The feeling of doom around the job ebbs and flows and today it was flowing fast. A friend called me at home from work to tell about her experience dealing with the boss. It's a long story I won't go into but the bottom line is that she is working Christmas Eve Day and having to have Christmas alone because of his insisting that she work. The job she will be doing is mostly unnecessary and he so much as told her that she was working as "payback" for having so much time at Thanksgiving off. Well, the reason she was off the day after Thanksgiving was because there was a football game and she was pre-empted. There is not much sense of fairness there.

The part that affected me directly was the news that our morning team goes on the air every New Year's Eve from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. "It's a tradition," they tell me. Well, it is a stupid tradition with no beneficial purpose, as far as I can see. My plans to work that morning and then go to Dallas with Mark are apparently scuttled. I haven't heard the final word but I expect it is "no."

One of my dad's cousins came over and stayed most of the afternoon today. She is a very odd and unusual woman. I am flattered that she enjoys me and wants to spend time with me. She is interesting in some ways---one being that she has lived in Austin since 1958 and has seen some changes. She has some of the same habits that my father has, such as repeating stories I've heard before (and they were boring the first time!) and dominating the conversation. It was fine and I'm glad she got to see my house.

I concluded the afternoon of no sleep with a great massage. That has sent me into la la land so I am going to attempt to go to bed.