Ok...got through New Year's with no more problems arising. The car made it home and back, and after talking to the dealership about the problem, it may be something I just have to live with, as they would have be able to replicate the problem, and no one has been able to. Grrr.

The problem with the ex continues, and he may have sunk himself completely with a phone call last night. He is now back in the States and is making up all kinds of lies about why he, in his words "sounded drunk" when he called me New Year's Day. Apparently he called several other people that night and they all thought he'd been drinking. I personally just thought he was doing his usual up and down Klonopin crap, but clearly it might have been more than that. And his conversation the last night was the exact same...speaking ridiculously seriously and dramatically, saying the same things over and over, and clearly lying about things he's said in past conversations. And while I realize he's under a lot of personal stress right now, I have absolutely no patience for this BS. I have the feeling we're heading towards a conversation he is not going to like.

Beyond that mess, things continued to get worse on the job front when I got back from my trip. My moron bosses announced we're switching retirement plans...though the announcement didn't include the detail that the will now be paying 3% of our salaries instead of 15%. Funny how they forgot to mention that. Assholes. But it definitely gave me another reason to get off my ass and get with my old boss about getting his new business plan up and running ASAP so I can get the hell out of here ASAP. It also gave me crystal clear permission to begin using the mantra of "12%" -- meaning that's how much less work I plan on doing (at a minimum!) while I work on leaving this hellhole. I will have not one iota of guilt for taking whatever time I need to do anything personal I need to do, and that will include helping my old boss! Fuck this place!