1. Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas? We had this very mailbox and every year, I wanted to use it for my letter to Santa. But my mom enjoyed watching us on Santa's lap, and so we went. I found it kind of embarrassing, but it made her so happy that it felt like my job as her kid at Christmas.
2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I try to be good, so I'll put myself on the Nice list as a reward for the effort.
3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest? I shipped all my presents this year, even to my friend Kathleen who lives less than a mile away. As I recover from Covid19, I'm not celebrating with anyone in person. The one that went farthest traveled 1,940 miles. I sent my oldest friend a silly coin purse printed with a saying that references her outsized love of coffee, and I slipped a gift card in it. I know she's broke, but I also wanted to give her something that will make her smile and feels more personal and festive than just money.
4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? Yes. I bought myself a 6' aluminum step ladder. I haven't used it yet, but I like knowing that I can safely change my smoke detector and do other such chores. (I used to put a pair of thick reference books on my top step of my step ladder and teeter ... not a good plan.)
5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year? There's a version of A Christmas Carol I'm going to watch on YouTube. A Diva's Christmas Carol stars Vanessa Williams as Ebenezer Scrooge/Diana Ross. She's very good -- pretty, in fine voice, and convincingly imperious, which makes her late-night conversion from naughty to nice great fun.
6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day? No. But I miss going to the movies so much! I can't wait for my local theater to reopen.
7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party? It wasn't the Christmas party, but I did embarrass myself thoroughly and will disclose no more.
8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather? I can't drink liquor right now, so my answer is Bigelow Salted Caramel Tea. My aunt sent it to me. I love how it smells as I bring the mug up to lips.
9. Share a memory from last Christmas. I was in Key West last year (and hopefully will be again next year). Our big meal on Christmas Day was lunch, and then Henry, Reg and I opened gifts and laughed a lot with Reg's lifelong friend, Patrick, who was staying with them from Maine. After a few hours, Patrick and I split an Uber back to town and my hotel. We had a couple slices of pieces of pizza at the hotel bar and got to know each other better. It's the first time we spent any time alone together. After all, I'm Henry's friend and he's Reg's. It was nice. If Henry and I are family, that makes me and Patrick in laws. I like that.
