i wrote a countdown timer in vb6 a while back, you can set it to count down to any day and time... i can send it to you if you want... email me...
whodoyacallit@hotmail.com it sits happily centered at the top edge of your screen, dates farther than a month away arent perfect, but i'm close... you can even have it tell you what you're counting down to (in case you forget) HA!