Big thanks go out to Paul at The Captain’s Speech for nominating me to join him on this joyride. Let the sleigh bells ring and all that jazz.

Rules:

1. Thank the blogger that tagged you and link their blog to your post.

2. List the rules in the post.

3. Answer all the questions asked by the blogger.

4. Nominate some other bloggers and provide them with 12 new questions!

Paul’s Questions:

1.  What do you eat on Christmas?  

Traditionally we’ve had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and cranberry sauce from a can – so basically a repeat of Thanksgiving because why mess with a good thing?

2.  Do you like wrapping presents?

I have a weird love/hate relationship with wrapping presents. I learned at the feet of the expert – my mom could wrap a mean present, pretty enough to make you cry – so I get a strange sense of accomplishment at the sight of a gift I’ve wrapped beautifully. But give me a pile of presents to wrap, one I hunch over for hours as I cut and tape and ribbon away, and I get a bit cranky.

3.  Do the other reindeer feel slighted that they haven’t been asked to lead Santa’s sleigh yet?

Yeah, they’re kinda pissed. Everybody wants to be the reindeer flying without a butt in their face.

4.  What’s your favourite tree ornament?

A small gold angel I got from my grandma when I was little.

5.  What makes a good mall Santa?

Twinkling eyes and a genuine laugh. The ability to create magic without making a commitment parents might screw up later. The ability to withstand a ridiculously overstimulating work environment doesn’t hurt.

6.  Favourite Christmas movie?

I love Miracle on 34th Street, the remake from 2000. So sweet.

7.  Have you ever snooped around the house for your presents?

Is it weird I don’t remember ever doing this? Snooping for presents almost seems like a rite of passage but I’m pretty sure I never tried, either because I enjoyed the anticipation or lived in fear of invoking the wrath of my parents. Now that I’m an adult I’d rather be surprised.

8.  Is an inflatable snowman on the front lawn really necessary?

Never.

9.  Do you like when your gifts come in bags?

Getting gifts is fun. I’m not particular about the wrapping.

10.  If it doesn’t snow on Christmas, is it still Christmas?

It is indeed. As someone who’s lived in southerly/warmish states for a good deal of her life I can count on one hand the number of white Christmases I’ve seen. I learned early on that if I want snow on December 25th then I’d better cue up a good movie.

11.  Have you ever returned a present?

No. At least not one somebody else gave me. I think I might have changed my mind on a gift I bought for myself once…

12.  Alvin and the Chipmunks have made a lot of money off of their Christmas album. If you were to make a Christmas Album, what would your hit single be called?

This year’s hit single is “MIA, GET OUT OF THAT TREE!” It would be the follow-up hit single to “GRACIE, STOP EATING THOSE PRESENTS!” and “The elf isn’t dead, he’s just resting.”

Nominations:

My “hey, hey, don’t you wanna play” nominees are Christine, Dan, Joey, and Tonya, plus anyone else who’d like to play along. The more, the merrier, right?

Your Questions Are:

1.  Which Christmas carol makes you change the radio station in five seconds or less? Which one makes you turn the volume all the way up so you can sing along?

2.  Loose tinsel, garland tinsel, or “hell no, you’re not coming near my tree with that tinsel stuff”?

3.  What one tradition do you really have to have on Christmas Day for it to feel like Christmas Day?

4.  Have you ever spotted something in, say, March and thought, “Gee, that would be perfect for so-and-so’s Christmas present, I’ll just pick it up.”?

5.  Have you ever found a Christmas present years later that you bought early then totally forgot about until you were searching for just one more roll of wrapping paper in the back of the storage room?

6.  Have you ever regifted a present?

7.  Do you have more than one Christmas tree in your home? If so, do you decorate them differently?

8.  What food or drink do you associate most strongly with the Christmas season?

9.  What’s the weirdest holiday story you have from childhood?

10.  Lights – big or small? white or multicolored? blinking or solid?

11.  Tree toppers – angel, star, something else?

12.  How do you know when it’s time to take down the decorations?