I feel Like a 6th Grader.

   I always thought that once a person was no longer tied to some sort of academic institution that the concept of "Christmas Vacation" would fly right out the window.  At that point in life, there are no more socially mandated days (or weeks) off from your every day responsibilities.  Now, you'd be lucky to get one paid day off if you worked for the right organization.  Never again would the final days of class drag by as you awaited the fateful final bell before winter break.  Never again would delicious treats grace your workspace to begin the sugar induced coma that you would enjoy for the entire vacation.  I thought that all of these things were over once I entered the adult (read: lame) world and held a real job and had to be a grown up.

   Recently however, I have discovered that I was mistaken.  The anticipation and frustration with the slow moving clock during the days before Christmas are alive and well in my world.  Although I may not be looking forward to nearly a month of zero-responsibilities (ah... how I miss college...), I am able to look forward to 5.5 days of zero-responsibilities, and these days, that is definitely a lot.  I find myself having a hard time concentrating on the tasks at hand because I'm too busy thinking about the cookies I get to bake, the tree I get to decorate (because Mom and Dad have "conveniently" decided to let me do it once I arrive -- which I don't mind at all, but I still find kind of funny), the movies I get to watch (24 hours straight of "A Christmas Story" anyone??), and the time I get to spend with my awesome parents who I generally don't get to hang out with nearly enough.

   As a sixth grader, most of the anticipation of the winter break came from the hordes of presents that awaited me (MUST HAVE BARBIES), but now the currency of choice is simply relaxation time.  Maybe that means I'm a grown-up now (how did that happen??), but I don't care.  I'm still sitting here, eating candy canes, anxiously awaiting the moment when I can forget every-day things like work and bills and shoveling snow, and can jump on that plane to Nashville.  In the meantime, I'll continue pretending to care about things like summary judgment and DUI's and restitution.  Sigh.  Is it tomorrow yet?