More on Christmas

I bought and put out our apartment's first indoor Christmas decoration yesterday (I have to specify indoor because one of my roommates put a wreath on our front door the other day, thus claiming overall first decoration status).  I went and bought a nice poinsettia to display in our living room.

Isn't it lovely?

I'm pretty sure that I've always liked poinsettias.  There's usually been at least one in my house around Christmas while I was growing up.  When I was younger, I liked to pinch the ends of the leaves and see the white liquid inside squish out and form a little bead on the leaf.  I'm sure this wasn't good for the plant.  I'm not sure if my mom knew I was doing this to her poinsettias, but I doubt she was too happy about it if she did.  Sorry, Mom.

Like I said, there was usually at least one poinsettia around the house at Christmas, but in the last few years my mom has started covering the house in poinsettias.  I don't know the official count, but there must be a good 20 to 30 poinsettias decorating the house each year now and I think it looks wonderful.  In fact, it's when she started decorating with so many poinsettias that I realized just how much I liked them.  So, when my roommates and I started discussing decorations this year, I was set on making sure there was a poinsettia in our apartment.  Fortunately, I didn't have to twist any arms to get this approved.

Yesterday also marked another little bit of Christmas celebration for me.  I opened my first carton of eggnog of the year.  I love eggnog.  I can't even think how to put to words how much I love eggnog.  And I prefer to drink it straight up.  Growing up we would always dilute it with milk.  I'm not sure if this was because my parents preferred it thinned out a little (apparently a lot of people think it is too thick straight out of the carton), or if they were trying to stretch out each carton, but this is how we drank it.  Well, at some point in my life I discovered the ultimately superior experience that is undiluted eggnog and that is now where my alliances lie.  So, as Christmas approaches, this is one of those special treats that I anxiously await each year.

Marge: Homer, didn't you get any milk? All I see is eggnog.

Homer: 'Tis the season, Marge! We only get 30 sweet, noggy days.  Then the government takes it away again.

I discovered a few years ago that certain eggnog producers had started selling Halloween eggnog.  I was not okay with this.  Eggnog is a Christmas drink and should remain a Christmas drink.  Anyway, upon this discovery I decided that I would not support pre-December eggnog sales.  Well, this rule later turned into pre-December eggnog consumption because I will now buy eggnog before December, but I won't open it until December 1st.  So, as yesterday was December 1st, I opened my carton of eggnog and had a nice thick glass of it with lunch, and it was delicious.

I should mention that I did participation in some eggnog consumption in November that I am not proud of.  We had eggnog and sugar cookies for refreshments after institute last week.  I was so excited when they announced what the refreshments were (I believe I even let out a pleasantly surprised "oooo!"), but then I realized that it wasn't December yet and I was torn.  I mean, there's my resolve against pre-December eggnog, but this was FREE eggnog.  Well, I gave in had a cup of eggnog...and it was some of the worst eggnog I've ever had.  I don't know if it was a bad batch, if the brand just isn't to my liking, or if subconsciously my brain was making me not like it because it was too early in the year.  Either way, I did not enjoy it.  I guess that's what I get for deviating from my standards.