I work with a lot of people in Australia and I'm learning that January is pretty much a dead month for work. Christmas/New Year + kids summer vacation + Australia Day (like US 4th of July) means it's the ideal time to schedule PTO and enjoy friends, family, and great beach weather. Sounds pretty awesome to me!
When I used to fly to Brazil every month (for about a year and a half) it was always disconcerting to flip the seasons during a 10 hour flight and see Christmas decorations up while everyone is in shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. Was fun, but I can't tell you the toll it took on my health. I think at least 40% of my trips ended up with a nasty cold or flu on either end after the accelerated season changes.
Anyway, back on topic - I'll probably get back in the habit of taking OTA's as soon as they're pushed. I haven't had a software issue to speak of in months and the PAK even works reliably. Hopefully they don't break anything...regressions are particularly unwelcome!