As the years progress, I am less enamored with Christmas.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a good Christian. I dig the whole nativity thing. I'm also not one of these emotionally mangled individuals who have to have a Yuletide catharsis. Quite to the contrary. I've had a good life in that regard. I love my family.
No, my problem is strictly hormonal. From about the time-change in November onward I get progressively more absent-minded, and withdrawn. I lose things easily. I make stupid mistakes. I forget things. It's been getting worse since my 20's. Folically Challenged accompanied me on my first December hunting trip in decades. He will attest that I'm not my normal self.
For me, this would be the ideal time of year to be left alone. I like to read. I like to cook. I like to let my beard grow. I like to make needed updates to my websites and keep a fire burning. Instead, I've got to deal with all these people that expect me to be jolly and sociable. As patriarch of the clan, I've got to be front-and-center at family gatherings.
It probably stems from a Thyroid deficiency. It's been treated for almost a decade now. The cold is probably sapping my T3 and that's what is making me zooey. The lack of light also probably has something to do with it.
For me, if you'd just move Christmas to mid January, I'd be happy as a clam. My worst times are about 3 weeks to either side of the Solstice. By the third week in January, I'm usually starting to improve. That would be my first wish. Barring that, I wish I could be just left alone for the next few weeks.
If I can't have that, I think I'd like to have a Concentricity Gauge so that I can measure run-out on all my cartridges. Yes, being left alone in the Reloading Cave, haunched over my bench measuring runout would be ideal.
Oh, wait! KYHillChick is getting me one for Christmas. Duh.
There! I feel better already.
