Coming down...

I'm sitting in a moment of quiet.

The men of the house are off in different rooms occupying themselves with PSP, XBOX 360, and football.

Yes, Santy was good to them. The extra job allowed for generosity this year, although it was stressed strenuously if there was to be quality the quantity would suffer.

They were agreeable.

Me? I am hastily spending an iTunes gift card as I type.

It bears repeating, I do love my iPod.

So as we go to our separate corners this evening, I'm catching up on my blog, others' blogs, and buying music to take me into the new year.

I'm a happy camper.

The clan Britches spend some time in the hills. We hung out in a log cabin, ate too much food, drank too much wine, and in general, engaged in all sorts of unhealthy debauchery.

...and that was just the kids.

Big Daddy and I did manage to take time out for a 2 hour hike. Afterwards we immediately made up for all the exercise by spending the evening drinking Guinness and Wheat and being entertained by a man too talented to be kept a secret in our little corner of the world.

People come back year after year to this tiny little downstairs bar to laugh (and by that, I don't mean a polite twitter or a giggle, I mean belly laughs-the kind that leave you exhausted and giddy when you are done), and sing, and feel a sense of community.

So even though I am in all ways content, I must admit I get depressed coming off of vacation.

I've decided it has nothing to do with the dread of going back to work, because I like my job.
It has nothing to do with having to leave a place I love, because I know I'll go back.
It has nothing to do with leaving people I love, because I get to take them with me.

I'm a creature of habit. My body and spirit crave a schedule, even if my heart doesn't want one. I don't understand it and I don't like it, but there it is.

I liken it to when a baby gets off his schedule. He gets cranky.

So, I am a happy camper with a little rain cloud over the top of my head.

As for you, if you found yourself melancholy during the holidays (as many people do), I hope there was something or someone close by to bring you comfort.

I hope your holidays were joyous and funny and poignant-as mine were.

I look forward to reading all about them.

...right now.

Yay!