Winter Holiday of My Choice

Here's my questionnaire for the Winter Holiday of My Choice extravaganza. This is Andrea's brainchild, and last year, when WHOMC posts started popping up on blogs I read, I was rather confused (reading some of the questionnaires before I read Andrea's explanation--such is the nature of blog reading). It's a bloggy secret Santa/holiday-figure-of-your-choice program, you can see what Andrea received and gave last year if you want a concrete example of some results.

If I could, I'd invent something that I could point out the window on long car trips that would magically display info about the buildings or landscape or whatever I was looking at and damn it, the world needs one because curiosity and wonder are amazing, and besides, Politica gets tired of my speculative questions after a few hours.

I sometimes buy scrapbooking stuff, because it is/they are more like the
me I want to be than the me that I am. I use my scrapping materials, but never as quickly as I sometimes bring it into the house.

If you came over to my house to play and touched my ________________ I'd be
a little bit mad at you forever. I don't think I can answer this one: there's nothing around here I'm quite so attached to. But please don't finish the cocoa without sharing some with me.

The colour/s _______________ makes me want to shave my eyeballs with a
cheese grater. Hmm...not sure what to say on this one. I''m not a big fan of lime green, I guess, but mostly I love colo(u)rs of all sorts.

The colour/s _________________ is/are so beautiful that when I see them, a
beam of light comes down and I hear a choir sing. Hard to pick! I love colours--bright colors, earth tones.

Fried eggs make me gag, feel it in my mouth for a minute, and
then swallow it back down rather than spit it out (or else I just don't like
it, but I'm too nice to say it.)

I might get sick or die if I touch or ingest sulfa drugs (probably not a big issue for this event!), or look at ____________________. (this is where you mention allergies or phobias) I have a mild phobia about dogs, but Curious Girl doesn't know that, and I'm getting better.

The allegedly balanced arguments against same-sex marriage gives me the willies and I might need to consider a
frontal lobotomy if I even think about it further. Except I will be thinking about it further because it's all around.

I love the feel of silk and chenille so much I want to hump it like a puppy on
a sofa pillow.

No one should have to watch me eat the heels on a loaf of bread, because then I might
consider being polite enough to share, and I don't want to share it.

I'm a grown-up now, so I don't have to eat melon any more, and you can't make me.

If I could invent a way to permanently coat my nostril hairs with this
scent, I'd be my own biggest customer: the smell of the ocean. Or sometimes, pine forests. Mostly, I'd rather be in those places than to have artificial smells. I don't tend to buy scented things.

Three things I like that anyone might like: books, hiking, gardens in bloom

Three things I like that nobody else in the world likes:
ugly shoes (I'm still missing the Birkenstock Londoners Politica persuaded me to dump several years ago), fountain pens, academic administration, and, if it's OK to add a 4th, show tunes

I have TOO MANY/TOO MUCH OF tea, photos to add to our scrapbooks, and shoes, and not enough time. And books, of course, something almost everyone doing this seems to have too many and not enough of all at once!

Okay, we know the best things in life aren't things, but these are the best
things in life if there are going to be best things: Ekornes chairs, tickets for a trip to a cool new place, new shoes, new dishes to share with friends.

When people have kind, sweet and nice things to say about me, they're usually
talking about how patient I am, or how I can work with groups well. When they say I'm
easily distracted, or enthusiastic, they're usually right too. And Politica says that when Curious Girl says I'm a rock star, she's right, too.

It's true, I'm a dictionary-loving nerd. I'm learning to be proud of it.

If I could have any talent in the world, I'd choose playing/singing by ear and use
it to sing and play more spontaneously than I can.

You are given a day and a no-limit credit card to spend in one of these
places, childfree. Choose one, or write your own: If I were given a day and a no-limit credit card, I'd not waste the day going shopping. I'd be tempted to make a big donation to an organization I wanted to support more than I do--one of the things POlitica and I want to do is up our philanthropic giving in our budget--and then I'd head outdoors to somewhere grand and glorious: a deserted beach, a mountain trail, and I'd end the day with Politica in a comfy cozy b&b with a hot tub. But if I had to go shopping, I'd pick one of the two places below I've commented on. I'd definitely not go to the swanky bar, and probably not the craft show (but if there were a scrapbooking or stationery store on the way to the auction, I might stop in):

An auction, where you never know what you want until you see it, and then
you want it more than anyone. It's all about the adventure and the
atmosphere--except not exactly an auction, since the competitive pressure isn't my style. I hate to shop, but I like browsing in places that don't have lots of everything. Most of my clothes shopping is done either via catalog, or in consignment shops, where I like the small selection and unpredictability.

A picturesque neon-lit bar, where a couple of swank cocktails and a friendly
bartender might lead to a Chandler-esque story. It's all about becoming a
character yourself.

A craft show, because you really need to find something attractive to cover
your spare rolls of toilet paper with, and then, you want to maybe glue some
paper to some more paper. It's all about making and doing.

A gourmet food store, because you are what you eat. It's all about feeding
yourself and your soul. I do love cooking and eating. Except I'd rather go to a really good farmer's market than a gourmet food store.

A hoity toity boutique, because you'd rather have the experience of shopping
gracefully than anything. It's all about quality time.


And here's the last chance to make sure that you're not going to get a
"Jelly of the Month" club membership when you're expecting your bonus for a
swimming pool:

It is important to me that the items chosen for me
are things you have fun choosing: no angels, please, but for the most part, I'm not hard to please. And I will think it's a fun adventure to learn about you by what things you choose.
(Examples: respect my Wal-Mart boycott, are vegan, aren't made by child or
sweatshop labour, can be stuffed down my pants)

And

If I could suggest that you read only one post from my archives, this would
be it, although you might find that 10 by 10 series linked in my right navigation bar is probably a more well-rounded set of random facts about me, generally. My favorite posts, though, are about Curious Girl.

And

If I were to name the Holiday of my choice for this exchange, it would be:
The Winter Holiday of Our Choice. We celebrate more Hanukkah than Christmas, although our extended families celebrate Christmas, and the fact that we are usually on the road in the holiday season has created a bit of December angst around here. If you want to read more about that, see this old post. (Please feel free to make one up - but this is
your chance to say "Um, I'm Jewish but that doesn't mean give me dreidels!"
or "More Santa decorations please - I only have thirty-seven now." or
"Winter and gifts yes; religious denominations, no - if only all cards could
be like those politically correct corporate holiday wishes!" if you want to.
Or, you know FESTIVUS!)