Mood: ‘The Christmas Song’, Nat King Cole
Not entirely sure who this questionnaire comes from, but saw it posted a few times, so copied, pasted and took out other answers, QED. As I am in a writing mood, I figured, what the heck, why not?
1. How did you spend your Thanksgiving?
I suppose the more or less traditional way: began cooking first thing in the morning and getting the feast ready for early afternoon. After the eating was done, I began decorating for Christmas with “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ playing in the background. Traditional for me for the past 40 years, I picked up the first read of my annual Sherlock Holmes book reads.
2. Do you shop on Black Friday?
My mother was not in the habit of raising mentally deficient children; No.
3. Any family traditions for Thanksgiving?
Family? Other than the sharing of cooking chores, which are more for me with parents of 86 years of age, not really. Once upon a time, my mother and I would decorate my dad’s dental office the weekend after, but as he is retired and living far away from that old practice, this no longer happens.
4. Favorite outdoor winter activities?
When I lived in Alaska and the snow was good enough for it, a sleigh ride in the Matanuska Valley; gorgeous!
5. Who's putting up a Christmas tree?
6. Do you give to any charities during the holidays?
Almost always give a toy or two to Toys For Tots. Will be doing this next weekend.
7. Morning person or night owl?
More morning than not, but I can still stay up past midnight!
8. Back to Thanksgiving what are you thankful for?
A good job; my parents still with us; good health; family; finishing my first book after a decade.
9. In love or looking for love?
Not actively looking, but always open to the possibility. I can say I am in Love with a few women I have known for a while, as the love I feel for them is true and deep, but either distance or circumstance makes a relationship, other than friend, unlikely in the extreme.
10. Shop early or wait to the last minute for your holiday gifts?
A combination of both; if I see something during the year that would be perfect, I get it. Else, when Thanksgiving hits, I start actively looking in earnest.
11. Question for the models, tell us about your first time modeling nude?
Not a model, but the first nude pics of me were shared within a month of my birth…
12. Question for the members, what's your favorite things you love about the SG website?
I would be the kind of lie to get me struck down by lightning were I to say I wasn’t enthralled with the female form, so seeing them here is definitely a titillating thrill, of course. As well, the artistry not only of the photography but of the tattoos is enchanting, as well as the stories that have been shared behind those tattoos. as well, i have met some gorgeous women, both mentally as well as physically!
13. Favorite indoor activities during the winter months?
Reading, writing, cooking and baking. If I had a FWB or gf…😉
14. Something simple we don't know about you?
I am left-handed.
15. Craziest thing or funniest thing you've done lately?
In the ‘craziest’ category, it is a tie between two things: finishing my first book after a decade of writing and after some 30 years starting up an RPG pen and paper campaign once more…
16. Any family traditions for Christmas?
On Christmas Eve we usually fix up a snack bar of finger foods and adult bevvies and watch the 50s film ‘White Christmas’. We open gifts and empty stocking on Christmas morning and then break to make our Christmas dinner. Then eat it.
17. Somethings you hate about the holidays?
I have found that as we advance in the number of Christmases, there are less and less friends and family that make it to the next one. Most of those people have wonderful memories associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, and their loss makes the time of year a bit poignant. This last year we lost my mother’s last remaining sibling. I had been planning a birthday surprise for my Mom, where her sister would surprise her for a visit, and the plan was in motion and was going to happen. It was a week and a half before that visit that her sister passed. Rough. So, with her loss, one of my best friends over a year ago (one I helped to find the joy of Christmas after decades of having lost it) and my brother, with whom I have the greatest Christmas memories, all gone, it makes Christmas a bit sad.
18. How did you spend your Halloween?
I had a party with friends in the Bradicombs; I made pumpkin stew baked in pumpkins and we had a few party games
19. Your plans for New Year's?
None, other than to spend it somewhat quietly, reading more than likely, drinking enough so that when the fireworks begin the cats freaking out and knocking shit over doesn’t bother me so much. Then: sleep.
20. Share a Christmas memorie?
For many years, my brother Doug, the one who passed, crafted Santa letters for our older brother’s kids. Doug would write them and I would illustrate them. Some of the best memories associated with these was my flying out of Alaska to visit the older brother’s kids’s family for Christmas and sitting in an airport McDonalds or Burger King illustrating those letters during a layover.
Of course, those kids eventually grew out of such letters, but when Doug had his daughter, we started up with them again when she was old enough. After he passed, our older brother and I picked up that mantle, this time out sister-in-law writing them with me, the older brother using his calligraphy skills to mimic Doug’s Santa writing, and I doing my usual illustrating. It was only a few years ago that she, too, grew out of the need of those letters.
That’s an example of one from, obviously, 2000, that one of Santa’s elves actually ‘wrote’ because Santa was too busy to attend to personally writing.
