It only happens once a year...

Aside from the usual holiday get togethers with the family, I only really have two "yearly traditions" that I try my best to keep alive...

The first is a Christmas dinner that my family has been going to since who knows when. It's a big banquet that's put on by this organization we're members of, and there's foreign ministers and speeches and awesome raffles and a delicious 10 course meal to boot.

It's a nice occasion for parents to get their kids dressed up and parade them in front of catch up with people you don't see too often. But either way it's a one night a year affair that we're more or less committed too.



The other is sort of much less impressive and has roots in my university years. This tradition includes me pulling an all nighter (I told you it's not that impressive). You can imagine where this comes from (HINT: enjoy your exams kids), but just like getting a significant injury it's a good reminder that you're human after all.

You know what I mean. The puffy eyes, headaches, dizzyness and weird body tingles - just embrace the struggle and feel what it's like for the human machine to do something it's not really supposed to do. Stay up until you see the sun set again, they stay up some more and wait until the next night to have one of the best sleeps ever.



It might not be a big deal for a lot of people, but for a guy who wakes up at the same hour every day of the week something like that makes his system go haywire. Actually, my dad works shift and does this regularly to force his sleep pattern back into whack. Can't say that any of those genes made it my way...

I got pretty close in Montreal this year, but you know that doesn't get you the cigar. Time to keep this dumb tradition alive, son.

...and I'm officially on vacation.