Christmas Survey

I hate cross-posting from MySpace, but a friend (Hi, Tami!) sent me this survey there. I really enjoyed responding it and it helped put me in touch with some of my feelings that were getting lost in the annual hustle and bustle. So, here goes, expanded a bit from the original:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
- I love the tactile gratification of wrapping with paper and adding ribbons and tie-ons and bows. I think presents should be almost too pretty to open, little works of art in and of themselves.

2. Real tree or artificial?
– Artificial. In fact, I have a silver aluminum tree and color wheel from the 60's.

3. When do you put your tree up?
- Usually the week after Thanksgiving, when I'm on vacation. If I'm not out hunting Bambi, of course.

4. When do you take the tree down?
- I grew up being told it was bad luck to take it down before the New Year. So, I usually put it away the first couple of weeks in January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
- Yes, in small doses. I make a pretty good nog with rum and/or Irish whiskey.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
– Musical xylophone train that then went around the base of our Christmas tree. There were color-coded keys you insert into the track to construct songs. The original didn't survive my turbulent childhood; but I found one, still in the box, on eBay a few years back.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene?
– Several, including the one that did survive my childhood (mostly) intact, a white ceramic nativity Avon sold a few pieces at a time over the course of a decade and one carved from olive wood from the holy land.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
- My brother; fucker won't put up a wishlist online

9. Easiest person to buy for?
– My friend Missy. I know her tastes and I can usually do well with alcohol. Also, this year I insisted my nephews have wishlists on Amazon, which made them much, much easier

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received?
– Do "white elephant" gift exchange presents count? I always get hosed with those things. This year, I ended up with something called "Angel for Men parfum." Egad. I'm totally re-gifting it to my brother.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
– Again, I enjoy the tactile sensation of writing out cards, putting them in envelopes, etc. I usually send 30-50 each year. For the last several years I've also designed my own postage stamps to send to close friends and family. So far, only one person has noticed, but that made me really happy. (Thanks, Jim!)

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
– I'm a HUGE fan of the Rankin-Bass TV specials. My favorite is one almost no one remembers: The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold. I really enjoy Ron Howard's live action version of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

13. Colored Lights on tree/house or white?
– Colored on the tree (when I do a tree that requires lights) and white on the outside. I did a sci-fi tree one year by spraying a fake tree black and used white lights as "stars."

14. Do you hang mistletoe?
- Nope. My dog needs no such incentive.

15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas?
- Peppermint stick ice cream and McDonald's eggnog shakes. Both drive my lactose intolerance crazy, so they are "forbidden treats." Also, Christmas cookies. Any variety. How can you not love those?

16. Can you ice skate?
– Hell no. Nothing this large should be supported by two little strips of metal.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
- The Little Drummer Boy aka Carol of the Drum (MercyMe does an excellent version)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
- Home, but I have an open invitation to visit my friend Steve in New Zealand for Christmas and someday I'm going to take him up on it.

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer?
– Yes. But if I put 'em here you'll all be able to do it, too. I can also recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas (A Visit from St. Nicholas)" from memory. (Clement Moore originally named the seventh reindeer Donder, two D's, not Donner, btw...) How much do you want me now?

20. Do you have an angel on top or a star?
- On the silver tree, it's an ornament tree topper, which is kind of vaguely star-like; on the Oz tree, it's Glinda; on the Irish tree it's an angel (shamrocks on her robe, of course) and on the sci-fi tree it was Princess Leia.

21. Open the presents Christmas eve or Christmas morning?
- My family does it Christmas Eve. I'd prefer Christmas morning, like when I was a kid.

22. Snow! Love it or hate it?
– Love it until December 26th at which point it can go away until the next holiday season.

23. Do you like candy canes?
– Yeah, although I rarely eat 'em. I don't understand all the new flavors, though. Candy canes are peppermint, dammit!

24. Do you still believe in Santa Claus?
- Sadly, no. I wish I could recapture that innocence. I'd even settle for believing in the innate goodness of mankind, but I'm not sure I believe in that, any more either.

25. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
– Shopping. I live near a mall and it's insane. Thank God for the Internet.

That's it! Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year, peeps!