Lots of memes lately...

From truntles:

1. Do you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
Both, one fake one and a teensy real one to appease my little brother, who was not in favor of the fake one.

2. Do you put up Christmas lights on the exterior of your home?
We have a couple of strings in the trees that hook up to the house, and we have luminaria out. They look really pretty, but I think it looks better with either the lights or the luminaria, not both.

3. What's your favorite Christmas song/carol?
I like "Angels We Have Heard On High" because I can sing the whole "Gloria, in excelsis deo" part without taking a breath.

4. What do you like better - turkey or ham?
Tofurkey.

5. Do you open up any Christmas presents on Christmas Eve?
Never. I don't even open presents from friends before Christmas, when they can see my reaction. I open all my presents Christmas Day.

6. Have you ever been Christmas caroling?
Just Wednesday I went caroling with the pagan group, and I went with the pagan group back in Sacramento a few years ago, and last year I did regular carols at nursing homes with the Glad Tidings group.

7. What was your most memorable Christmas gift(s) that you received?
Uhm... the trip to New Jersey two years ago to see Liz was pretty awesome.

8. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
I don't really have one.

9. Have you ever built a real snowman?
...actually, I don't think so. O.o That is unacceptable. *goes outside and makes a snowman* There. Next to my shoe for size contrast. Not quite as small as Harold, but still pretty teensy. There wasn't much snow left.

10. Have you ever peeked into a present and found out what it was before Christmas?
Maybe when I was little, but I don't ever remember doing it.

11. What is on the top of your Christmas tree?
A really pretty purple glass star on the real one, and a Chinese checkerboard on the fake one.

12. Do you own a Santa hat?
Noop.

13. When was the last time you had your picture taken with Santa Claus?
I don't think I ever have. Maybe when I was really little.


14. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?
I've finished it :D

15. Do you put candy canes on your Christmas tree?
Not real ones 'cause of the baby and the dog, but we have these nice ceramic ones.

16. Who is hardest person to buy for?
Bill. I think I've got something good for him this year, though.

17. Who is the easiest person to buy for?
Dan, probably. Maybe Clay.

18. How old were you when you realized Santa was imaginary?
Seven or eight, but I suspected it for several years beforehand.

19. What does your morning of Christmas routine consist of?
One of the boys usually wakes me up really early, then we investigate our stockings, then look for the pickle (a blue pickle-shaped ornament that Santa hides in the tree every year, and whoever finds it first gets to open the first present). It takes anywhere between fifteen minutes and half an hour for somebody to get antsy enough to knock on Mom and Bill's door- one year I brought them coffee, one year Mom got up but Bill stayed in bed, so Clayton and I snuck back to the room and started singing Christmas carols to wake him up. This year we've agreed that when the baby wakes up, Mom and Bill wake up. Then when everyone's downstairs and ready, whoever found the pickle opens the first present, then they pick who goes next, and so on until everyone's opened one, then the pickle-finder goes again and the cycle continues until all the presents are open. Then we usually have breakfast. This year I'm going to babysit at church and the boys get on a plane at noon to California.

20. Egg nog?
Vegan. Silk nog is damn good stuff, though.

21. What do you want for Christmas this year?
A bass guitar, a trench coat, and a pony.