Why is it that this time of year sucks so hard? Is it that I’m Canadian, and as such don’t get to see the sun between January and March? Is it the cold? Or is it the knowledge that this is as far away from Christmas as I could possibly be?

You see, I love Christmas. Not the shopping, or the boozing, nor is it the lights, or food. For me, it’s a time of year to take it easy, spend time with your friends and family, and just veg out. I am a big fan of taking it easy; I have actually elevated it to a pinnacle achieved by only a select few in the history of mankind. My Wife and Mom are fond of joking that whatever it is that kills me, it won’t be stress. I’d get upset, but why bother.

That’s why Christmas fits me like a glove. At work I get to leave early after a day spent slacking off and eating chinese food. Why? Christmas. At home I get to eat like a fool and stay up all night watching movies with my brother-in-law. Why? It’s Christmas. I love it, and now it’s over - again.

The fireworks at New Years are the perfect metaphor for the holidays, hours of anticipation punctuated with the most anticlimatic of events, then a long drive home. January is the long drive home, and I tire of being stuck in traffic. Sadly, it is only the second. 57 days of misery until a faint glimmer of hope arrives in the form of March.