I laced up my tree-gettin' boots Sunday morning and hoofed it down to Montague Street to get a Christmas tree. Last year's tree was a little weird looking, and we promised ourselves not to get lazy about finding a good one this time.
It's a slow walk anywhere with Cheeky nowadays. She keeps stopping to say "hi" to her reflection in shop windows, and has now started marking every parked car we pass. But she was in a really good mood, and once we got there we spotted a nice-looking tree right away. I asked lots of probing questions ("Is this a blue spruce or a Douglas fir? Do the branches tend to drop more overnight?") even though the answers meant absolutely nothing to me. If I'm going to spend $70 on a plant that will be completely dead in two weeks, I want to know if it's got progressive scan and HDMI outputs, dammit.
I'm used to trudging through a foot of snow, uphill both ways, bundled up like a sumo-wrestler on Everest, to get a Christmas tree. This year I was debating whether to bring my jacket or not. What's up with that? I expected to see Al Gore handing out fliers on the corner. There's something just wrong about buying a tree when it's 60 degrees out. I feel like I should be hanging a tire-swing on it instead...
A bunch of presents arrived from Spokane yesterday (in, I shit you not, the box from our old Commodore 64....my parents throw nothing away) so we've got loot to put under it. Tonight's activity, therefore, was to decorate it. Oodgie and her frankenfoot hobbled around the tree carefully selecting the least fragile object to hang from the bottom branches, while I hung various balls, angels, and Sith Lords from the top. We're already burned out on Christmas music
It's not quite done (we left some ornaments locked in Cheeky's room, and it takes a braver man than me than to walk in there once she's asleep) but I think it's turned out OK so far...
So, by when do we need to mail Christmas cards? We've still got time, right?
P.S. Do to the popularity of the Billy Squier Christmas video, I've added another gem from YouTube to spice up your egg nog. Nothing says Christmas quite like inter-generational awkwardness.
Since it's the season of forgiveness, I'll forgive your delusional state of mind if you think you're going to beat me.
I told you a few weeks ago that I already have the money spent. It's going to be a nice Christmas afterall!
BTW, I think the tree is supposed to have ornaments. But that's just me.
Posted by: Matthew | December 19, 2006 at 12:45 AM
Awwwwww...... That was nice. Much nicer tree this year and I even recognize a couple of ornaments. By the way, I'm really glad to get rid of that box.
Posted by: WCG | December 19, 2006 at 03:37 AM
Damn, I thought my folks kept everything.
Truthfully, I'd keep the tree all wrapped up. It makes it easier to water and keeps most of the needles from falling off.
Hard to beat the Billy Squier video for a quality Christmas carol.
Posted by: Hygiene Dad | December 19, 2006 at 05:03 AM
I remember that vldeo clip from years ago--so awkward and uncomfrotable!
BTW--you ARE keeping the Commodore 64 box, right? RIGHT?
Posted by: misfithausfrau | December 19, 2006 at 06:38 AM
Wie treu sind keine blatter? Where's St. Vader and St. Kirk? It's not a Weber tree without a Sci-fi character on it. Love the Bowie, by the way.
Posted by: TheOtherC.Weber | December 19, 2006 at 02:17 PM
Thanks for the vid. I've been listening to that song in my car every day since Thanksgiving. My daughter wants to kill me. But I love Bing and Bowie.
Posted by: Wendy Boucher | December 19, 2006 at 03:00 PM
By far my favorite xmas video, awkwardness and all.
Posted by: How About Two? | December 19, 2006 at 04:05 PM
I could be wrong, but if you don't send cards by tomorrow, they officially are Valentines day cards. I think.
Posted by: Melissa | December 19, 2006 at 04:46 PM
Send the cards by new years. Tell everyone you've become a Ukrainian and you celebrate Christmas on the 5th or 6th of January (or whatever it is, people rarely ask). It's not entirely unbelievable. I'm an honourary Ukrainian every Christmas.
Posted by: p-man | December 20, 2006 at 12:37 AM
You couldn't find a picture of a sumo wrestler on Everest?
Posted by: Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | December 20, 2006 at 10:16 AM
There's an article in today's Washington Post about this video. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/19/AR2006121901260.html
Apparently, it's become quite the classic.
Posted by: merseydotes | December 20, 2006 at 11:49 AM
I love Bowie and Bing! The conversation is lame, but the song is pure gold baby, pure gold!
Posted by: whit | December 21, 2006 at 12:42 AM