When I was a kid, it felt that the entire year was a build-up to Christmas and, once it was over, there was a depression that crept in because it was all downhill from there.

Until the next Christmas.

In a lot of ways, it's still like that. Not because Christmas means the same thing to me as it did way, way back then, but because that's life in these United States. The entire country is on a collision course with Christmas, and you're in for the ride whether you want to be or not. It's everywhere.

And then, just like that, it's gone.

Remnants remain, of course. The Christmas trees are still up everywhere. Stores have all their Christmas junk on sale. Christmas decorations won't be coming down until the New Year. Some people are saying things like "I hope you had a Merry Christmas!" And people are posting their Christmas photos. Etc. Etc. Etc.

But it's nothing like it was just two days prior.

Two weeks prior.

Even nearly two months prior, when the madness begins the day after Halloween. If you're lucky. I saw a Christmas section going up in a store the week before Christmas.

It's all a little sad.

Something I am definitely not sad about is that I have the day off work. Turns out Christmas has benefits even for the heathens amongst us.