Tagged

1)Link to the person that tagged you. That would be JB.

These are the rules.
1) Share Christmas facts about yourself.
2) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
3) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.Here goes:

1. Wrapping or gift bags? If it has to be packaged, I will do whatever is faster. Otherwise, I don't wrap it at all. Santa doesn't leave gift wrapped presents.

2. Real or artificial tree? When I have a tree, it is a real one. I love the smell. Although, I usually don't have a tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? First couple days in December.

4. When do you take the tree down? First week or so of January.

5. Do you like eggnog? Can't stand the stuff...but then I am not very fond of eggs at all.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My art easel I got when I was in the 7th grade. I didn't care about any other presents for years.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of anything...most of my presents have been pretty cool.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? I prefer snail-mail. I like notes on email, but Christmas cards and catch-up letters should be printed on cool stationery and sent out in brightly colored envelopes.

10. Favorite Christmas movie? Home Alone

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually about 4 days before Christmas.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything Mom makes. Or Penny's mom's lefsa. Yum!

13. Clear lights or colored? Colored.

14. Favorite Christmas song? Solstice Bells by Jethro Tull

15. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Usually we stay at home because it is too hard to travel in the snow. But this year we are having a family reunion in Oregon. (btw...I am having an absolute blast playing with my four kids, my nieces and my nephews! They are a lot more fun as adults)

16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Vixen, Blitzen, Donner, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Dasher, Dancer and Rudolph

17. Angel or star on the top of your tree? Star.

18. Open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Open presents Christmas Eve, then you get up Christmas morning to see what Santa brought.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic. Why do all you people have to drive into Wisconsin from Iowa to do your shopping????

20. What do you leave for Santa? Nothing...he's on a diet.

21. Least favorite holiday song? Most of them

22. Do you decorate your tree with any specific theme or color? Nope.

23. Favorite ornament? Some that my Mom sent us with our names on them.

24. Family tradition? Jubilee Jumble cookies.

25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services? When I was a kid, my dad was a pastor and we had Christmas Eve services to go to. We usually opened presents right after the Candlelight service.

I am tagging....At Your Cervix...Officer Wright...Brent...Erica...Muckdog...Mel...FarmGirl

I'll be home for Christmas...

Yes, folks, I am going to Oregon for Christmas. Hard to believe I am willingly going back to that inhumane place.

Oregon? Inhumane? why, yes, it is.

See, I grew up in Oregon. I went to elementary, middle and high school in different parts of Oregon. I have lived in all four corners of the state. And I do not have very fond memories of any of it.

I have been back a few times since (weddings, funerals, etc), but each time I vow not to return. There is just something in the air there I don't like. I first thought it was because everything is so crowded together. Then I decided it was all the misplaced Californians. Now, I know, it is just me. I just don't want to go back to the person that I was when I lived there.

When I am in Oregon I miss Wisconsin terribly. So I will go to Oregon for ten days to celebrate Christmas with my parents for the first time in many, many years, but I will be counting the days to come home.

Accident Update

So the body shop man called...they stopped counting the damage at $4500. My car is only worth about $3000, so it is officially totalled.

I have been car shopping, but without knowing exactly how much money I am getting, it is hard to shop seriously. Right now I am torn between a 2004 Mini Cooper for $14k and a 2002 Saturn SC2 for $8k. I can afford the Saturn, but I want the Mini. Bah.

I went back to the intersection for the first time today. I stopped in the road and kind of looked around for a while. I thought there was a big pine tree on the corner. I was wrong - there is a large brick house in the way! Whoops!

Either way, there is no way I could have seen him coming before I did. Ah well, life goes on. We remain uninjured, just sore from the seat belts.