Tis the Season

Stolen by someone who in turn stole it from someone else:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift Bags. I can't wrap with a darn, and you get to the presents sooner!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I hate the thought of killing a tree every year. Plus, messy clean up.

3. When do you put up the tree? The better half usually puts it near the TV.

4. When do you take the tree down? Depends. Usually I'll let him leave it up a little bit longer, especially this year, since it wasn't up until yesterday.

5. Do you like eggnog? When he makes it, oh yeah. Sooooo good.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Princess of Power castle. We went to this fancy-smansy store uptown and picked it out of the window.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. We don't really put much religion into our holiday. But who does anymore?

8. Hardest person to buy for? My Mom. She's allergic to EVERYTHING.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My best friend. She never met a fabric/scent/bath product she didn't like.

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? I honestly can't remember. Couldn't have been that bad, I guess!

11. Mail or e-mail Christmas card? I love getting stuff in the mail. There is something more special about someone taking the time to send something rather than just pressing send.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Nutcracker.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year I started in the time of never because we just made a HUGE purchase and can't afford a thing.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope. Unless it was a office gift exchange.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Pumpkin Pie. I know it's more October-ish, but I love it SO much.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Don't care.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Well, this year it's that Wings song, but just because I know it pisses someone off :-)

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Don't care.

19. Can you name Santa’s reindeer? I'm sure if I thought about it long enough.

20. Do you have an Angel on top or a star? Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? During Hanukkah, 'cause it's usually sooner.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People. So, pretty much like the rest of the year.

23. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Fruitcake. It's a decoration because 9 times out of 10 you can't eat it.

25. Which looks best theme trees or homey trees? Wait, what?

26. Gingerbread or sugar cookies? Gingerbread.

27. Do you like Fruitcake? See 23.

I can quit anytime...

Lover Boy and I are looking to save some money, so we've been discussing what we spend the most money on. Lover Boy thinks our problem is how many trips I like to take.

I can't help it. I love to travel. I love being in a new place, doing new things. Even old things. The grass is always greener and all that.

This January we went home for a week to spend time with family and college friends. This, to me, is necessary. We are also going away for a few days next month for my birthday. This isn't necessary, but I love taking a trip for my birthday. When I'm doing something during my birthday, I can forget that I'm getting older. This has worked for the last 3 years.

In May I'm doing a girl's weekend with my mom, as we are going to my cousin's wedding. This is semi-necessary. I really don't like my cousin, but watching her disaster of a wedding will give us fodder to mock her for years. Or until the divorce.

Lover Boy just got offered a trip through his work to go the opposite coast to visit a place I've always wanted to go. It's only going to be $650.00. If we planned the trip on our own, we'd be getting into the thousands for the cost. We have to go.

It's only February and I've used up all my vacation time already. I have two floating holidays, and three places to be.

I might have a problem.

But, I counted to Lover Boy, we go out to eat far to much. And that, surely, is more costly in the long run then a few trips over the year.

He agreed. Then he asked our waiter for the take-out menu.

The World's Crappiest Violin

A long time ago, Lover Boy and I happened upon two violins. They were broken down and battered, and I wanted to leave them where they were. LB insisted we save them and clean them up. Nevermind that he never even studied the violin, whereas my lessons consisted of 2 months back in the 6th Grade.

Needless to say, they've spent the past few years gathering dust in the back of the guest bedroom closet. They are crappy, and I have no idea how much it would cost to put them back in working order. Out of sight, out of my mind. Until a few weeks before Christmas anyway.

One of my co-workers was talking about one of her little girls, and how all she wanted for Christmas was her own violin, but they were just to expensive (I don't think they are pricey per se, it's just that she has a bazillion children and they each get a tic tac for supper because money is tight)

Anyway, her mention of violins reminded me of my dusty couple in my closet. I tell her about them...how they are dull, broken, and aren't at all that pretty. I also don't know how much it would be to fix them, perhaps more than just getting a new violin might be. But they are her's if she wants them.

She, at least, acts like she's over the moon about this new development. I try and calm her down and said that they are, in fact, awful. Hardly worth getting excited about. In fact, they might just make nice wall decoration and that's all.

I bring them by work and give them to her the week before Christmas. I help her carry them out to the car and give them to her husband.

Her husband says to me "This is such a blessing, thank you."

A blessing. My crappy violins. The ones that in a few weeks I was just going to chuck out in the garbage.

Great. Now they made me feel all guilty for giving them crappy instruments. And also for being Jewish. I hate it when Catholics do that!

Makes You Think About Herbology In A Different Light

Rodlyman asked if I was sick of the Christmas music. The short answer; always. The longer answer is...well, longer.

Here's the thing about Christmas; First of all, not everyone celebrates it. Yes, I am one of the 2% that does not celebrate the birth of Jesus. In fact, according to some, I killed him. Yes, me personally. By not celebrating Christmas.

It's almost impossible to explain how this time of year makes me feel. I'm gonna try anyway.

Okay...deep breath, all of you. Here we go:

It feels like everyone on earth is a Herbologist. That's right, they think Herbs are the greatest. They worship herbs. You don't mind this, it's just not for you. You believe in something different. Once a year they celebrate their annual HerbFest, when they believe Herbs first came into existence. At least, that's how the holiday got it's start.

The problem is that they think everyone is a Herbologist. Everywhere you go, people are offering you Valerian Root and Herb Tea...and you just don't care. You get worn down with people telling you "The Message" of HerbFest is to bring people together, when really all it's about is material possessions. You get knocked down in a store for a scarf, and you can't get away from the insipid music at every corner. It's not about St. John's Wort, it's not about togetherness. It's about knocking that old lady over in the parking lot so that you can get the closest parking spot to the mall.

That's kinda how I feel about Christmas. I don't have anything against the Christian religion itself, but having it in my face the whole month of December (and let's face it, most of November) tends to make me...let's just say, more than a little crabby.

I know I might stir up a lot of controversy with this post, but that's how I feel. I don't expect a lot of people to understand the way I feel, and that's fine. But I won't change my beliefs.