January 11 - The Final Countdown

At 1:11 and 11.1 seconds on 1/11/10, Marty started the clock: precisely one year until 1/11/11 1:11.11.1, the exact time prophesied by the ancient followers of the desastre volador de alimento cult of Guatemala as the end of the world.
Exactly one year until the Grand Shitstorm.
Marty smiled to himself.
I'm gonna make this the best year ever!
Marty started the year off with a deep, cleansing nap. He didn't want to go into history's final year feeling anything less than well-rested.
Waking up a bit later than he'd planned, he decided to hold off on doing anything big that day. Instead, he would kick off the year with a grand banquet, the type of sumptuous feast befitting the beginning of the end. He would go to the store right after an episode of Saved by the Bell.
Three episodes later, the feast had been downgraded to a simple meal.
And then to a turkey pot pie he had in the freezer.
But actually, that was perfect because this should be a year of unloading, simplifying, and casting off all the excesses that had been weighing him down all these years. Yes! No more buying new stuff! He would use and whittle down all he had until exactly a year from now when there would be nothing left and he would leave the world exactly as he had entered it. Inspired, Marty sorted out his recyclables, feeling like the year was getting off to a good start.
The next day, he got up and went to work. Marty had originally planned to quit his job and spend his last year on the planet--and the planet's last year on the planet!--pursuing his passions and doing all those dream projects that he'd never been able to find the time to do. He would run with the bulls, visit Egypt, join an improv group. He would do it all!
It'll be hectic, he thought himself. But one year will be the perfect amount of time to squeeze it all in!
Unfortunately, one year was also a pretty long amount of time, and he would have to keep working during most of it and chip away at his dream projects when he could find the time. But if he timed it right, and saved and saved, and sold everything he had that was worth anything, he could arrange things so that he could take off for Christmas vacation a week early with a good chunk of change and about four weeks--almost a month!--to cram it all in.
It'll be a bit rushed, but I can do it!
Marty spent much of the next 11 months saving, planning, and resting up for his final four weeks.
The 11th of January arrived and Marty sat alone in his apartment. He had never gotten around to ending his lease and moving into the Four Seasons to spend the final week in style like he'd planned--just like he'd never gotten around to traveling the world, living life like a homeless person just to see what it was like, taking up sculpture, swimming the English Channel and running with the bulls. Like so many other things on his list, it had just gotten away from him.
No use worrying about it now!
He watched his clock count down inexorably toward the fateful moment. With five seconds left, Marty took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Here it comes.
Marty waited.
And waited.
But nothing happened.
He opened his eyes and the moment had indeed passed. His countdown clock read 0:00 and the world had failed to end. Marty couldn't believe it.
Maybe he'd gotten the prophesy wrong. Maybe it was supposed to happen at 11:11, not 1:11.
He ran some errands that afternoon, splurged and got his favorite kind of pizza for dinner (Money's not going to matter in a few hours anyway!), and then got into position and watched the clock strike 11:11.
Same thing. The world kept turning.
It was strange, but at first Marty was disappointed. But then disappointment gave way to relief.
The world hasn't ended! There's still time!
Marty felt blessed, and decided not to squander the second chance he'd been given. He still had time to do everything on his list after all. He wouldn't waste another moment.
He would get started on it right away. Right after a quick episode of The Simpsons.