11 Days and Counting

God help me, but I've been blessed with ANOTHER one of those annoying email surveys (you know who you are {o) blast you!) I seldom answer them, and even less seldom forward them on to five people. However, I thought I'd be different and answer the questions here. If y'all feel like doing this survey, have at it. If not, fine by me.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog if I make it myself to my own taste - not too sweet, skip the nutmeg; Hot Chocolate if someone else is making the Egg Nog.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? What tree would that be?
3. Colored lights on house/tree or white? I don't do seasonal lights. The hydro company makes enough money off me.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? My goldfish isn't allowed out of his tank to hang around under the mistletoe, and it's not much fun hanging around under the mistletoe by myself. So no mistletoe.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Did that November 25th. Even blogged about it!
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Turkey stuffing. You can keep the turkey, just save me the stuffing. And maybe a bit of gravy.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Not a lot of good ones, but one clear one is the Christmas I was recovering from Scarlet Fever. They put a big armchair in my bedroom door to keep me isolated, and my cuzzin Les sat on the back of that armchair to open his stocking and presents while I wasn't allowed to exert myself opening gifts! But that's okay. By Easter, I was well enough to kick his a** again!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was 4 and I got up out of bed because I heard a noise and thought it might be Santa. It was my Dad putting a book of paper dolls in my stocking.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I don't do a Christmas tree. However, I do have a Norfolk Pine in my living room year round, and on November 25th, I hang my single beaded snowflake on it.
11. Snow. Love it or dread it? I live in the north. Loving it or dreading it is irrelevant 'cuz we got it October to April.
12. Can you ice skate? Of course. Might not be skating this winter, though. Broke my right foot a month ago, and it's still somewhat swollen and tender.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Mechanical pencil crayons from Uncle Dudley and Aunt Minie. Twenty four different colours! Amazing! I think I was 7.
14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you? Time off work.
15. What are your favorite holiday desserts? Fruitcake.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Dickens' Christmas Carol. Either hearing it read aloud, or seeing it performed on stage.
17. What tops your Christmas tree? See #10 above.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? There's nothing I really want that I can't get for myself throughout the year, and I hate receiving gifts that I don't really want. So giving. I like to do something charitable that makes another person's Christmas nice.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night.
20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck? Look great hanging on someone else's tree. I'm not sure why anyone would want to eat them, though.
21. What do you want for Christmas? Sheesh! See #18 above already.
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? Not if I can help it.
23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear jammies? I like to go to Christmas Eve Mass, but I don't think jammies are suitable attire there.
24. Do you own a Santa hat? No.
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? See #4 above.
26. What are your least favorite things about Christmas? People who insist that enjoying a comfy day at home with my goldfish, a glass of wine, and a good book is wrong and that I absolutely have to come and spend an uncomfy day hanging around their house and eating their food instead.

NOTICE: I will be departing for my annual hide-under-a-rock retreat on December 23rd, and will not have regular Internet access until January 4th. Just so's y'all know.