Ho, Ho, Ho-hum hum. I'm bummed! Yea, that's right! I'm bummed out because my girlfriend D is having surgery tomorrow and it's my last vacation day before returning to work and I'll be spending it running back and forth between a SurgiCenter and pharmacies and trying to add some emotional support for her, despite the fact that I'm completely, emotionally drained.

Man, life's sometimes a huge pain the ass! But what are the alternatives, I ask you? Lay down and die? I don't think so.

No, I'll press ahead and do my best to conjure up the energy required to get this thing done. I'm not ready to bail on her just yet - not that I think I'll be bailing anytime in the near future but who knows what tomorrow and tomorrow may bring? I certainly don't!

So "24" is really weird this season, with its twists and turns and obfuscations and confusing story line, it just seems to me that the drama has fallen off - lost its edge, ya know.

I've got to get myself psyched up to return to work after 12 days of sleeping late and lazing about. I'm just not ready to go back to the grind, but we do what we must, eh? I got this depressing memo from the Social Security Administration last week that showed me what I can expect to receive upon retirement at age 65 or age 75. Either way, I'll starve on what the monthly payment will be so it appears I'll have to work until I drop if I hope to survive till my time comes. C'est la vie. Welcome to the kinder, gentler America.