Post-Xmas Cheer (Brought to you in part by Trader Joe's Selection of Sparkling and Red Wines)

Christmas 2010- I think I did it wrong.

This is my first Christmas in the USA. Previously, my holiday times were spent in warm places, where long lines at the grocery store on Christmas Eve didn't exist, and we weren't stuck in an unspoken war with our neighbours about the degree to which we could illuminate our lawns with fake, glowing reindeer. (We lost.)

Let me summarise the evidence against us. We bought our tree, (our official one, apparently the tiny artificial one didn't count) on the 24th of December. We actually decorated it on the 25th. We wrapped our presents on the 25th. It's now the 26th, and we still haven't opened them. (I blame laziness? Although I could try to pass it off as our spirituality- foregoing the material, superficial side of Christmas, but who am I kidding.)

"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" was transformed by my brother into the less-festive, "I'm dreaming of a drunk Christmas." Post-Christmas mass on Saturday, my brother and I lamented our lack of vodka and bloody Mary mix, a lingering pain which was soon assuaged by copious amounts of Trader Joe's "vintage" 2010 wine. (It's what happens when you drink all of the good stuff and you scour the back of the closet for available booze options. You get the oft-neglected, watered-down options that you tell yourself you will just be using for the kitchen.)

We're usually much better at this Christmas thing, so I blame an ill-conceived three day roadtrip to Montreal and back as the cause of the permanent ripple in our Christmas-time cheer.

Now that Christmas is over, here's what we all have to look forward to:
-A stop to the barrage of eardrum assaulting Christmas music that's played every single place you go. 

-Please, God, if you like me at all, stop television executives from playing any commercial that includes a snippet of Vampire Weekend's "Holiday." To the smug guy at the end of the Tommy Hilfiger commercial, "NO I DON'T JUST LOVE THE HOLIDAYS DOUCHEBAG!" (My hatred for this is worsened by the fact that it's played in every single cab in New York City). I refuse to ad a clip to this commercial, even thinking about it gets this song stuck in my head. Instead, douchebag's douchey facial expression:

-The end of Christmas movies. Really, who has ever watched a good Christmas movie? 

-A permanent diet and unfulfilled resolve to go to the gym that will last till next Thanksgiving when we stuff ourselves and the cycle recommences.

On that happy note, Merry Christmas 2010!