Mari i want to answer the title track...

Q: Why do pdocs take off at Christmas time?

A: Job Security

given the high likelyhood of a high number of patients getting skwooood due to this closed and that finished and the other 18 things in this period being a slam-dunked stressbath for us... they can rest assured - and rest they will, i assure you - that they will have a job when they get back.

~ waves ~

* (we all know that the answer to the ultimate question is 42.)