So maybe I did gain a couple of pounds over the last 24 hours, and I don’t even want to think about the brain cells I may have killed off, but having my office farewell dinner last night and my new employer’s Christmas do tonight was a lot of back-to-back fun and consumptive bliss.

Today, while meeting all my new colleagues (as of Jan 2nd), I managed not to make a complete fool of myself while telling dozens of new co-workers the same story of how I ended up there, while in the meantime identifying the key players in the company that I have to deal with most. Fortunately, they seem like a friendly, open, pleasant bunch, and the company has good taste in catering (eel, salmon, lobster, shrimp) and booze (good champagne and wine).

And last night was just great. The dinner was officially the company Christmas do as well as my farewell party, but the Christmas bit got pretty much ignored by my closest colleagues, which suited me fine. My boss made a speech and I speeched right back, neither of us saying anything offensive, though I did offer him the choice of two speeches, one in a blue envelope and one sheathed in green. (Festen, anyone?) The waiter knew it was my party and made it his job to keep my wine glass filled. My colleagues got me a custom-made birthday calendar with pictures of them all as well as tickets to a theater show I’d love to see. And my boss disappeared in the back and came back with a huge present, which turned out to be a sleek and sexy widescreen LCD tv screen.

If this is quitting, I’m going to do more of it!

PS: But the best part was the heart-warming and touching way my closest co-workers kept telling me they would miss me. And I know I’m going to miss them right back.