Holiday Roundtable
Kyle Leitch, Robyn Tocker, Jon Neher, Jake Stinson
1. What are your plans for the holidays?
Kyle Leitch: Well, I work four days out of every week of the break, so I’m not going anywhere. Probably just drinking alone.
Robyn Tocker: The same as every year: celebrate Christmas with my father’s family Christmas Eve, with just my parents on Christmas day, then again with my mom’s family either Christmas day or Boxing Day. Basically, I get three Christmases. Hell yeah.
Jon Neher: I don't have too many plans, which is how I like it. I'll be spending a couple of days at my family's farm in Fenwood and having a low-key Christmas Day with my close family.
Jake Stinson: I'm terrible at gifts, so this season my plan is to give less shitty presents. That and going to Las Vegas for a bit with family.
2. What are you most looking forward to?
KL: Is “the holiday being over” an acceptable answer?
RT: All the Christmas specials on TV. Those are the things I look forward to all year. Once they stop, I am so depressed. Oh, and spending time with family and the gifts. That too.
JN: Holiday shows! In particular the second annual Band Swap on December 27 and the fifth Annual Harvest King Records Christmas Show on December 28. You will find me at both in a Christmas sweater.
JS: I really like egg-nog and rum, and the occasional christmas tune is okay, but overall I like the food. Seriously, it’s the best part.
3. Is there any part of the holidays that you dislike?
KL: If I didn’t make it excessively clear in one of my other articles, I can briefly summarize the point by saying “everything”. I dislike everything about the holiday.
RT: Hmm, I’m not sure if I can say I don’t like anything, considering it is Christmas and what other time of the year do you wake up to presents besides your birthday?
JN: "We HAVE to spend all day cooking this turkey even though none of us really like turkey, it's tradition!" or "It just isn't Christmas unless we spend the entire weekend decorating!"
JS: I dislike people who put the holidays on a stick and shove it in my face and expect me to like it. I'll do my holiday thing; you do yours.
4. What's your favourite holiday dish and drink?
KL: My family never made a huge stink about the Christmas holiday; ergo, I don’t think I have a favourite holiday dish. Rum and egg nog is pretty killer, though.
RT: I love my mom’s homemade Christmas Ring. It’s basically a dozen cinnamon buns in a ring with maraschino cherries on top with icing sugar. That with milk is a good meal in my books.
JN: Favourite holiday drink? Rum and Eggnog. Favourite holiday dish? Rum and Eggnog.
JS: Not sure it's a dish, but all the baking that happens around christmas–the good stuff like ginger-bread men and shortbread cookies. Paired with a whiskey? Nothing better.
5. What's your favourite holiday song?
KL: “Baby it’s Cold Outside” is a pretty good song, I guess. Anything by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is also an instant holiday go-to for me.
RT: Oh, that’s tough. I grew up with “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” as my favourite but “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is my current favourite.
JN: It's a tight one but the edge goes to Vince Guarauldi and Good Ol'Charlie Brown for “Christmas Time is Here”. Special shout out to the Boney M. Christmas album for best whole album.
JS: Well I'm a fan of anything from Andy Beisel and the Buccaneers' One Bitchin' Christmas, but I'd also like to point out that A Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney is awful. Just for balance.
Photo courtesy timeanddate.com
