Holy Moley! We had us an honest to goodness snow storm here on the east coast! In our area, we got about a foot and a half of snow. I think DC and suburbs got even more than that. It was one of the few times in my adult memory where I could truly just sit back and enjoy it, knowing I had nowhere to be and nothing to do.

The face of snow joy! Here’s the (not so) bitty Luke outside playing. Look at those cheeks!

As is our tradition, Duty and I did go out and about in the truck in the middle of it because 4WD rules, y’all! We drove to Dunkin’ Donuts but that was closing early so we ended up at Acme buying frozen pizza and soda. Neighbor Greg came over and plowed our driveway a bit so we got him a 12 pack of beer in return. (He was back over here today doing it again and then he and Duty went to dig the older neighbor dude out.) They did a lot of work clearing the driveway for which I am (sorta) thankful because then I wish I could call in trapped can drive off to work tomorrow without too much trouble.

1. What is your favorite holiday show/animated show?
I don’t really watch much holiday television but if I had to choose, I’d say “How the Grinch stole Christmas”.

2. What holiday character do you think you’re most like?
Uh, Cindy Lou Who, maybe? I dunno.

3. What holiday character does your spouse think you’re most like?
Oh hell. I have no idea. I’d ask him but you’d get an even less interesting response than mine.

4. Favorite Christmas/holiday song?
It’s not officially Christmas season for me unless I hear “Please come home for Christmas” by the Eagles. (Cheery song, no?) I also really like “Christmas Time is here” by Mercy Me, and Josh Groban’s “Oh Holy Night”.
A big shout out to the Charlie Brown Christmas cd – I listen to that every day at work and it always cheers me up. (Does Snoopy dance)

5. Most hated Christmas/holiday song?
I’m with Gal on the “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” song. That’s such crap. Oh, and that damn dog barking Jingle Bells.

6. If you have an all holiday music radio station when do you start listening to it?
Probably right about now. I can’t take much Christmas music before I get sick of it.

7. If you have an all holiday music radio station do you love it or hate it?
I don’t usually listen to it. There are about three in our listening area that turn all holiday right after Thanksgiving and I refuse to listen.

8. Have you ever wrapped yourself as a Christmas present?
No because I’m pretty sure they’d ask for a gift slip to make a return for two 20 year olds or something like that.

9. Who is Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer’s father?
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to know this. Is there a Wiki for this somewhere?

10. Do you drive your neighborhood or one near you at night to look at other people’s holiday decorations?
Yes! This is also another tradition with Duty – we go out during the week after Christmas and drive all over the little town looking at (and secretly grading) the decorations and lights. It’s lots of fun! We have our Dunkin coffee and lots of christmas music blaring.

11. When you see a heavily decorated house do you think, ‘oh that’s lovely’? Or do you think, ‘oh criminy, that looks like Christmas threw up all over their lawn’?
We usually downgrade anyone who has gone overboard with the lights. It’s important to be tasteful and not trashy, IMO.

12. Are you counting the days to Christmas with excited anticipation or dread?
Mmm … more like apathy. This year the family forced me into we exchanged gift names so that we all didn’t end up buying each other stuff none of us need. I’m a giver and seeking out just the right present makes me happy so buying for just one person (and off their approved list at that!) wasn’t quite the joyous experience I was seeking. Nevertheless, Cousin O’Cool makes fabulous lasagna and we have italian bread and sausage and cannolis and it’s all fun. So … apathy mixed with anticipation of good eats and happy family.

13. When was the last time you had your photo taken with Santa? Did you sit on his lap?
Uh, the mall asked me not to return so I haven’t. I’m good like that.

14. Do you make a Christmas list for your spouse or significant other or do you rely on them to pick your gift(s) without a clue from you?
Duty is surprisingly good at picking out really nice gifts. He’d be horrified with a list.

15. When do you put up your tree?
It’s a 3 foot tabletop one with colored lights and it went up last Saturday. I’m not a big tree person. I’m not even a big decorator. That’s really the only Christmas related thing I have up. (I suck, don’t I?)

16. Real or fake?
I think you can guess the answer to that if you know me even from a distance.

17. When do you take your tree down?
Sometime after the new year. I like looking at the pretty lights.

18. Do you shop the day after Christmas sales? What do you shop for?
No and hell no. You will NEVER catch me in a store afterwards. I cannot stand crowds and that’s primo time for screaming meemies. (Although I like to get a nice calendar at 50% off so I might brave the B&N for that.)

19. Is your work/office having a holiday party this year? Will you attend?
Can I tell you what a lame ass Christmas thing we had this year? Last year, it was a HUGE festive occasion at the Boss’s ritzy house. Bless his heart – he had all the $$ approvals from management and had it all lined up when they yanked it all back because the market went to hell in October. He ended up having to pay $5000 out of his own pocket for the party. So, this year, in order not to have that happen again and stay within the very, VERY small budget they gave us, we had a happy hour at a local pub. I had to drive so I had half a beer and stayed two hours. It was depressing. But I understand why and hopefully, next year we can have something midway between crap and fabulous.

20. Do you have your New Year’s Eve Plans set yet?
We don’t usually do anything on NYE because I don’t want to get killed by drunk asshats. I’m fine with staying in, having dinner and watching a movie. Just like most any other night.