I finished re-reading Return of the King last night. I cried. Despite my love of fantasy literature in general, I've always felt lukewarm about the Fellowship series. I've read them several times, because I felt I had to. I never became attached to the characters. But somehow the movie changed that. And even though I didn't cry at the end of the movie, I cried at the end of the book. That really says something when a movie makes a dedicated reader like me appreciate a book more!

Work is dead. There are a few of us left, but I am basically incapable of getting anything accomplished (yesterday, I made no progress besides crashing my computer with Matlab SIX times). I've created a pet project to occupy myself with for the next few days. I think I'm going to print my pictures of Greece to remind myself that my annual leave was used for a good cause. They are even closing the cafeteria next week! Way to make me feel like a loser!

My Aunt Diane & Cody have arrived safely in Germany and Aunt Joy is on her way there.

This weekend I am going to have to brave the hoards and try to do at least some Christmas shopping. I can't wait to go home.