Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Everything Else.

Your best and worst and favorites and fears and wants and wishes....let's go:

What you love about the holidays:
What you dread about the holidays:
Favorite holiday memory:
Best Damn Christmas Song:
Gift you're hoping for:
Best gift you bought this year:
Gift you don't want but will probably get:
Who do you miss the most during the holidays?
Where do you wish you were right now?
Plans for New Years:
Your New Years Resolution:
Greatest wish for 2008:

Whether you answer or not, wishing you all a wonderful holiday, and a most happy and healthy new year to you and your families.

 

What you love about the holidays: People are generally happier, which makes me generally happier, even if it's only superficially.
What you dread about the holidays: Losing that, and eventually having to return to real life where I'm at least 8 hours from anyone who truly knows me.
Favorite holiday memory: Last Christmas.
Best Damn Christmas Song: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Gift you're hoping for: It's waiting for me at the airport
Best gift you bought this year: A book for a friend that fit him perfectly.
Gift you don't want but will probably get: I've gotten everything that would have included something I didn't want...and didn't get anything bad.
Who do you miss the most during the holidays? My parents, if I'm not with them.
Where do you wish you were right now? At my house after going to the airport.
Plans for New Years: Working, then getting drunk at the pub across the street.
Your New Years Resolution: To rededicate myself to losing weight. I had done a great job, moved and got out of the routine, and have gained nearly all of it back.
Greatest wish for 2008: True happiness for all those I care about.




Happy Holidays to all my friends on here...you mean more than you know.

 

What you love about the holidays: Snow, buying presents, smiling children
What you dread about the holidays: Stan climbing my Christmas tree, traveling
Favorite holiday memory: Going out to cut down a tree with Dad when we lived on the farm
Best Damn Christmas Song: Silent Night, just about every version
Gift you're hoping for: I bought myself a computer. Does that count?
Best gift you bought this year: A beer bucket for my biological father and that woman he's married to.
Gift you don't want but will probably get: Since I've already done Christmas with my family I know for certain that the purple jeans my mother bought me are going to be returned.
Who do you miss the most during the holidays? My family
Where do you wish you were right now? The Eastern Shore of Maryland
Plans for New Years: I work, and my ex claims he's coming to town to see me.
Your New Years Resolution: To lose the last 45 pounds
Greatest wish for 2008: Peace on Earth

 

What you love about the holidays: Bowl games/after Christmas sales (Heroes Season One on DVD for half price this Wednesday at best Buy)

What you dread about the holidays: Tie between the large Christmas day family party, and the possibility of the wife not liking this years bevy of gifts.

Favorite holiday memory: getting a Nintendo Entertainment System, 1987

Best Damn Christmas Song: Mr. hankey the Christmas Poo

Gift you're hoping for: I didn't have to work this holiday season for the first time in seven years. That's gift enough.

Best gift you bought this year: Guitar Hero III for the Wii for the nephews (which is probably why I'm nervous the wife won't like her gifts)

Gift you don't want but will probably get: Snow. Dammit.

Who do you miss the most during the holidays? Most of my family. The sun is up there, too.

Where do you wish you were right now? Home.

Plans for New Year's: Revel in the aftermath of Indiana's first bowl appearance since 1993.

Your New Years Resolution: Lose weight/get in shape, improve time management. Be less mean to people.

Greatest wish for 2008: Raiders installing JaMarcus Russell as the starter. Also . . a Democratic president. We've seen how the Republicans handle today's world; time for the Dems to show what their plan really would be if they wielded the power.

Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukkah/Happy Kwanzaa/Season's Greetings/Happy Holidays/Festivus For All/Have a Disney Day

 

What you love about the holidays:Little things. The conversation I had with the guy in the Barnes and Noble parking lot yesterday about finding our cars. We had pretty much finished up when I saw mine and said, "Well, found mine. You have a Merry Christmas." To which he replied, "Sure, you're bragging now.." The guy down the hall -- and all I knew about him before tonight was that he smoked really strong smelling dope -- had to stop by tonight to bum wrapping paper to wrap his Mom's scented candles. Shit like that.

What you dread about the holidays: Forgetting something for dinner and nothing being open.

Favorite holiday memory: My dad teasing his mother in law. Priceless.

Best Damn Christmas Song: Traditional: Good King Wenceslas. Rock: Fairytale of New York.

Gift you're hoping for: The Wire, Season 4

Best gift you bought this year: A picture of my Grandma and Grandpa for my Mom

Gift you don't want but will probably get: Socks. I always get socks. My stepmother is convinced I'll just go without if I somehow manage to misplace the 400 pair I already own.

Who do you miss the most during the holidays? My Grandpa.

Where do you wish you were right now? At home with my Dad.

Plans for New Years: Work then drink.

Your New Years Resolution: Eliminate fast food from my diet completely.

Greatest wish for 2008: Professional success for the girl.

Great thread idea, 21.

Best to everyone on here.

 

I'm not going to ruin this thread with my cynicism about the holiday. So I'm just going to wish everyone a Happy Holiday.

 

What you love about the holidays: A chance to wind down and reflect. Spending time with good friends, especially those who are willing to seriously travel to see you.

What you dread about the holidays: I have to work a 12-hour shift on Christmas Day this year. Fun, fun, fun ... :

Favorite holiday memory: Anything but last year ...

Best Damn Christmas Song: "Stille Nacht"

Gift you're hoping for: A visit from a friend. Not available at your local mall. Priceless.

Best gift you bought this year: Not overly thrilled with my choices this year. Last year's items were a better crop.

Gift you don't want but will probably get: What's that?

Who do you miss the most during the holidays? Usually the normalcy of life. That little issue is a double-edged sword sometimes.

Where do you wish you were right now? Back home. Extended family, long-time friends who are family in every other way.

Plans for New Years: TBA. But it will be fun and I'm NOT working that one.

Your New Years Resolution: To be more patient, caring, tolerant and kind.

Greatest wish for 2008: Happiness
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Thanks, 21. And my best to everyone ... echoing IJAG, many of you mean more than you know.

 

What you love about the holidays: Hanging out with the peeps, of course!
What you dread about the holidays: Bowl trip awaits.
Favorite holiday memory: Snow World at Sea World in San Diego.
Best Damn Christmas Song: Reggae Christmas
Gift you're hoping for: Rock Band
Best gift you bought this year: Pearl necklace. A real one, you pervs!
Gift you don't want but will probably get: n/a
Who do you miss the most during the holidays? Believing in Santa Claus.
Where do you wish you were right now? Right here. Couldn't be happier.
Plans for New Years: Chillin in the sack with wifey.
Your New Years Resolution: tba
Greatest wish for 2008: Fertility.

 

What you love about the holidays: Quality time with the family.
What you dread about the holidays: Shopping for presents for my family, who are impossible to shop for.
Favorite holiday memory: About 15 years ago, when I was a fuck-up, my family still welcomed me home for Christmas with open arms.
Best Damn Christmas Song: Give Love on Christmas Day -- The Temptations
Gift you're hoping for: Nothing. I didn't ask for anything and don't need anything.
Best gift you bought this year: Three really good bottles for wine for my parents.
Gift you don't want but will probably get: Some nice dress clothes, which I'll never wear.
Who do you miss the most during the holidays? My grandmother, who used to spend Christmas with us every year.
Where do you wish you were right now? On top of Jennifer Aniston.
Plans for New Years: None at the moment -- will probably drink a few beers and listen to music somewhere.
Your New Years Resolution: To develop a social life. (I moved to a new city a couple of months ago and have worked nearly every day since.)
Greatest wish for 2008: That we get out of Iraq and elect a competent President.

 

What you love about the holidays: snow, Christmas lights around the neighborhood, sitting on the couch admiring the Christmas tree

What you dread about the holidays: taking down the Christmas tree

Favorite holiday memory: running downstairs Christmas morning to see if Santa blocked the entrance to the family room with butcher paper. We would try to peak underneath the paper to see what Santa brought. We had to wait in front of the paper until the entire family was there, then we busted through the paper. Good times, although the agony of waiting until Mom finally came down was unbearable.

Best Damn Christmas Song: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. You can't have Christmas without Nat.

Gift you're hoping for: Golf balls...nothing but golf balls.

Best gift you bought this year: I bought the Mrs. an iPod Nano.

Gift you don't want but will probably get: We really don't do surprises in our family any more, so I'm not expecting any surprises.

Who do you miss the most during the holidays? Going up to Grandma's house on New Years Eve. All the cousins (15-16 of us) would line up in sleeping bags in the front room and watch Dick Clark and the Countdown while all the parents sat in the kitchen gabbing. We lost Grandma earlier this year and they sold her house. New Years Eve will never been the same...

Where do you wish you were right now? Exactly where I am.

Plans for New Years: Football, football, football.

Your New Years Resolution: Be a little more patient with my daughter and my wife.

Greatest wish for 2008: A #2, #3 and #4 starter to go along with Roy Oswalt for the Astros, a stud running back for Tim Tebow, and the resignation of Ben Bernanke and the Fed Chiefs for the impending demise of the US dollar. Thanks boys.

 

What you love about the holidays: Living where it's 76 degrees outside two days before Christmas
What you dread about the holidays: Living 2,500 miles away from my mom
Favorite holiday memory: Arby's being the only restaurant ever open after the Christmas Eve-ning Mass; hitting a deer driving back from a New Year's party in Kentucky, and watching my dad move it off the wet road so we could get back to my grandma's house; something similar to John's.
Best Damn Christmas Song: Carol of the Bells
Gift you're hoping for: The laptop that I already bought for myself
Best gift you bought this year: Can't say yet
Gift you don't want but will probably get: Toothbrush
Who do you miss the most during the holidays? My grandfather; and the dog
Where do you wish you were right now? Not at work like I am now
Plans for New Years: Vegas?
Your New Years Resolution: Still thinking
Greatest wish for 2008: Professional stability

 

What you (like) about the holidays: Decorating the house. This is our second Christmas in our first home, so decorating seems to get a little more pleasurable and elaborate each year.

What you dread about the holidays: The fact that they aren't over soon enough.

Favorite holiday memory: I really don't have many. But, the year when I was about five and woke up before everyone and proceeded to unwrap all the presents under the tree sticks out. My mom woke up and discovered what I was doing and had to re-wrap everything.

Best Damn Christmas Song: "Let it Snow" by Bing Crosby. Or Peter Griffin's version of the 12 Days of Christmas: "Seven maids are milking, six maids are milking, fiiivvvveeee maids are milking ..." ;D

Gift you're hoping for: Already got 'em: $300 in Lowe's gift cards. Bought a miter saw. My wife gets the rest.

Best gift you bought this year: Normally, I get very creative and personal with my gifts. Unfortunately, I was very unoriginal this year.

Who do you miss the most during the holidays? Nobody really.

Where do you wish you were right now? I wish to be nowhere else.

Plans for New Years: Probably the same as every night: In bed by 10, up by 5 on New Years Day.

Your New Years Resolution: To continue to grow as a person as I approach my 34th year.

Greatest wish for 2008: That our world becomes a place where we all work not for our self interests, but for the benefit of all mankind ... Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.

Happy Holidays to all the good folks at SportsJournalists.com.