stuff jen says: Sep. 20: Holiday tradition

It’s Day #20 of the September Blog Challenge. Ten more days left! Today’s topic:

What is your favorite holiday and the traditions you celebrate?

As much as I love that Christmas is an entire season long, with all the décor, music, cards from old friends, and gift-giving, I’d have to say that Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday.

Why I love Thanksgiving

All the great food! I’m not a huge turkey fan, and I don’t like to be the one in charge of preparing it (their wings really creep me out, even more than finding the gross organs inside), but a traditional turkey dinner is all kinds o’ awesome.
No pressure of exchanging gifts.
We usually spend the day with people we like.
It’s one of two days of the year (the other being Super Bowl Sunday) that I actually like the sound of football going all day long.
The reminder and opportunity to express our gratitude for what we have in our lives. I especially love to hear what my kids are grateful for—funny, it’s NEVER each other.
I get to start decorating for Christmas the next day. Yay!
Did I mention the mashed potatoes?

What I don’t like about Thanksgiving

Vic almost always has to work the day after Thanksgiving. Boo.
Black Friday. I haaaaate Black Friday, except for it being a good excuse not to leave the house AND to eat all the good leftovers before Vic gets home from work.
By Sunday, another turkey sandwich meal is most unappealing.
Our family doesn’t really have any traditions for this holiday. Why is that??? It seems every year we’re with different people, sometimes at our house and sometimes theirs, and although the turkey dinner is somewhat constant, almost nothing else is. I don’t know if I ever realized that until just now. Soooo… let’s say our Thanksgiving tradition is that we don’t have a tradition. Yeah. That works.

What about you? What’s your favorite holiday and what traditions do you celebrate when it comes around each year?

If you’re a blogger and want to do our blog challenge with us, let me know and I’ll send you our list! Otherwise, tune in here (and on Sherilee’s happy little blog) every day in September.

facts of jen's life

So, who do you think you are? I think I’m Jen. People who don’t know me sometimes call me Jenny. That’s weird.

Tell me about yourself. I was born a small black child, and am now a grown-up, or at least my kids think I am. I’m in my mid-40s and live in the ‘burbs of Portland, Oregon. My husband is Victor, and my kids are Katie and Jack. Read this if you want the real and very long scoop.

Tell me things people might not know about you. I am an ordained minister and can perform marriages. Why no one has asked me to do this for them yet, I do not know. ● At the request of my Disney-hating friend Ed, I got mouse ears embroidered with the name “Satan” and I didn’t even get kicked out of Disneyland. It’s quite possibly the ballsiest thing I’ve ever done. ● I “helped” write this book, published in 2012: You Take it From Here, by Pamela Ribon. My name is in the back, and I’m still geeking out about it. ● I recorded a song in a studio in 1994 and it got local radio play for a few months. At least two times I turned on the radio in the car and my song was playing at that moment—very cool. ● I nearly died from a zit in 1986. I am not making this up. ● Victor and I once appeared on The Tonight Show. Really. If you can find a VCR, I’ll show you the tape.

I read some of your posts and I think you might be an alcoholic. I drink way less than I write about drinking. If I ever STOP talking about booze, then it’ll be time for an intervention.

What do you love? Books. Coffee. Fonts. Broadway musicals. San Francisco. Bacon. Rum. Law & Order. Naps. Butter. Home. Crack cocaine. iDevices. Words. Disney vacations. You.

If you could punch anything or anyone in the face, what/who would it be? Cancer. I was diagnosed with lymphoma in November 2009. I kicked its big fat ugly ass and am in remission now. ● Comic Sans. ● People who won’t take responsibility for their problems—the “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” attitude. Look in the mirror. That’s who to blame. ● Celebrities who are famous for no reason. Y’know, if we stop looking, they’ll go away... ● Bad grammar and spelling and the dummies who use it.

You seem bitter. Did someone piss in your Cheerios? I’m not bitter. I think unicorns-and-rainbows stuff isn’t very interesting to read, so I tend not to write that way. But also, now you’re being kind of a jackhole.

It seems like no one ever comments on your blog posts. Why is that? Most people comment on the Facebook links. I don’t know why.

What if I want to tell you something? Two ways to reach me: leave a comment on a post, or e-mail me at jenniferTAKETHISPARTOUTmanullang at gmail-dot-com.

1 comment:

sherileeSeptember 20, 2013 at 9:57:00 PM PDT
I think my favorite line above is: We usually spend the day with people we like. Ha ha. I want to hear about the Thanksgivings you've spent with the people you don't!

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Thanks! –Jen

Sep. 20: Holiday tradition

Why I love Thanksgiving

What I don’t like about Thanksgiving

1 comment:

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