the post-christmas lag

There comes an unmistakeable lull in excitement after Christmas. It's hard to deny the depressing contrast in activity after all of the presents have been unwrapped and Christmas dinner has come and gone. Yet there is a pleasant kind of emotion that comes bundled with the sorrow: a content peacefulness, perhaps related to the Christmas magic still leftover. We all try to hold on to that magic somehow; whether it's by leaving the lights up for "just one more week", eating an entire Terry's chocolate orange in less than two days or drinking more hot chocolate than water.

I made some real memories this Christmas..

• Getting lost and taking the [very long] scenic route on gift delivery trips.
• Spending the night before Christmas Eve on a drive with a wonderful father and brilliant best friend, giving "tackiest" and "biggest" awards to light displays on houses around the city. 
• Finishing said drive at the highest -- and windiest -- point in the city, where Dad tried for five minutes to take a picture of us while we almost lost our scarves and dignities. 
• Drinking gigantic mugs of cocoa similar to what they must serve on the Polar Express.
• Yelling "MERRY CHRISTMAS, RICK!" to Rick Mercer (it's a Canadian thing) from rolled-down car windows while doing last-minute shopping.
• Intense games of Skittle Ball and Monopoly. 
• Letting Dad convince me that all Mom wanted for her birthday was a four-slice toaster.

.. The kind of memories shared during "remember when.." moments over coffee or at late-night sleepovers. Weatherproof memories that refuse to leave the files of your brain whether you want them to or not. Memories that last.