Mrs. Chemist and I are still working but plan to take the week between Christmas and New Year’s off.
One of the things I loved the most about Christmas vacation as a child was the lack of responsibility – the absolute immunity from having to do anything. It was glorious!
Then, as I got older, responsibilities started to inject into my Christmas vacation. First it was term papers and other assignments over “Winter Break”. Later, my brief career in retail required I work harder that week than any other week of the year. (Retailers call the week between Christmas and New Years the “Thirteenth month” because they do as much business that week as a typical month through the year. After that it was graduate school when the lab and the instruments were barely used and I could get more work done. Then, early in my professional career, I worked through holidays and weekends to prove myself.
I’m done with that.
Mrs. Chemist and I will spend at least one day doing absolutely nothing: No chores, no shopping, no work, no news – nothing a responsible adult “Needs” to do. We plan to sleep late, enjoy each other, watch movies, eat bad food and just enjoy.
We are really looking forward to it.
Chemist I’m looking forward to every little part of it. All the little traditions and family practices. And even though I can’t eat the mass quantities of cookies and delicacies that Camera Girl can whip up I can nibble a few and watch as my descendants devour mountains of food and use that energy to play laser tag around the yard and maybe play a game of pool with their old grandfather. And sitting around the table we’ll talk of this and that and enjoy each other’s company as we have that last piece of pumpkin or cocoanut custard or… Read more »