Another Christmas Post

And so this is Christmas...

As I previously mentioned, I'm not much of a fan of Christmas. There's probably some deep sub-conscious things going on that a therapist could put his kids through grad school on. Whatever.

Let's be positive today!

We opened our gifts early this year. Like, last week.

I was extremely blessed this year. Not just by the freaking AWESOME gifts I got, but by the people I have in my life to share holidays with.

This is America. I am 100% American white kid through and through. Let's talk presents.

When my sister and I were kids we had mountains of presents. Like crazy amounts of presents. The Christmas I was 4 or so, I got a Barbie Convertible I could drive around. And at 5am Christmas morning, drive it around I did. Through the house. Crashing into tables, walls, doors, etc. Probably making my parents very thankful they had 12 years to go before they'd have to deal with me behind the wheel of a real car.

As we got older the mountain of presents dwindled. Naturally, the older you get the more expensive/cooler presents you want. A lot of my Christmases tend to blend together and I couldn't remember one way or another what I may have gotten. But there have been some fantastic OMFG things in the years.

When I was 12, I got a Dennis Rodman Chicago Bulls Jersey. Bad ass.

I got a skateboard at 15. When I sprained my ankle learning how to do a trick, it was pretty much dunzo. It lasted the summer.

I am not too proud to admit that when I was 16 I got a whole shitload of WWE Action figures, including the TitanTron set where the figures' theme music would play when you put them on the display stand. SO COOL. I wish I still had it. I also got a light up Camel like you put in your yard's nativity scene. I was a weirdo for a teenager. I DEMANDED this camel. Its still somewhere in Michigan, rocking out in my sister's garage.

At 17 I mostly got CD's I wanted (I believe that year it was Finch and Jimmy Eat World) and clothes. The highlight of that Christmas was a framed picture of me and my dad from when I was 6. And my boyfriend at the time got me the complete series of My So-Called Life on DVD. Win!

When I was 19 I had my first Christmas where I lived on my own. I put up mistletoe and stockings in my house, but that was about it. That year I got a 25 inch television that we still use to this day. Amazing. I was so stoked. I still love the shit out of that TV. Sanyo is whats up, y'all.

My 20th Christmas was probably my favorite (until this year). We were having a hard year financially, but my mom made my whole year. I got the first six Harry Potter books (which I read within 2 weeks) but the most prized possession I ever had came that year. I got a 4th generation iPod Video. It was white and beautiful. I named it Betsy, and I was inseparable from it for the next four years (until some asshole stole it, but I digress).

The next few Christmases were low-key and I can't think of anything that stands out. My homegirl Sera sent me an amazing Christmas package last year which included a rockin' CD and the snow you can make at home. Making my first Christmas in Florida so it wasn't a snow-less one. ♥

This year, however. I hit the freaking jackpot. I got an amazing mixed CD and book. My big sister bought me LOST season six on DVD. My best friends got me The Complete Series (and movies!) of Daria, and Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" on vinyl.
But the biggest, sweetest of them all. I got my long-awaited and desperately pined over Record Player. Its the sweet kind that's in a suitcase and is so bad ass and awesome.
So of course, I immediately logged on and found myself a copy of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison on vinyl.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

I realize Christmas isn't really about presents. It's about the people you have in your life and appreciating the love and blessings you have in your life. To me, though, part of appreciating someone and what they mean to you is showing them you pay attention to them. Even if its something small like, "You always bitch how you don't have enough shot glasses, here's a novelty set of Family Guy shot glasses!"

While we're on the subject of presents, you have 6 months and 18 days left of shopping for my 26th birthday! Just kidding. Kind of.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas with your families and friends. I hope this Christmas is memorable, and you get that one present you've been anxiously awaiting all year.

Christmas Confessions

Christmas is upon us. We're under the 2 week mark at this point. It's impossible to not be thinking about Christmas every day. I feel like I should come clean about how I feel about Christmas.

I love presents. Not just getting them (although, I LOVE getting gifts!) but finding the perfect present for someone. While I'm a disaster at wrapping presents, I get into that too.

As kids, Christmas was always a big deal. As my sister and I got older, we got to be really bratty about it. Begging and begging to open presents early. And at first it was a few presents on Christmas Eve. Then it was ALL of our presents on Christmas Eve. Then, when we all got to the age of "We work different jobs/shifts" we'd open our presents as much as 14 days early.
I'd like to say I'm a patient person and just our scheduling caused us to open presents early. Which, for the most part, is true. However. I am a typical youngest child. Even at 25, I will sit and shake presents and beg and beg and beg to open JUST ONE present early.

I love Christmas music. In our family, it is a given rule. It is not Christmas until you hear "Happy XMas (The War Is Over)" by John Lennon. One year (my last Christmas in Michigan, actually) I didn't hear Happy Xmas until 7pm on Christmas Day in a random gas station. I was alone and burst out laughing. That's when it felt like Christmas.
I try to find lots of punk covers of Christmas songs, or just unique versions. (Check out My Chemical Romace's version of "All I Want For Christmas (Is You)". Delightful)

Some of my best memories of Christmas include my dad. Which, of course, are some of my best memories in general. I miss my dad every single day, but never more than I do in December. His birthday is December 1st, Christmas was a big deal for us as kids. And we lost him in January, not long after we'd taken the Christmas tree down.

So, this is the part where I get real and deep with you, dear void.

I am not a fan of Christmas in general. I am very bah-humbuggy. I wish there was just one week of Christmas, rather than the two months leading up to it. I don't like putting up Christmas decorations or fiddling with crap. While I like Christmas music, I really only like it for about 4 days of the whole Christmas season (but I will listen to Christmas songs in July and love the crap out of them).

I never liked family functions, and am glad to be rid of them, living 1600 miles from my family. In Florida we don't do a big Christmas dinner with ham and the fixin's. We go out for Chinese. We don't make a point to watch Holiday movies around Christmas time. I'm more likely to watch Christmas movies in the spring or summer than at Christmas.

A lot of my friends are disappointed to learn that I feel this way about Christmas. The truth is, I'm much more of a New Year's Eve person. Get all dressed up and drunk and kiss everyone in sight? That is MY holiday! Christmas? Eh.

When I was 16, my sister had moved from Michigan to Vermont. It was our first Christmas as a family where we were apart. My mom and I discussed it, and decided to for-go a Christmas tree. With just the two of us, there wasn't really a need for a big to-do.
We didn't get a Christmas tree again. For ten years.

Every year at Christmas my mom asks me, "Are you sure you don't want a tree? Would you like to put up some decorations?" And every year is a resounding no. We'll wait till there's young kids to decorate for. Which, judging by my sister and I, could be a while.
This year however, my best friends put up a gorgeous tree, which I couldn't help but talk about for a good hour. My company hosted a huge Christmas party with beautiful trees and lights and really got me in the Christmas spirit. My neighborhood has a Christmas Light competition, and I've enjoyed looking at the lights.

My mom took this as a sign: Tagan Needs A Christmas Tree.

We bought a cute little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree a few weeks ago, and I've been quite delighted with that. So adorable.

Apparently, it wasn't good enough.

I came home last night to a decent sized (fake) Christmas tree with just lights on it, and a box of neighbor-donated ornaments sitting on the floor. So, not to be a brat, I took my mom's gesture in good stride and decorated the Christmas tree. I enjoyed myself as I always did when we had a Christmas tree. The tree is pretty. My mom put a lot of effort into getting it set up while I was at work so I'd be surprised.

So maybe this year I'm less Ebenezer and a little more Buddy the Elf. (Smiling IS my favorite)

Either way, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season. Filled with good memories, family and friends, the perfect present, and only a mildly overwhelming amount of Christmas music.

** Fun Note ** I did, indeed, listen to Christmas music while writing this blog. "A Santa Cause: A Punk Rock Christmas". Great album.