How you spend Christmas day is the barometer of your life. If you have surrounded yourself with family during the year, you spend it with them. If you feel compelled to travel, to reach family, you do.

Friends don't count on this gauge, this holiday is about family. I've had seventy six Christmas's during my time here on Earth, and they have all been unique.

I've bitched about my step dad Paul in the past, but one winter when I was Madeline's age, his semi-truck couldn't make it to our mountain home, and he loaded up a toboggan with our gifts and pulled it for miles to reach us.

I have had many memorable Christmas's. I know I come off as an old humbug asshole, and I'm sorry! I guess there was a point in my young life where I actually believed in Santa Claus. And maybe I felt resentful to eventually find out the truth, I don't know, it was too long ago, and maybe it just added to the confusion.

Why do we do this? If you want to celebrate the birth of your religious figurehead, then just do it! Skip the nonsense! But I know this is not going to happen.

So how do I gauge this one? It's ok, texted with a couple friends, Riley sent me pictures, fed some very hungry ducks, and otherwise have not spoken to another human being all day.

I'm warm, and content. One more in the books...