a wonderful job; you're all being let go." Rather put a downer on the afternoon.

Not so much for me, of course. I was in the loop when the original plans called for an October closing. And I have my lovely severance-pay-parachute waiting for me come 2005 so I'm in far better a position than most in my office. But as I sat and talked with and listened to my co-workers, it was impossible not to feel devastated. For one thing, this has been my job for two and a half years, and for all the bitching and snipping, overall it was a good place to be with a good group of people. And most of my co-workers have families--or have just begun them--so my heart goes out to all of them as they try to figure out what to do next.

But, as I said, I have my contingency plans in place. I have a feeling the next month isn't going to get prettier in the office--that surreal state of working and doing your best even though you know, at the end of the day, you're going to get kicked to the curb, regardless. But that's not 100% true. Matt offered me the ability to move elsewhere in the company. i know I'm not the only one who was given that offer. People that worked the hardest were recognized and given an out--perhaps not the best out, but still a way to keep their job. Those that just punched the clock day in and day out . . . well, they just go out.

Eh. Enough dwelling on inevitabilities. I want to go to bed. Tomorrow I have some things to show you--including the floor plan of my lovely new apartment. Which Kate had agreed to help dfecorate as she has style and I do not. Aline is game as well. Let this be a lesson to you all: when it doubt, leech of your friends.

Ugh. I'm tired. And ut's almost midnight (another twenty-minute-or-less-post, thank you very much) and my thoughts are kinda drifting. Better to come back tomorrow refocused. Provided the Call Of The Halo doesn't pull me away.

Really, I will be looking for a job. Trust me. Waiting 'till the last second is what I do best.