Christmas Tag

It being a holiday a lot of people take seriously… I’m willing to do something I don’t normally do. I’ve been tagged by Scroff at Any Which Way… and I figure I’ll play along.

Rules

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share Christmas facts about yourself.
3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of “Getting to Know Your Friends.”

1. Wrapping or gift bags?
I’m not big on gifts at any time… the Ex-GF knows not to buy me stuff even for my birthday. If I need or want something bad enough, I simply buy it. But otherwise, I don’t like getting things… it just means more stuff to keep track of and potentially more of a mess around the place.

2. Real or artificial tree?
Never had a tree but there is this tree, which goes up every year in the Lagoon in Rio.

3. When do you put up the tree?
The tree in the lagoon in Rio goes up every year on Dec 1, if memory serves.

4. When do you take the tree down?
I suspect the cops would arrest me if I tried to take down the tree.

5. Do you like egg nog?
I don’t remember ever trying egg nog.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
A third or fourth hand set of the complete World Book Encyclopedia. But it wasn’t for Christmas.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
The cats don’t like being dressed up. And though sometimes its hard to believe, eventually they move.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Last night, at the White Elephant gift exchange, I got an AC DC shirt. I think it got left behind at the party.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
E-mail takes less effort to delete.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie?
If its got explosions, car chases, and some sort of a creature with big teeth in it, its good enough.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I don’t.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Same as any other day of the year: food. In fact, the problem is, by Christmas, pomegranates are no longer in season. That kind of sucks.

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
This questionnaire is really starting to test my patience.

14. Favorite Christmas song(s)?
Since Christmas is the start of a story about a guy who rose from the dead, perhaps this qualifies. I’m still disappointed that the Ex-GF vetoed having it at our wedding. And she wouldn’t even come down the aisle to the Imperial March. There is much bitterness remaining from that day.

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Got work to do. Staying home to do.

16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
I thought they already had names. But if they really new ones, OK, I’ll help. How about these: Gorlop, Snodgrass, Biro biro, Fluvial, The Molester, Ann Coulter, Geeber and Tomfoolery.

17. Angel on the tree top or a star?
If we had a tree, the cats would eat it (we have to be careful what comes into the house) and we’d have projectile diarrhea to deal with. I’d hate to see what happened if they scarfed down an angel in their haste to finish off the tree.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
No presents.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
This sort of thing.

20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color?
I leave that to the folks in Rio

21. What do you leave for Santa?
There’s always some catfood out, both inside and in front of the place. But if Santa doesn’t get into the apartment, he’s going to have to beat back the raccoons, opossums, and the smelly trio, Grand Skunk Railroad, Skunky Cold Medina, and Parliament Skunkadelic if he wants any kibble.

22. Least favorite holiday song?
Whatever is playing if I have to go into a mall.

23. Favorite ornament?
I don’t wear jewelry. The most I ever wear is a watch.

24. Family tradition?
Avoiding each other.

25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services?
Nope. I spent seven years at Catholic school and went to mass enough times that I could probably fool people into believing I’m a priest if need be, but that’s one mass I never attended.

Tagging…. well, I figure its Christmas and this thing has to end sometime, so I’m not going to inflict it on folks like Avedon Carol, Tom Bozzo or Ken Houghton, Bill Polley, Edward Charles Ponzi Jr, CoRev or Yves Smith.