Is it Evil Week already?

I was paid bimonthly at my last job (~4 years ago); I guess I would have been working for free on that leap day, but as you say, it’s not that big a deal in the long run.

Maybe my English major won’t go to waste in my new career, then :)

One thing that I think can help is considering the "evil voice" in my head an outside entity. It really seems like there's something in my head that takes perverse glee in making me feel like I'm not worth anything.

I think the saying is just "Don't burn your bridges" or maybe "Don't burn your bridges after you cross them." The idea is that you might need to use the same bridge again - like getting a good reference from a bad boss.

Wow, this describes my situation almost exactly. I've basically developed the "fill in the blanks" method to an art, although it makes me feel guilty every time I realize I've drifted off.