…Meg and Christmas!
1. My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story.
Luckily for me, they show this movie all day on December 25.
2. But I also love It’s A Wonderful Life.
3. And Die Hard!
4. Watching movies on Christmas Day is a long-standing holiday tradition in my family. Because dropping the kids off at the Cineplex at the mall after opening presents (and church) is what many parents did back in the 70s and 80s on December 25, so the adults could have some peace and quiet (also, mimosas).
5. He Who Shall Not Be Named In This Blog says that’s how his best friend saw Deliverance on Christmas Day when he was 12.
6. My favorite Christmas carol is Carol of the Bells.
7. The best (and yet worst) Christmas present I ever got was a gorgeous patent leather purse that HWSNBNITB’s brother and sister-in-law gave me. It was the best because I was completely broke and needed a new bag, and this one was AMAZING.
8. It was the worst because the day after I got it, I took it to a Christmas Day dinner party in someone’s fancy Upper East Side apartment in New York City…
9. …from which it disappeared…with one of the other dinner guests!
10. Weirdly, everyone at the party (except myself and my husband) had graduated from Harvard.
11. This is the only time I was ever robbed in the entire 15 years I lived in New York City.
12. Robbed! On Christmas Day! By someone who went to Harvard!
Edited to add later: I think it’s fitting that the one time I felt completely safe from theft– dinner party in a fancy apartment; distinguished guests from an Ivy League school; major holiday; etc–I got robbed.
I deserved it…for being so stupid!
13. HWSNBNITB says the worst gift he ever got was a Disney video of Aladdin.
(I really wanted to see it!)
14. HWSNBNITB and I do not exchange gifts at Christmas anymore.
15. It’s the thought that counts!
16. This Christmas Day, He Who Shall Not Be Named In This Blog and I plan on watching Four Christmases.
(I’ve never seen it!)
(I checked to make sure in advance…he wants to see it, too!)
17. Everyone who meets me through my husband assumes we’re Jewish, because he wears glasses, has dark hair, is super smart, and his last name is Egnatz.
18. My husband is not Jewish. Although it’s possible his Hungarian ancestors were.
19. My ancestors’ real name wasn’t Cabot (rhymes with rabbit). It was Caputo (rhymes with…nothing. Probably why they changed it).
20. I was too busy with deadlines and tending to HWSNBNITB’s broken ankle to put up a tree, so our friend Cathy, who is French, offered to decorate our tiny fake pink tree for us!
She even asked her husband, who is handy, to fix the dead pink lights for us.
Moral: Always say yes when a French woman offers to decorate your tree for you.
21. My favorite food at Christmas is peppermint bark.
22. I have already gained 3 pounds from eating so much of it this year.
23. If I’d been Mary, I’d have been all, “What? A manger? You have to be kidding me. What kind of innkeeper are you? Are you there, God? It’s me, Mary. And I’m outta here.”
Then I’d have taken out my American Express card, called 1-800 Air Ambulance, and had myself emergency air lifted to Mount Sinai….
Mount Sinai Maternity Ward in Beverly Hills, thank you very much!
24. Henrietta and Gem were quite naughty this year, and are getting lumps of coal.
Look at that face! How crabby is that?
Who me? I haven’t been going into other people’s houses and hiding under their beds.
(Yes! She has! She’s so naughty!)
25. In contrast, YOU all have been extremely good.
So I’m giving you a sneak peek of the third book in the Airhead trilogy (the release date has been moved up to April 20! Just for you!), Runaway:
Click here to read it!
Enjoy!
And have the most fantastic holiday ever!
More later.
Much love,
Meg
