A Christmas survey
1. Hot chocolate or apple cider?
Hot chocolate, usually. Apple cider is more of a fall thing for me.
2. sledding or snowboarding?
Sledding all the way, although I haven't been in years.
3. Do you get a Fake or Real, cut-it-yourself, Christmas tree?
I grew up under a strict "real tree, cut it yourself" doctrine, whereby I used to scoff unmercifully at people who kept theirs in a box under the stairs 11 months out of the year, only to dust it off and assemble their tree every December. In recent years, I've become a lot more understanding of fake tree users, and as a city dweller for three years, I get buying your tree from a vendor off the street.
4. Decorations on the outside of your house?
See, this is the first year that I HAVE an actual house to decorate. For the last two years, I did minimal decorations on the two stone gargoyles that sat out in front of my apartment building in Brooklyn... but this year... I don't know. We don't have a lot of money, but I'd like to get some.
5. Snowball fights or sledding?
Sledding. I have bad aim.
6. Do you like hanging around the fireplace because it's warm?
Sure, it can be nice. We never had one growing up, but it's certainly pleasant enough.
7. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
I do.
8. Favorite Christmas song?
Of all time, probably "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," because it really captures the wistfulness and hopefulness of the season.
9. How do you feel about Christmas movies?
I'm a holiday movie whore- I routinely put the 1953 Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol in my Rob Gordon Top Five Movies list. It's pitch perfect.
10. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
Hard for me to say- Ellen started listening to her holiday albums two weeks ago. I tend to want to wait until after Thanksgiving, but that's me.
11. Stockings before or after presents?
Stockings come before presents.
12. Carolers?
I've had a bad association with caroling ever since I was a kid. Once, I went with my sister's Brownie troop to go caroling. The actual singing part of it was fine, but when the Brownies reconvened at the den mother's house, she served Swiss Miss hot chocolate... but it was the kind of Swiss Miss with little shards of marshmallows in it. Having no idea about this, I gulped mine down and started choking on a marshmallow. I grabbed my neck and started miming my dilemma to everyone... except NO ONE BELIEVED ME. My mother even said "Chris, stop playing around!" I felt betrayed, and from that day forward I swore revenge against the Girl Scouts of America.
13. Go to someone else's house or they come to you?
Traditionally, we have Christmas morning at my house with the core four Pearces, then we go to my aunt's place. I'm not sure what the game plan will be this year, what with Elliot and all.
14. Do you read the Christmas Story the night before Christmas?
If I read anything, it's A Christmas Carol... although in recent years, I like falling asleep with either TBS's A Christmas Story marathon on, or the radio.
15. What do you do after presents and dinner?
Hm. We usually just hang out, although at some point I hook up with Melissa and Brad... usually at Miss' parents' house.
16. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Aside from the traditional smells, I love one of the Glade Holiday candles that they come out with. It's called Glistening Snow.
17. Ice skating or walking around the mall?
Walking around the mall.
18. Favorite Christmas tradition?
Every year, my mother makes the same Christmas dinner- an appetizer of either shrimp cocktail or fruit cocktail, a main course of manicotti and chicken parm, and cookies for dessert. That's my favorite thing!
19. Favorite Part about winter?
Not sweating like crazy.
20. Least favorite part about winter?
Freezing.
20. Ever Been Kissed Under The Mistletoe?
Mistletoe was never a big deal in my family, and I never knew anybody who had mistletoe in their house.
Hot chocolate, usually. Apple cider is more of a fall thing for me.
2. sledding or snowboarding?
Sledding all the way, although I haven't been in years.
3. Do you get a Fake or Real, cut-it-yourself, Christmas tree?
I grew up under a strict "real tree, cut it yourself" doctrine, whereby I used to scoff unmercifully at people who kept theirs in a box under the stairs 11 months out of the year, only to dust it off and assemble their tree every December. In recent years, I've become a lot more understanding of fake tree users, and as a city dweller for three years, I get buying your tree from a vendor off the street.
4. Decorations on the outside of your house?
See, this is the first year that I HAVE an actual house to decorate. For the last two years, I did minimal decorations on the two stone gargoyles that sat out in front of my apartment building in Brooklyn... but this year... I don't know. We don't have a lot of money, but I'd like to get some.
5. Snowball fights or sledding?
Sledding. I have bad aim.
6. Do you like hanging around the fireplace because it's warm?
Sure, it can be nice. We never had one growing up, but it's certainly pleasant enough.
7. Do you enjoy going downtown shopping?
I do.
8. Favorite Christmas song?
Of all time, probably "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," because it really captures the wistfulness and hopefulness of the season.
9. How do you feel about Christmas movies?
I'm a holiday movie whore- I routinely put the 1953 Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol in my Rob Gordon Top Five Movies list. It's pitch perfect.
10. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
Hard for me to say- Ellen started listening to her holiday albums two weeks ago. I tend to want to wait until after Thanksgiving, but that's me.
11. Stockings before or after presents?
Stockings come before presents.
12. Carolers?
I've had a bad association with caroling ever since I was a kid. Once, I went with my sister's Brownie troop to go caroling. The actual singing part of it was fine, but when the Brownies reconvened at the den mother's house, she served Swiss Miss hot chocolate... but it was the kind of Swiss Miss with little shards of marshmallows in it. Having no idea about this, I gulped mine down and started choking on a marshmallow. I grabbed my neck and started miming my dilemma to everyone... except NO ONE BELIEVED ME. My mother even said "Chris, stop playing around!" I felt betrayed, and from that day forward I swore revenge against the Girl Scouts of America.
13. Go to someone else's house or they come to you?
Traditionally, we have Christmas morning at my house with the core four Pearces, then we go to my aunt's place. I'm not sure what the game plan will be this year, what with Elliot and all.
14. Do you read the Christmas Story the night before Christmas?
If I read anything, it's A Christmas Carol... although in recent years, I like falling asleep with either TBS's A Christmas Story marathon on, or the radio.
15. What do you do after presents and dinner?
Hm. We usually just hang out, although at some point I hook up with Melissa and Brad... usually at Miss' parents' house.
16. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Aside from the traditional smells, I love one of the Glade Holiday candles that they come out with. It's called Glistening Snow.
17. Ice skating or walking around the mall?
Walking around the mall.
18. Favorite Christmas tradition?
Every year, my mother makes the same Christmas dinner- an appetizer of either shrimp cocktail or fruit cocktail, a main course of manicotti and chicken parm, and cookies for dessert. That's my favorite thing!
19. Favorite Part about winter?
Not sweating like crazy.
20. Least favorite part about winter?
Freezing.
20. Ever Been Kissed Under The Mistletoe?
Mistletoe was never a big deal in my family, and I never knew anybody who had mistletoe in their house.