Christmas Time Is Here

**Wantonly stolen from Tony at West of Mayberry

I love Christmas-time. The decorations, the music, and my family. Like with many other things in my life, I know I am trying to make up for the dystopian nightmare that was my childhood.

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? I’m partial to Hot Chocolate, stirred with a peppermint stick to give it that holiday spirit.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa has a tremendous workforce who are able to wrap just about anything expedience allows. This means things like bicycles or scooters aren’t wrapped, but their giftedness is signified by an XL bow.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I’ve been using a set of pastel lights on the tree for the past three years. I want to move back to colored lights, but I’ve been resistant because I’m not that thrilled with the brilliant colors of the new fangled LED lights. I’ll see what the post-Christmas sales have to offer, I may make the leap. Outside, is predominantly colored lights as well.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have, when I’ve had someone to fulfill the implied contract.
5. When do you put your decorations up? The tree and other interior decorations go up Thanksgiving weekend. The outdoor festivities are installed the 2nd weekend of December. I don’t feel like giving the electric company more money that absolutely necessary.
6. What is your favorite Christmas dish? I love HAM at Christmas with a side of scalloped potatoes.  
7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child? We were at my Grammy & Papa’s house one Christmas my sister and I slept on cots in the living room which made the threats “Santa won’t come until you’re asleep” so much harder to accomplish. That is, until I heard the sleigh bells outside… then Grammy came in and said, “Santa just passed us by”. There was much weeping and wailing. But sleep eventually came… and so did Santa.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I still believe. I believe that Santa is the personification of the joy, family and giving of the season. So long as you get joy in that feeling that comes from seeing someone truly enjoy the gift they have received… Santa lives.  
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. The joy of Christmas morning… seeing what Santa left in the stockings… is all worth the wait.
10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Nothing says “holiday” like sugar cookies… and Jack, Santa likes a shot of Jack.  
11. Snow! Love it or hate it? I love “looking” at the snow, but I hate going out into it… mainly because of the way snow makes other drivers lose their ever loving minds.
12. Can you ice skate? Good Lord! Can you imagine this body on rails?
13. Do you remember your favorite present? A Radio Flyer wagon
14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas to you? Building memories & traditions with my kids that they will share with their kids.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Russian Tea Cakes
16. Favorite tradition? Pizza and board games on Christmas Eve, Santa loads the stockings, watching Christmas movies (Muppet Christmas Carol, The Grinch, Christmas Vacation and The Christmas Story)
17. What tops your tree? A star.
18. Which do you prefer – giving or receiving? Giving (see #8) 
19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? I love Christmas music. I have over 300 Christmas songs on my iTunes. I love Michael Buble, Harry Connick and of course Bing Crosby.
20. Candy Canes? meh… I use them to stir my hot chocolate.

Blogging Challenge–Favorite TV Shows

I think I’ve proven that this is not a “daily” blogging challenge. ‘Tis the season to make plans for what you want to accomplish when the calendar is replaced. Hope springs eternal…
I try to delude myself into believing that I don’t watch too much TV, but then I’m faced with the reality that I have a TV viewing routine and definite opinions on the shows I like and dislike. This is most apparent when the kids are here. While there are two other TV’s in the house, they seem to commandeer the main TV rather quickly… and that seems to annoy me.

Comedy

• 2 Broke Girls – Two women from different worlds come together in a moment of need. The awesomely sarcastic Max and the terminally blonde Caroline are the latest incarnation of Lucy & Ethel. Caroline's character is the daughter of a Bernie Madoff-esque crook who has lost everything, she befriends Max becomes her roommate and hilarity ensues. BONUS – Classic SNL actor Garrett Morris provides many LOL moments.
• Big Bang Theory – Two uber-geeks live across the hall from a beautiful waitress. Two additional uber-geeks stop by frequently… hilarity ensues.

Drama

• Criminal Minds – The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit helps local law enforcement solve crimes committed by sociopaths and psychopaths.
• CSI – I love the original best. I wasn’t sure I would continue watching after William Peterson left; it faltered a bit with Laurence Fishburne, but it has really picked up this season with the addition of Ted Danson. I don’t care much for CSI: Miami, but CSI: New York is good, just because Gary Sinise is SO cool.
• Blue Bloods – I started watching this for one reason… Tom Selleck. I keep watching because the stories are good.

Reality

• Crasher Shows on DIY – I love the idea that a hunky contractor is lurking around the aisles of Lowes looking for people who innocently came to the store looking for new tile or a hose. Josh Temple on House Crashers is my favorite. He’s nice to look at, funny and he’s a “guy”. That means he leans toward giving the husband what he wants as opposed to the wife. Matt Meunster on Bath Crashers is a close second. He’s scruffy cute and he makes amazing bathrooms.
• Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives – Guy Fieri can be irritating, but that doesn’t change the fact that the establishments he spotlights are pretty awesome. I don’t travel much (as I want), but I have eaten at two of the places he’s visited in Portland. I highly recommend the Byways Café in The Pearl.
• Brad Meltzer’s Decoded – It is the ONLY History Channel “conspiracy” show that I can handle; mainly because it is intelligent. It relies on research and finding first-person accounts from people who don’t appear to own a Tin Foil Hat.

Classic

• M*A*S*H – I catch this show on TV Land from time to time and it never fails.
• The West Wing – I’m geeky when it comes to history and politics. I actually own Seasons 1-5 on DVD. When GW was president, I wished Jed Bartlet was… and now that Obama is President… I still wish Bartlet was.

Sunday Stealing - It's going around...

 

A. Age: 42
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore that you hate: Finding new places to bury dead hookers.
D. Dogs: Are essential to keep the neighbors from getting too nosey.
E. Essential start to your day: Making the bed… once the dead hooker is removed.
F. Favorite color: Blue
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 6 foot-ish
I. Instruments you play: Does the Meat Flute count? ;-p
J. Job title: Baby Snatcher
K. Kids: Yes, they’re delicious.
L. Live: They are when I pick them up from the bus station.
M. Mother's name: “Mother”
N. Nicknames: “loner”
O. Overnight hospital stays: These are to be avoided. They ask too many questions and it gives people an opportunity to look under the tarp behind the garage.
P. Pet peeve: People looking under my tarp.
Q. Quote from a movie: “It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again”
R. Right or left handed: I normally use both
S. Siblings: The more, the merrier!
T. Time you wake up: Once the sedatives kick in.
U. Underwear: Under the tarp, silly.
V. Vegetable you hate: Brussels Sprouts… they smell like death.
W. What makes you run late: When they insist on asking questions; it only delays the onset of the sedatives.
X. X-Rays you've had: I avoid hospitals… they ask too many questions.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti
Z. Zoo animal: Mongoose

Blogging Challenge–Day 8

Something you’re afraid of…

If you ask my daughter, I’m afraid of spiders and snakes. I would disagree. I’m not afraid of them. It just startles me when they aren’t where they belong… outdoors in a place where I am not.

Now time for some introspection…

So far, I’ve determined that I’m scared of two things.

I am scared of anything happening to my kids that prevents them from fully achieving life’s potential.

and…

I’m scared I will always be alone. I’m scared I will be one of those people who you read about in the news who’s mummified remains are found several weeks later by a utility man.

Blogging Challenge–Day 7

Favorite Movie

I enjoy movies, I always have. The one ‘family’ thing we did when I was growing up was to gather around the TV to watch movies; sometimes we even went to the drive-in. My sister and I would dress in our jammies, and load into the back of the car with our blankets and pillows and head for the drive-in. It was one of the few times nobody was yelling and nobody was hitting.

I have a very hard time limiting my selection of favorite movies to JUST ONE. I have my “go to” movies that depend on my mood.

Classic

• You cannot go wrong with Casablanca… or any Bogart movie for that matter.

Adventure

• Indiana Jones Trilogy (I do not count the 4th movie as part of the franchise)

Comedy

This is a hard category to narrow down to just one. Again, it depends upon my mood.

• Tommy Boy
• What About Bob
• The Producers

Sci-Fi

• Star Wars Saga

Western

• Just about anything with John Wayne… McLintock! is my ‘go to’ film.

Inspirational

• Remember the Titans
• The Blind Side

… and finally…

Sentimental Hogwash

• It’s a Wonderful Life
• The Family Stone

Let me know what you think, leave a comment.

Blogging Challenge–Day 6

A picture of something that makes you happy….

That’s simple – The Oregon Coast

** Add in my kids, and I’m in Heaven.

This picture was taken on our 2011 Spring Break trip at Fort Stevens State Park; inside the Peter Iredale.

Blogging Challenge–3, 4 & 5

A challenge was made… I’m going to do my best to follow through.

Challenge #3

YOUR FIRST LOVE

Given my life story; this really is a difficult question to answer. I decided to look up the definition of LOVE (it didn’t help).

Tender Affection – I honestly believe I felt this way about the woman I married and who is the mother of my children.

Desire – A boy named Doug at Oregon State. He was as closeted as I was. Meaning, we both had “girlfriends” and were very careful how we acknowledged each other in public.

Unconditional – The first time I held each of my kids I knew what unconditional love is all about. Now that they are teenagers, I’ve learned that unconditional love hurts.

Challenge #4

YOUR PARENTS

My mom was born in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas and raised through her mid-teens there. My grandparents moved the family to Salem, OR in the mid-50’s where she graduated from North Salem HS and Salem Business college (now Chemeketa CC) and became and early keypunch operator on the computer systems of the State Welfare Department. How she got hooked up with my father, I have no idea.
My dad was born in the Salem area, he didn’t get his GED until he was in the Army. Through the late 50’s and 60’s he was stationed around the country before serving a tour in Vietnam. In the early 70’s he worked for the Oregon Dept. of Transportation in those little scale shacks you see along the freeway. By this time, my mom had become the supervisor of the data entry section at the central office of the Welfare Department. Her office was in the building just to the NE of the Capitol building. I have memories of playing on the Capitol Mall, waiting for her to get off work.

Apparently this arc was too positive and a decision was made where mom quit her job and the family was packed up and moved to Buttfuck, Eastern Oregon (picture circa 1978). Mom didn’t work outside of the home again until I was in high school. When she was dying of cancer in 1990, she told me how disappointed she was in the path her life had taken. All my sister and I can do is wonder how different life would have been if we would have stayed in Salem. My upbringing was steeped in abuse; my dad’s chief means of communication was verbal and physical aggression. I used to dream of my mom taking my sister and I back to Salem and leaving him in his misery. That never happened; they say “misery loves company” for a reason. Her death certificate says she died of cancer, but I feel she died of hopelessness. What did she have to live for?

In the 20 years since, I’ve attempted to relate to my dad as an adult. But he usually returns to emotional manipulation and triangulation between my sister and I. He will most likely die a miserable, lonely man… apparently this is what he spent his life working towards.

Challenge #5

A SONG TO MATCH YOUR MOOD