I'm Back

Okay. So at least one person is reading this blog. Here's a MEME I found at LutherPunk's blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real. We always go and cut one at a tree farm on the Saturday of Advent 3. That's this Saturday!
3. When do you put up the tree? See #2. We decorate the house (well mostly my wife decorates the house) for the beginning of Advent of December 1, whichever comes first.
4. When do you take the tree down? After Epiphany.
5. Do you like eggnog? I can take it or leave it. It's not something I crave or have to buy when I see it in the store.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't even recall specific gifts that I received as a child, but I was always happy.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My wife.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Any of my kids.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. A few actually.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Don't really do the card thing.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't mind clothes and my tastes in clothing aren't too picky, but sometimes you've got to wonder, "What was s/he thinking?"
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? That's a tough one. We've got so many Christmas movies that it's hard to fit them all in during Advent and the 12 days of Christmas. We've got 4 favourites that we reserve for the 4 Sundays in Advent: Going My Way, The Bells of St. Mary's, It's a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually late November. My wife does most of the Christmas shopping and sometimes she'll start in January.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The Christmas cookies that my wife and mother bake that you just don't get at any other time of year.
16. Lights on the tree? I really don't understand the question. What's the alternative?
17. Favorite Christmas song? My grade school music teacher taught us a distinction between Christmas carols (religious theme) and Christmas songs (non-religious). So my favourite Christmas song would probably be "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts roasting...) and it would have to be Nat "King" Cole's version.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Family is all within about an hour's drive. I don't call that travel.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or Donder), Blitzen, and of course Rudy.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. We put a Spitze on (one of those pointy things with a couple of balls at the base)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve. Santa brings the presents while we're at church. We come home, open all our presents, relax a bit before we have to go back to church for the late service.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? It's too busy. With parties, family obligations, extra church functions, children's concerts and pageants at school, etc., there's hardly a quiet moment at home with family.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We look for a new "I Love Lucy" ornament every year for my wife. They're kind of fun.
24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? I never get tired of the big turkey. And the gravy my wife makes from the pan drippings and white wine is yummy.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? No special wishes. I still like getting toys, so a good video game or two would be fun.

If you're actually reading this and feel like doing this, consider yourself tagged.