Christmas Survey

I saw this over at Tales of the Sissy and thought I'd answer them here in my corner of the world.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I like to use both, depending on what it is. The bags you can recycle, so it can be a Green Christmas.

2. Natural tree or artificial?

Well, when I would visit my parents' house in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, they had an artificial tree, because, as my Dad would say, "I've got pine trees and fir trees all over the yard, why do I need to bring one indoors?" I hated the idea of an artificial tree. I thought it was so cheesy and embarrassing, but, cut to me just a few years later. Artificial tree; and telling friends that I have pine trees in my yard why do I need to bring one indoors. Oy!

3. When do you put up the tree?

We try to do it the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but this year we had a small coven of witches--see post called Aftermath-- visiting so we waited another week.

4. When do you take the tree down?

One week into the New Year. Even artificial trees look like they're dying if you keep 'em up too long.

5. Do you like eggnog?

I enjoy the 'nog' part. The egg part? Not so much.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

I received a bicycle from my parents one year. My Dad used to ride his bike through the neighborhood, a very hilly neighborhood, and my little one-speed wasn't doing me any favors. My father wrote a poem about following him "uphill and down" and at the end was the location of my gift. I nearly tore the house apart racing into the garage to find my Schwinn.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

My father, who has everything he wants or gets it himself. So you have to listen carefully to what he says and then you'll hear a clue in there, and BAM, giftage!

8. Easiest person to buy for?

I'd say Carlos, because he's here ALL THE TIME! And you can get hints all year long; or see hints all year long, like the day he was leaving for work and it was quite cold out. He had on the nice green sweater......with about twenty bleach spots on the front. Hint # 1: sweater.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

Not being a particularly religious person, I do not. Carlos, being an even less religious person, definitely not. My mother had a pretty one though; all the figurines were sort of a cream glaze, they looked like miniature marble statues, and it looked so beautiful.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Definitely mail. I just don't think email cards pack the punch of an actual card. A few clicks of the mouse and you're done doesn't do it for me. Plus, you get an email Christmas card and see that it has been sent to about thirty other people and it just doesn't seem as special.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Now I'll preface this by saying that I love my mother dearly, and miss her something fierce, but one Christmas she gave me this knit sweater that was striped.

HORIZONTAL stripes!

Horizontal BLACK AND YELLOW stripes with sporadic stripes of red and green and blue.

I looked like a fat gay bumblebee.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?

I love Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. It's the movie where Bing first sang 'White Christmas.' The movie, White Christmas came after. Der Bingle sittin' a the piano, singing, and tapping his pipe on the Christmas bell ornaments. Aaaaaaah, Christmas.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

One year I was done Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, and I could relax and watch all the special activities that happen at Christmas; the rushing around, the pushing, the shoving, the chasing down of that one special gift. That was ONE year. Then I reverted to form and got back to, well, I don't do last minute shopping. I do the minute BEFORE the last minute shopping. I'm not a complete fool.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

No, I just can't re-gift. If I don't like something, I may gift it to a charity, but I won't use it as a gift. I mean, picture it, me giving someone a knit sweater, with horizontal black and yellow stripes? I couldn't. I just couldn't!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Um......food? I'm not big on candy or sweets, so those are out. Although, Carlos is the MasterBaker in the family, and he loves to do cakes and so on. Sometimes when you can't find him, he's in the kitchen with the door locked, masterbaking for hours! He made a mean Pumpkin cheesecake at Thanksgiving.

16. White or colored lights on the tree?

I prefer white, although when I see colored lights I always thinks they're so pretty. Or is it cheap? No, pretty.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

'White Christmas' for one. But I also love 'O Holy Night.'

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

We usually do Christmas by ourselves and keep it quiet and simple and lovely.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

I always forget Comet, but since I found this survey on another blog I was able to get them all right. Go figure: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

We just got a beautiful glass star from my father for our tree top. Years ago I'd bought the star for my mom and dad, and now dad has given it to us. Before that, I don't think we had anything, unless we strapped a Santa hat to one of the cats and shoved it up the tree.

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Carlos wants Christmas Eve, but I say wait for Christmas Day. We've done both, but I'm more 'traditional' in the idea of Christmas presents on Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

The gimme gimme gimme. The notion that spending a ton of money makes it a better Christmas. And what Mark In DE said over on Tales Of The Sissy: Right-wing religious nutcases who get mad at businesses for not using the word 'Christmas', but using the word 'Holidays' instead.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?

All colors all shapes all sizes. The homos love their shiny glittery balls, um, ornaments.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Since it's usually just me and Carlos we like to cook together and make a nice special romantic dinner. So, it doesn't matter what it is, as long as I'm having it with him.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

I tell everyone I want Peace On Earth, and that I've been asking for it for years but this year I'm a wee bit more hopeful.

26. Will you bake any cookies?

I like to make Oatmeal Cranberry cookies because they taste like Christmas. I am not a big fan of the Gingerbread or the Sugar. But that's just me.