Merry 26

From Spiritual Tramp:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, which I have to say I get better with every year. I think at some point I used to just crumple paper around a gift and then go around it with tape. Now I enjoy cutting it to the right size and folding all the triangles and stuff.

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Real and, on several occasions, home grown from our yard.

3. When do you put up the tree?
About 3 or 4 days before Christmas.

4. When do you take the tree down?
About the first or week of January, not before Little Christmas. One year we had the thing up until the end of January, because we still had family that hadn't visited yet.

5. Do you like eggnog?
I think I had it once at my Aunt and Uncle's house, and I did enjoy it as I recall. For whatever reason, no one in my family ever seems to make it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Castle Grayskull probably provoked the strongest reaction, as I was so excited I ran and kissed my father on the cheek, which made us both immediately uncomfortable and we silently swore never to speak of it again. My Intellivision was probably a close second.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My dad. He has every tool imaginable, can only eat certain foods with his heart condition, and never asks for anything. I also don't know enough about sports to get him any memorabilia.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My cousin's children. I just look for things in each of their age ranges that I would enjoy. Shopping for toys is fun!

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
We have a little on that usually sits on top of the television. It's a 3 inch wood box with little plastic figures. Supposedly, the mom of one of my friends had like 50, seriously, 50.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
My mom meticulously has an address book and list of family and friends that we've exchanged cards with for as long as my folks have been married. I tend to go the e-mail route, sometimes designing my own greeting.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
When I was a kid, and I'd excitedly open a present from my aunts, and it would be socks, that would be the worst. Now I can use socks so it's not so terrible.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
I'm not a fan of the Christmas movie; it usually seems to be the worst thing on any actor's resumé for some reason. Rudolph and Charlie Brown both top my list for TV specials, and if pressed to name a movie I'd have to go with Home Alone, A Christmas Story, or Die Hard.

13. When do you start shopping?
Around the middle of December. I was smart, I would shop around the middle of January.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Never.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Cannoli.

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes, usually big colored lights although we've been going with the thin white ones the last few years.

17. Favorite Christmas song?


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
It's more of this shiny, stake-like thing with glitter, probably closer to a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Morning. When I was a kid I'd beg to open one or two things after midnight mass, but now I can wait, especially since I'm lazy and see cleaning up wrapping paper and putting gifts away as work.

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

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
Big trees.

24. Favorite Christmas memory?
The aforementioned Castle Grayskull.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Cash or gift cards.

26. Who is most likely to respond to this?
B13 might leave a comment. Darrell, Sean and/or Lorna might even tackle in on their own blogs. And in a move that surprises everyone, Rey will break a one month silence and actually update his site.