Christmas Meme

We're down half a million jobs in the last month? That is seriously bad holiday season mojo. I don't want to think about it at the moment because it's sad, so I'm going to tackle a Christmas meme I picked up from Sunshine on my Toes instead.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I hate gift bags with a passion. If I had my druthers, I'd just hand the present to someone unwrapped, which would indicate I should prefer bags to paper, but my hatred of bags outweighs their similarity to my natural inclination.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Fake. My mother once called Pooteewheet and I scrooges or some such thing because one year we didn't even have a tree when Christmas wasn't being hosted at our house (we were headed to Arizona). So we've generally had a fake tree because I'm not sentimental enough to have to go strap one to the top of the car every year. A little one that lived on top of the entertainment unit when we lived in apartments, and seven foot (or so) one now that we're in a house. Theoretically, we could host a 15 footer in the kitchen which would be impressive, but I think my ladder is still in the tennants' garage. As an aside, Pooteewheet and I were married in front of a Christmas tree at the Methodist Church in Monticello. The ornaments on the tree had been hung for as long as I'd been at the chruch.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Earliest, the weekend after Thanksgiving. Latest - a day or two before the holiday.

4. When do you take the tree down?
No later than one month after Christmas, at which point it starts to offend my "there's junk in my house" sensibilities.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Delicious, but bad for me. I prefer with alcohol. Ring Mountain has egg nog gelato. If you can stand a full cup, it's good stuff.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Tough one. I got some great gifts. I really liked getting my first DVD player. Dan'l gave me a best of Aerosmith CD before my parents gave me the DVD player, so that was memorable.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Anyone in my extended family and friends in the age range of about .5 to 1.5. I just don't know what the hell to buy them. I always want to buy something that's good through age 6, and that's just not possible.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My wife, Pooteewheet. I have a list as long as my...arm.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Sort of. I have a hand-made wood ornament from 35 years ago that has a nativity scene on it. But no standalone version. As another aside, my coworker has to sit next to a cubemate who has a nativity scene in his cube. That would bug the be-Jesus out of me.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
ARGH. I hate Christmas cards. And thank you cards. And invitations. I am horrible at them and despise them, even though I enjoy reading them when I get them from others. Can we all just agree to Facebook each other a "Happy Holidays"?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
If Kyle had given me Madonna's True Blue for Christmas, I'd nominate that - but I think that was a birthday gift. So I'll have to say "cheese set" - the cheeses are never as good as if someone had just picked one particular cheese and purchased a really good one.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Probably Christmas Story. Not because it's a classic. It's just damn funny. But Joyeux Noel is an excellent Christmas movie. And I'm also partial to Bad Santa (Fuck me, Santa! Fuck me, Santa! Fuck me, Santa!) and White Christmas.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Before Pooteewheet (and early on in our relationship) year round. I'd have items set aside in a closet waiting for Christmas as early as the previous Christmas. Since her, I shop much closer to Christmas, generally the month before.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
That would be rude. I find a use, or I find someone who wants it when it's not Christmas.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
It's a NodToNothing family tradition - Fondue (swiss and wine and cheddar and beer, but sometimes onion and whiskey).

16. Lights on the tree?
One color on the top and another on the bottom. We're discussing something with a bit more multiracial theme to match the ethnic angel on the top.

17. Favorite Christmas songs:
We Three Kings. Little Drummer Boy. Kathy Mattea. Amy Grant. If it has almost a depressing edge to it, I prefer those.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Used to travel to Arizona, but now we stay at home for the most part (with a short excursion to the in-laws' house for the second celebration).

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Not without singing them. But do you recall....the most fa-mous reindeer of all....

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel - she's black, or perhaps brown. Actually ethnicity is really sort of up for debate. We are whitebread. We did once put my sister's picture on the top of the tree in Arizona. I'm pretty sure it's not sacriligious given all the Hallmark ornaments with beer and Coke products and even Scooby Doo.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas Eve for my family. Christmas Day for Pooteewheet's family.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
The sheer amount of attempts to solicit donations. We go out of our way to pick a few, and once we do, someone(s - many of them) asks for donations to a different fund. It's not because we're scrooges (despite what my mother says), rather that I try to donate quite a bit of money, until it's noticeable on my bottom line, throughout the year instead, where I can solicit matching funds from work which makes my money work harder for people in need. So maybe I'm practical to the point of being a scrooge as I want my donation to be 150% of what I donate (we still donate to a few toy charities during the holiday. Kids should get presents, even if they're practical, like clothes).

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
My grandfather always bought us a Hallmark ornament every year. Since he's passed on, we still get an ornament from his estate money every year. Those are my favorites (and the majority of what's on our tree). Some others include the Snoopy plastic ornament that was part of set my brother and I bought for my mother one Christmas and a glass bird with tinsel tail feathers that's probably as old as I am.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Fondue. See above - it's our tradition.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
For those 500,000 people to find jobs soon and to hang out with my friends and family during the holiday season for food, drinking and gaming.