*Intermission*

In between dropping into clinic for bloods, following two people into an examination room - both of whom thought the other was holding the door open for me- the door then closing in my face and knocking me back slightly with a *clunk* noise, clearly making me question my foot-door coordination (and my feathery body weight); having the new doctor profusely apologise to me when I managed to enter the room, and then having him drop the empty test bottles on the floor causing them to roll every which way and having him apologise profusely again (in a crazy, mad scientist way/voice, but really, really friendly) and then having him get my blood first time, I'm rather tired.

Only joking, I did manage to accomplish slightly more than that with my day (actually a LOT more than that) and I blame that for my tiredness. Plus it's 11pm so that's a natural 'I'm tired' time. I have enough excuses, OK?!

Oh also, this is my 601st post. Seems I have an uncanny ability to type when I have absolutely zilcho to talk about - it reflects real life really...

To Begin...

It isn't going to 'all about me' (geddit??) as it usually is. My health is, in general, good. I have a constant cough and I'm still productive and I fear I've fallen into the hole that is 'acceptance', a hole which is a dangerous one to be in. This cough isn't right. But I'm putting on weight, it's not stopping me so why bother bothering about it? But that's all for another day... I'll mention it when in for bloods tomorrow, so we'll see. The brake pedal isn't working on my life right now and so I continue to spin into insanely busy days! Bazza....

A while ago a topic about being labelled 'inspirational' came up on a message board I lurk on. Some people found this label annoying and some, bizarrely, found the term offensive. I would never, ever see myself as inspirational or inspiring in any way, shape or form and if someone were to claim I was then I'd kindly ask them to put their glasses back on. But aside from the arguing of what, who, where, how a person/place/thing is inspirational, I think this has far less to do with that person and what they do, and more to do with the person who takes inspiration from that person/place/thing. Does that makes sense? I think not. Let me put it this way:

Suppose you are someone who clumsily tripped on a banana skin and twisted your ankle, ending you up on crutches. Not that that has happened to anyone I know but, anyway. Every day you take your elderly neighbour lunch. Today is no exception, except you have to do it while on crutches. A horrible nuisance.

Now view it from a bystander who sees a crippled person (is that PC?) on crutches slowly make their way to a neighbour's house, carrying with them lunch for the elderly neighbour. To them, they see this as a 'wow, look what that person has to do and here I am, perfectly able, and perfectly lazy'. They see you and are inspired to do something good.

And yet, you're just simply getting on with what you usually do, albeit slowed down, ultimately due to your clumsiness.

Not exactly getting my point across here very well, but what I'm saying is a person doesn't have to scale mountains, run around the world in 30 days, survive 18,092 diseases with no arms and no legs and then go on to enter and win a triathlon (I don't know why all my examples involve sport...) to be viewed as inspiring because fundamentally it's not about what they do but rather how people perceive them.

And so brings me to the next three things I've seen recently: 1. Slumdog Millionaire.
2. Auschwitz: The Man Who Told the World
3. The Pursuit of Happyness.

Now if I hadn't rambled, I'd be able to say what I wanted to say in the first paragraph but for now I have to go to bed. So I'll say in fancy italics, followed by three tantalising fullstops....To be Continued...

Unoffical Interview Debrief

Following an job interview I had on Saturday:

"If I was going to give you a debrief, the one thing I'd say is that, I know myself that I talk fast but good grief, you talk incredibly fast"

What can I say? I have a lot of things to say and just not enough time to say them all!

New Beginnings

We finish class at about 12.50 every Tuesday and so the day became known as 'Cinema Tuesday'. We'd head down to the cinema, get cheapo prices and see a good film. Today was no different, except that I had to go watch Barack Obama's inauguration at 4.30. And yes, I had to go.

When I told my friends the reason for my absence, they mostly stared at me in silence, and a tumbleweed floated by. I apologised but told them I had to watch it, because I had to watch it. One half of my friends really haven't much interest in politics of any description which is fair enough, I have very little interest in football - each to their own.

So I was driving over to my friends house to watch the ceremony and was running a little late when I got a text from one of the cinema Tuesday groupies saying "We don't like giving presentations, imagine speaking in front of that amount of people". I was highly confused not knowing what he was on about and then I clicked, he must be watching Obama.

And that's a pretty incredible thing- someone who has zero interest in politics was swept up and became interested enough to take a peek at this momentous occasion.

And that's just the beginning...

Another Aspect

Amongst other things, I'm an accomplished belly dancer. I don't have a certificate that proves that, but it's true. I've never applied for any jobs as a belly dancer, and really, I don't know why. But I'm a bendy person- my arms bend too far, if I weren't so against gymnastics, I'd be able to do the crab with ease, but alas at nearly 5"4, I'm a bit of a bean pole to people in that world.

So anyway, back to the belly dancing. I can belly dance at the drop of a hat, except on rare occasions such as today, where the only thing it looks like I'll be dropping is a baby. **Let's make it perfectly clear I'm not planning on dropping a baby, but I wouldn't look out of place shopping in Mothercare judging my appearance**

It's shocking really. And it's uncomfortable. The only way to describe it is if you ate a massive lunch which gets no further than your stomach. You're still hungry for food at dinner but your head tells you that there's nowhere for meal two to go. But you have to eat! So you do.

I knocked back some anti-acid, some creon (for digestion) and some motillium (to speed up the bloatiness). My baby look has decreased somewhat, but I reckon I'd still get (a) dirty looks from older ladies and/or (b) a seat offered to me on the bus.

These problems are very common to people with CF, I'm just (thankfully) not much of a 'digestion' girl so this is a bit of a rare occurrence. I'm actually not allowed see my CF team anymore, which seems a bit hard to believe- I still have CF right? Digestive issues related to CF aren't the speciality of a lung transplant team after all. As it happens, I actually went and saw my old CF team last year anyway, slightly behind the backs of my transplant team (who said i shouldn't go - hi to any of my transplant team who may be reading this by the way- now you know how I know that my vitamin levels good enough that I don't need to take vitamins ;-) ), but it frustrates me that I have to do it in such a way.

I may point out that I'm very fond of the transplant clinic staff who look after me and who always accommodate me whenever I ring up and feel like giving them riddles to solve, but whether it's a control thing, politics or what...it frustrates me that teams can't all sing off the same hymn sheet.

Manic

As I think I mentioned before, this past week has been totally and utterly mental. Starting this week however, I will get Wednesdays off. I will therefore, from now on, view these as my sleep in until stupid o'clock study days.

I still managed to find time to go out both nights this weekend which was great. Although on Friday, having eaten a whole pizza, two kit-kats and 3/4 tub of ice-cream, I seemed to develop a head cold over the space of a few hours. Just very sinus-ey and sneezy. But I don't know if that could be from the ice-cream- the dairy causing me problems. I mean I've never had a cold develop over the course of about two hours like that, but I suppose it can happen!...can't it?

But there's about two weeks or so left of January and then I can offically say I've had a good start to the year :)

I have a very, very long list of people to call this week ranging from the insurance companies to booking my surgery (again) to former employers. So it will be slightly less manic but mental all the same. With a Wedensday off to break up the week :)

Upsee-Datey

Pre-warning: This blog is about nothing.

I got my flu jab. Apparently I'm the only one who calls them 'jabs'. I was told that next year I should get it in October and not leave it so late. Which is a fair point. In my case, this has been the first opportunity to receive it as you have to be well or....something. And every time I asked I was told to wait. Which is a fair point too.

So it's Thursday already and I've got a list the length of my arm of things I have to do. I feel accomplished a lot this week and yet still feel there's a mountain to climb with getting on top of everything.

I have my full, 9-6pm day tomorrow, followed by babysitting. I have a job interview of sorts next weekend so I will be spending the time leading up to that organising/getting that dreaded medical, a background check...gulp - I'm praying I don't do something awful with my car between now and then, or insult a policeman...and going over application forms, smiling for passport pictures and hunting down my references. It's quite a fun process really. I just hope something comes out of it all.

Oh actually, something already has- I signed up for my 10 week first aid course! I think everyone should have some sort of basic training anyway and we had a few sessions in school but I've never been certified with anything. And I was in school a million years ago. But because I want it to look good on my CV and application forms to (be able to) save lives, it if nothing comes from any of my plans for the summer, I'll be a bit more educated on how to give the kiss of life!

Falling through the gap...

I finished school in 2005, which makes me feel rather old, because it's my ten year primary school reunion this year. Well the reunion that has yet to be organised and nobody will probably organise it except that I've dropped LOADS of clever hints to primary school people I'm still friendly/in touch with. You know like 'Oh so have you heard anything more about this reunion yet? I heard it's in "name of pub"', that way it sounds like someone has been organising something but secretly nobody has. It's kind of like me passing the buck, except I never had the buck to begin with. I don't want the buck!

Anyway, all that aside, I'm getting old. Well, not old as such, but not any younger. Except that I look so freakishly young, that I'm able to pass as a 16 year old still. But that's not the point either. So I graduated school in 2005 and along with all my friends started college into either 3 or 4 year degree courses. Except about two months in, I took a detour to hospital and skip the long story which has been told a Brazillion times before, I ended up restarting college two years later.

My best friends are ones I went to school with and our group has, so far, survived the leaving school goodbye and we keep in touch really well. But those friends all went and did the travelling things at all the proper stages. The year I had my transplant, some of them went interrailing. The year I was recovering and not allowed back to college, half went to live in America for the summer, and the others went travelling through Asia. Then last year I got to do interrailing with the girls who hadn't been before and it was definitely fun. But it also marked the end of the student travelling and having fun life as most of them knew it.

My two best friends are working (in a proper grown up job) and studying for a Masters (hello!!! Yikes). My other...'options as travel buddies' (it's easier then going through how I know each person specifically) are also either Master studying or working or on placement.

My friends who I'm in college with are all working through the summer to earn money, which I totally respect them for I might add.

But it kind of means I have fallen through the gap. The girls are past the stage of travelling and road tripping and the next stage for them (possibly in a year or two) will be Australia. And then they will be proper, officially, scarily grown up. The college group aren't (this year, anyway) organised enough to go travelling.

So where does that leave me? Well I did a lot of research and thinking and researching and thinking and discussing and option analysing and I found what would be a great solution. As long as I can pass a friggin' medical. Me. A medical.

Excuse me while I get sick from laughing.

Actually, laughing aside, I'm pretty sure I would do great in a physical medical - my heart/blood pressure/pulse are definitely all perfect. My sight is pretty perfect too, I'm not even colourblind (I hope everyone loves my new red font by the way)! BUT, if medical history counts for anything, well...the problem may be that the doctor runs out of ink before he's finished writing it all down so thus the medical will be deemed incomplete.

But we'll have to see. It's not like I'm trying out for the army or anything. The mystery will be revealed if I don't pass out while they try to get blood from me during my medical anyway. But, I guess what I'm trying to say is that if we sit around waiting for the ideal time to come our way and for it to present us with the ideal opportunity on a plate then we could be waiting for a while. And that in my case anyway, life is about seeking out and stepping outside the comfort zone if you want to see what life can really offer you.

Diet...

So I've been eating a lot lately. And I don't mean bigger portions, or indeed extra portions, I mean bigger meals and extra meals. Being that the stomach is an expandable muscle (I remember that from school, not some cheap wikipedia-ing I might add), it makes sense the more you put into it, the bigger it gets and thus the more it expects.

It's really in the last few weeks (since Christmas) I've noticed that I'm hungry all the time. If I was an ordinary person I'd probably consider this a problem and seek medical advice, but being that I'm not an ordinary person, I won't.

For one, if there's something medically wrong which is causing me to eat like a horse, I probably already know about it. Diabetes, steroid use, digestion issues, being a greedy person - they all cause excessive hunger.

Secondly, even if there is another underlying (or under-under-under-under-underlying in my case) cause, I actually could be doing with putting on weight anyway, so I'll leave it a few months before I go investigating I think. I mean, if it ain't broke, whaaa fix ut? Or if its brokeness has advantages why go meddling.


So anyway, I have noticed I've put on a couple of pounnds since Christmas to be fair. Well, a few more than people probably expect. So, I contacted a little known, hide away American TV station to tell them about my problem. They listened with compassion and generously offered me help. I need help. So they whisked me to a photo studio and took my photo in a bright illuminous t-shirt and most unflattering bicycle shorts (which would make any skinny-malink look like a potato in) and I'm not sure what's going to happen from here on out but I already feelbetter about myself. You can judge for yourself.

Back to the real world

I'm actually more excited today as I discovered I only have four months left until summer! And I haven't miraculously discovered how to jump ahead in time (having jumped from five months left on Saturday to four today), I've just discovered how to read the college diary. That four months of course excludes Easter and Midterm holidays too. Gah! Freakaaay...

I had clinic today too. My wheeze/rattle/whatever you want to call it seems to have mostly settled itself. My lung function blows were down a smidgen (from 3.25 to 3.06 Litres), meaning a few weeks ago they were 104% predicted, now they're 99% predicted. And while that's 5% down, it's still fantastic (in my opinion). So we shalln't complain!

I've been put on two oral antibiotics - one week long course and one permanent antibiotic to be taken every other day. That spells disaster for me as it sounds easy enough but I'm an easily confused person. But I suppose, if in doubt, go for the overdose maybe?...Or just take it Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Yes, that makes sense. Until I start second guessing myself and asking whether I'm on the Monday, Wednesday, Friday week or the Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday week, or whether the week starts on the Monday or the Sunday and how does this help or hinder my confusion.

The secretary then glared at me when I told her I wanted an appointment for two months time. She muttered something about 'Oh they'll be on to me to double check that later'. I'm supposing this is reference to the fact that I'm always there, all the time and nobody can remember the last time I was set free for more than a few weeks. I was then reminded by two people to 'call if i have a problem or if I feel unwell' and 'be sure to call if you're not right'. I call that cautious optimism. What's the worst that can happen to me?!

...oh wait, something about two mysterious blood clots and a dose of septicemia sound familiar alright...

PS: Greetings to (not my) Aunt Karen!

The Last Weekend...

...Before I head back to college. I'm pretty excited that I only have 5 months left, which in all context is very little. And then I'm officially half way through my degree! Next year is when the really hard work begins, but I'll be pleased to get this year behind me. I got some college catch up work done the last couple of days (which is a first for me, considering I need a deadline with a cattle prod over my head to convince me to do work). I really, really, reallllly need to catch up on a lot of work I've missed so far this year, and the thought of sitting repeat exams at the end of the summer is definitely not an appealing one.

At the same point, I'm going to (hopefully) get a bit of work covered tomorrow, and then go down the country for the last of my Christmas break. In fact, if I time it right, I should be back up to Dublin within 15 minutes of my lecture- talk about getting the most out of my break!

Unfortunately - and I worry about how often I use that word in blogs these days - that cold (which despite still feeling really strong despite-can I say 'despite' twice like that?) seems to have travelled a bit. I seem to be experiencing asthmatic symptoms - wheeze, etc- but there is an undeniable rattle in my breathing at the moment.

I'm off to clinic this week anyway, so as I say, considering I feel otherwise great, it will be down to lung function tests to determine treatment. Let's hope *this* year will be the first year in history of having no IVs, but if I have to have them, then so be it. I'd rather be healthy and fixed than be breathlessly trying to make the point that I didn't need IVs in 2009 after all!

Besides, if I were Chinese, I would have until the 26th of January before the new year began.

And anyone will tell you, I've always been a fan of Chinese!

But what do they call their good china in China one wonders...

A New Year!

I've just finished ringing in the new year here (Hootenanny!). I can't believe it's 2009 already - 2008 was a year filled with incredible highs and experiences which I hope I will never forget. My health was a bit naughty at times but thankfully, I am SO fortunate that overall, despite everything, I'm actually standing better than I was this time last year (lung function up, weight about the same!). And it is of course, because of the 'blips' in life we experience, that we are given the sight to treasure and appreciate the good times even more- they are not without their purpose.

I would make resolutions but for fear of feeling terribly guilty about not fulfilling them or sticking to them I won't. I'll make a 'hope' list instead.

As always I see the marking of a new year, the marking of a new beginning: a chance to make changes for the better or, a chance to identify the things we are doing good in in life and work at keeping them this way.

Life is all about balance - well for me it's the ever illusive goal (it has replaced the 'get my lungs to function at 100%' goal I was chasing after and which I attained last year). To find the happy medium between work and play, health and enjoyable risk, party and sleep, not caring about eating but still maintaining my weight, and a million other fine tunable boundaries, that's what a happy life is all about for me.

And if I could refrain from using cheesy mottos and expressions, I'd feel a bit more intelligent. But the puns can stay. I like a good pun. And bad jokes. Those too can stay.

Happy New Year! May 2009 bring you everything you hope for in life :)

S'all over...

So Christmas is over, St Stephen's Day is over....alas it's all over. Until New Year's Eve and day that is.

We had a lovely, enjoyable, quiet family Christmas this year. It was nice to have everyone home and around the house.

The holidays have mainly consisted of watching films either on Sky or on DVD. I've started watching DVDs whilst doing my nebuliser now which helps pass the time as well as encourage me to take my nebuliser (which I honestly find theee most boring thing in the world). It's a tip I actually picked up from a small relation of mine who takes a nebuliser and who watches a 30 minute programme whilst doing so. Unfortunatly I can't watch Backyardigans though. Anyway, I only watch as much of the DVD as my nebuliser allows, so it's a bit like reading a book. So far I've watched Belleville Rendez-Vous and The Prestige- both excellent films.

I picked up some cold thing on Christmas day, but thank goodness I felt strong throughout its course. I prescribed myself some antibiotics to be on the safe side though. I had a collection in my medicine cabinet so I assesed my symptoms and prescribed accordingly. I feel a lot less coldy now and just a bit coughy but other than that am right again. Amazingly, it's the first cold of the year for me. Hoo-ray! (About it being the first, not the fact that I got one...)

Other than that, I've a heck of a lot of work to be doing right now. But inbetween crashing my car causing a money's lot of damage and eating the family out of a home because I'm hungry (maybe it's a form of procrastination), I've other things to do.

Hoping you had a great Christmas. xx

Merry Christmas

...From my family to yours. I hope whatever way you celebrate it, and whoever you spend it with, that you have a great day filled with fun, laughter and love.

Santa is a funny fella...

I was finishing off my shopping today (I've realised the weakness of the sterling pound vs the euro and admit it probably would have been a LOT easier to do Internet shopping but alas...) and overheard several tired, stressed out parents use Santa Clause as a good ole' bribe for their children. Nearly all of them spoke about him, in what I would describe as 'whisper spit' - that being low hushed voices that were very snappy.

I heard one boy whine about wanting something or other NOW, and the gentle mother turned around and said 'No, you can put that on your final list to Santa'. Final list??? When does the last draft go out? How many letters do children write these days? What if they forget and need express post and express post isn't fast enough? If this child was smart, he should probably completely change his wishes on the last night, knowing that the parents would have already fulfilled the original list but then would feel guilty that they didn't have time to get this new list sorted so all in all he'd bag a few bonus presents.

Oh, but that wouldn't exactly be the spirit of Christmas.

Then, whilst wandering the aisles of the toy shop, I heard one very loud mother say to her son 'Oh Jack, did you see that rocket jet set? Wouldn't that be really cool to get for Christmas?'. To which I heard no reply. And then she went on 'Wow, wouldn't you be reaaaaally happy if you got that for Christmas? That would be great wouldn't it?'. Again, I heard no reply, so I'm assuming Jack was a bit unenthusiastic and just shrugging his shoulders. 'What do you think Jack? Good isn't it?? I think anyone would be pleased to get that on Christmas morning....? '.

Now if Jack was good at analysing sales pitches in his head, he'd probably figure out that Mother had most likely purchased said overpriced, easily breakable, little itty bits 'Rocket Jet Set' for Jack already. After all, if she hadn't, wouldn't it be a bit mean to go on and on about it? I guarantee she wouldn't be so enthusiastic about it in the middle of April for example.

Then I heard another Mum say to her daughter 'If you don't put that back RIGHT NOW, Santa Clause won't come at all!'. What an impossible thing to say on so many levels. Again, these children should be thinking of their feet and try and work out logically how that would be possible. Does Mum have Santa's mobile number to cancel him?

But who am I to mock these children? I was told by two people when I was eight "about Santa". The facts laid out in front of me. And I refused to believe them.

It was only when I was ten (shockingly old I know!), and three girls were laughing at another girl's innocence in my class in a kind of 'Can you *beee-lieve* her?? Gah!" that the whole world turned to slow motion, as her words filtered through my head, all the pieces of the jigsaw came together and I meekly laughed along with them. Talk about peer pressured bitchiness!

Wait, now what was my point?

Oh yes, spirit of Christmas. And children....

Brrrrr

Wait, it's not cold. It's 12-14 degrees here today. Or for Fahrenheit speakers, that's mid 50s. It makes no sense- it's Christmas time!!!

The Geek Not in Me

I am the owner of a very nice Dell XPS laptop, which above anything else, is light weight and extremely portable.

Tonight I was carrying it up to my room and had it open. I held it like an open book as I walked up the stairs. When I sat down, the screen had rotated sideways. I tried shaking the laptop to get it back to normal. But no amount of shaking or swinging would fix my problem.

Instead, I (being addicted to the Internet for short periods) continued to go about my browsing in a most complicated way. The mouse work was what confused me the most. It was a bit like when you see yourself on a television screen in a shop and you're moving backwards to what you actually are....if that makes sense.

After about 10 minutes, I had the brainwave to google my problem. It turns out my stomach managed to press Ctrl + Alt + an arrow key to rotate the screen, which is pretty impressive. I just naively thought my laptop knew when to switch if it was hanging upside down.

Home Again

My trip to Rhode Island was fantastic fun and to say I had a fabulous time with my super cousins would be an understatement. It's a shame that family live so far away, but I suppose it makes one appreciate it when one does get to see them :) Now, if I could just get a flight over to see my other cousins in England *then* all would be perfect.

I left for America last Friday and took two paracetamol tablets before my flight. I was very aware of my leg (what a weird thing to say) in the Airport and had the painkillers on the ready if I needed them. Amazingly though, I haven't had to take any pain relief since that Friday morning- bizarre!

I also finished up my antibiotics the day before my flight and feel super well now, which is great. Of course the fact that I had beautifully healthy meals cooked for me while I was away probably helped too!

I got a good dose of shopping in whilst away too and picked up some great things for the cold weather. I was going to shopping today since I'm up and ready and it's only lunchtime, but then I remembered it's a Saturday and the Saturday before Christmas at that. So maybe another time...

I'm a little bit yawny from my trip home but overall the whole jet lag thing seems to have passed over me once again.

I may stay in tonight and watch a film since we now have Sky Movies (how long was I away?). My sister is now home from hospital, no longer contagious, but still very, very weak (in my opinion), so maybe we'll watch a film together. And argue. It depends how much better she feels.

Up, Up and Away...

I'm just about to go watch Grey's Anatomy, series 3 finale and then I'm going to bed. In the morning, I'm off to America for a week and I cannot wait :)

As it turns out my neighbours are giving a family member a lift to the airport so I'm hitching a ride with them. Of course this means I actually *have* to be on time. This also means, I have to be up early in the morning too. But I'm not complaining!!!

On the health front, my leg is really, really good (touch wood!). I took painkillers today in the morning and that was it.

My sister is doing a lot better too. I can't see her at the moment as she's in isolation, which is a real shame, but by the time I get home next week she'll probably be both better and healthier. I might stress here she is FINE and well on the mend! :D

Hope you have a nice weekend :)

Ahhh-It's half way through December!!

Went to my final clinic for the year. CRP (infection markers in the blood) have come down to below 3, which is normal!! Lung function went up again - now 103% which I'm thrilled at, considering I thought I was coming down with a chest infection last week! I took no painkillers for my leg today- it is still sore to walk around for long periods, but I haven't taken any pain relief so that's a big improvement. I'll probably dose myself up with painkillers tomorrow since I'm satisfied there is a good improvement. College is nearly over for this term. Injections are going grand- I still wince and stick out my tongue and do them so slowwwwwwwly but overall, life is great.

Unfortunately, due to the leg thing, I missed my beautiful goddaughter's christening last weekend, as the pain was just at its peak. But I have plans to go over and spoil her soon.

In other health related spuds, if you could spare a thought for my poor sister who is still ill, that'd be great! Obviously, being a perfectly and unusually healthy person, being anyway ill is obviously hard. So especially now, she could do with good thoughts :)

And finally, because I should be reading, I thought I'd post this Christmas Quiz to pass the time:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both but mostly wrapping paper- depends on my prepard-ness

2. Real tree or Artificial?
Real every year until transplant, now artifical. But you can't beat a real.

3. When do you put up the tree?
December...sometime....early...(this weekend just gone)

4. When do you take the tree down?
January.....sometime...early...

5. Do you like eggnog?
Em, never had it!

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Anything Sylvanian Families related

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My sister

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Parents

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes. Someone keeps sticking the Jesus in, even though he shouldn't be there since he's not technically born yet, so I keep taking him out. And then someone sticks him back in again.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Em....I don't!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I think I've been pretty lucky, or else I've banished any bad present from all memory...

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
I'm useless at sitting through films on TV, but I guess Harry Potter is on TV every year and I like that....but that probably doesn't count as a Christmas movie

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Disastrously late

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don't think so!

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Ooooooooh, Christmas dinner with all the works- my Mum does a FANTASTIC Christmas dinner!

16. Lights on the tree?
Yes

17. Favorite Christmas song?
I love ALL Christmas songs! East 17, Wham, John Lennon, Band-Aid (the 1984 one), Shakin' Stevens, you name it!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
At home every year.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
No- Dasher, Prancer, Rudolph...

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel - with one arm. Sad times.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
When people start talking about it in September, and then the 27th when it's all over. Or what kind of irks me is when people who aren't even remotely religious in any sense celebrate it, since it's kind of hypocritical of them, and I shouldn't really say that but oops I just did! But I guess if it brings people together then that's good too...

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
In 1995, I made a teddy bear ornament out of dough stuff that was varnished, and that was my favourite, but then one year my dog ate it. So now my support lies in the one arm fairy up the top.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
All of it

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
I don't really want anything in particular (a new car ahem), but I love being with my family and if we're all healthy and happy, that's enough for me.