>>184OP here: actually I am too! When I posted that above, I was remembering last year. I actually used to plan on using a lot of the time off to plan for the next year, if only plan it out in my head (when you think about this, it isn't as disrespectful to the family as it sounds because there is also a lot of time spent traveling that could be used productively). When I go to my dad's house in the winter, we spend a lot of time watching TV (which I don't do at my own house), so I figured it would be a good time to brainstorm new plans.
I'm actually enjoying this alone-time right now. I stepped out onto the corner of my block (I'm in a big city) and saw four restaurants open (all Asian/Indian) and had a nice Thai dinner in a quiet restaurant.