Christmas Party

Jean's party was fun last night! We do an ornament exchange every year, where people draw numbers to determine order and each person either opens a wrapped ornament or steals an opened ornament from someone else. The exchange ends when the number one person gets to choose whether to keep her ornament or trade with someone.

I hadn't heard of the Night Before Christmas game, but we talked about it. It sounds like a really fun way to exchange ornaments, too!

We drank my Ménage à Trois Moscato at the party. It's not very sweet. It was fine, but definitely not a typical Moscato.


Saturday 9: I Will Survive

1. What in 2011 has proved to you that you are a survivor?
Absolutely nothing, which is good!

2. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
Only once or twice, years ago. I wouldn't do it today, because there are so many other methods of communication. If the person wants to talk to you, they can just contact you another way.

3. Are you REALLY ready for the holidays?
Yeah. It's low key this year, so no biggie. I still need one more gift and I have to wrap everything.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid?
Nope. Although I see how it would have made for a really cute story right at this moment.

5. What niche network do you watch the most?
HGTV

6. Have you ever seen the ocean?
Many many times. I grew up near the ocean.

7. Have you ever been hospitalized?
A few times... for a couple of surgeries, Lauren's birth and a life-threatening lung thing that completely disappeared and remains a medical mystery today.

8. What do you think of the US Republican candidates for president?
Mitt Romney- Very slick and politician-y. I hate that. I don't trust what he's saying.
Newt Gingrich- I don't like all his personal life problems. Not that most politicians don't have issues of personal integrity, but his are front and center. He is a polarizing individual I don't think would be able to get anything done. I've always found him just plain irritating.
Rick Perry- It's like Bush, Jr. all over again. Just... no. Let's not be the laughing stock of the world.
Michele Bachman- Far too conservative. A little "out there."
Ron Paul- His ideas are too fringe for him to be a realistic candidate.

Those are all the ones I know. If the Republicans can't come up with anyone I like, I'll abstain from voting for president next year. My general feeling about Obama is that he had the skills and an incredible opportunity to motivate Congress to work together, but as soon as he ran up against his first challenge with them, he gave up. He could have hung in there and chiseled away at the divides, but he just threw up his hands. He seems to approach the presidency as a drudgery, and I am surprised he's running again. There's intense pressure for the incumbent to run again though, so I get it.

Donald Trump said he might run as an Independent. Can you imagine? *shudder* He would probably commercialize the whole thing. "And now, live from the House of Representatives chamber, it's the State Farm State of the Union Address, with your host, Mario Lopez!!"

9. Could you imagine life without a computer?
And have to go to the library or own a set of encyclopedias to look up information? And use snail mail? And a typewriter? What a nightmare.