Goodbye.

Friday.

My last day in the office for a couple of weeks. I feel like an old car limping to a gas station, running on fumes and, maybe, prayers.

The year has not been easy.

I guess when you get down to it, no year really is. For the most part, to put it bluntly, there's no coasting in life, there's no smooth sailing.

To do your job right, you have to push. You have to pitch in. You have to raise your hand and lend a hand.

Even the most insignificant task, you have to do it like your job depends on it.

That's just the way things are.

To go Red on you, I suppose it's the way the 1/10th of 1% want it. They want you to work around the clock and they want you to feel as if your career has the longevity of the life of a common drosophila--a fruit fly--about 24 hours.

Sadly that's the way things are today.

Fortunately, most of us love what we do. We have a cohesive band of brothers. And we are dedicated to not letting ourselves or our co-workers or our clients down.

But in just 12 hours or 14 or 16, my 2016 will be done.

I will be off the grid.

As unreachable as I can be in a 24/7 always-on world.

I'll be writing occasionally while I'm gone. But I'll try damn hard not to be a good soldier.

I'm more than a little worn out.