Kill A Tree for Jesus

Among our various errands for this weekend was the acquisition of an xmas tree.

There is considerable irony in this particular venture: every year, I vote against getting a tree, Kent votes in favour and somehow we always end up with one. I grew up surrounded by untold bazillions of them... the last thing I want to do is drag one into my house. Further, despite my objections to getting a tree, somehow the purchase is done out of my wallet rather than his.

We've been going to the same farm in Mt. Airy, MD, for several years now. They have extensive acreage dedicated to a variety of conifer types, as well as varying sizes of tree. Park the car, grab a saw from one of the provided bins, head out to the field of your choice, select your victim, hack it down, then return to the appropriate farm shed to have the loose needles shaken out, the corpse wrapped in netting for convenient transport and then pay on the way out.

There is such a large variety of shapes & sizes that it was relatively easy to identify the prey, stalk it carefully, then pounce on the unsuspecting victim. We bagged ours with a minimal struggle in only 20 minutes.



I had forgotten that there's something about a guy with a saw that becomes an instant chick magnet. While Kent was hauling our prize back to the farm buildings, I was solicited by three different women to assist in dispatching their selected candidates, then assisted with carrying the trophies back to the shed for gutting & preparation.

And as is annual tradition, I ended up paying $30 for the tree I didn't really want in the first place.

The tree is now in a stand in our living room. Kent will probably decorate it on Tuesday. While he's busy, I will begin maintaining a countdown to the first available tree pick-up date by our county's waste recycling department in early 2006.

Kill A Tree for Jesus

Among our various errands for this weekend was the acquisition of an xmas tree.

There is considerable irony in this particular venture: every year, I vote against getting a tree, Kent votes in favour and somehow we always end up with one. I grew up surrounded by untold bazillions of them... the last thing I want to do is drag one into my house. Further, despite my objections to getting a tree, somehow the purchase is done out of my wallet rather than his.

We've been going to the same farm in Mt. Airy, MD, for several years now. They have extensive acreage dedicated to a variety of conifer types, as well as varying sizes of tree. Park the car, grab a saw from one of the provided bins, head out to the field of your choice, select your victim, hack it down, then return to the appropriate farm shed to have the loose needles shaken out, the corpse wrapped in netting for convenient transport and then pay on the way out.

There is such a large variety of shapes & sizes that it was relatively easy to identify the prey, stalk it carefully, then pounce on the unsuspecting victim. We bagged ours with a minimal struggle in only 20 minutes.



I had forgotten that there's something about a guy with a saw that becomes an instant chick magnet. While Kent was hauling our prize back to the farm buildings, I was solicited by three different women to assist in dispatching their selected candidates, then assisted with carrying the trophies back to the shed for gutting & preparation.

And as is annual tradition, I ended up paying $30 for the tree I didn't really want in the first place.

The tree is now in a stand in our living room. Kent will probably decorate it on Tuesday. While he's busy, I will begin maintaining a countdown to the first available tree pick-up date by our county's waste recycling department in early 2006.

Xmas Decorating

I'm not big on decorating in general, and even less so during the holiday season. There's already too much to do that I'd rather not spend time & effort on something as transitory as holiday decorations. This, however, hasn't stopped me from being drafted into decorating other peoples' homes. At least I don't have to worry about digging items out of storage, then sorting & testing the electrical ornaments: all I need to do is put up the items given me.

( Decorating with Cal & Eric... )

Xmas Decorating

I'm not big on decorating in general, and even less so during the holiday season. There's already too much to do that I'd rather not spend time & effort on something as transitory as holiday decorations. This, however, hasn't stopped me from being drafted into decorating other peoples' homes. At least I don't have to worry about digging items out of storage, then sorting & testing the electrical ornaments: all I need to do is put up the items given me.

( Decorating with Cal & Eric... )

I'd be a lousy talk radio host

During my lunch break, I drove up to Frederick, MD, to pick up another of Kent's xmas presents, fill the gas tank, have the car washed, etc.. While zipping along, I was listening idly to NPR as they broadcast one of their local phone-in programs about local DC/MD/VA politics.

Why do people insist on calling a radio program when they have no clue what they're talking about?

I couldn't be a talk show host. My mantra would be "call back when you've done your homework," or the like. I have to do that often enough with my parents, perhaps it would be easier to do with complete strangers.

Nah, better not.

I'd be a lousy talk radio host

During my lunch break, I drove up to Frederick, MD, to pick up another of Kent's xmas presents, fill the gas tank, have the car washed, etc.. While zipping along, I was listening idly to NPR as they broadcast one of their local phone-in programs about local DC/MD/VA politics.

Why do people insist on calling a radio program when they have no clue what they're talking about?

I couldn't be a talk show host. My mantra would be "call back when you've done your homework," or the like. I have to do that often enough with my parents, perhaps it would be easier to do with complete strangers.

Nah, better not.

Victory is Mine!

Kent was off working on a concert rehearsal tonight so I had the house to myself. This meant I could (a) do whatever I wanted (well, at least whatever I wanted in a three hour span on short notice), and (b) tackle a number of chores expediently. Yay!

The kitchen hasn't just been cleaned, it has been nuked. It is now spotless (and possibly mildly radioactive). I've also finished the laundry, wrapping his xmas presents, written to my extended family to determine what various nieces & nephews may have on their xmas wish list, and finished the last of the holiday cards (83 in total). Kent still needs to apply his K-glyph (ever see his signature? It's utterly illegible but therefore irreproducible), seal them and send them on their way. I am short postage stamps for domestic US mail, but I can fetch those tomorrow at lunchtime.

I will sleep victoriously tonight!

Addendum: Anyone else notice how easily I'm amused the later it gets?

Victory is Mine!

Kent was off working on a concert rehearsal tonight so I had the house to myself. This meant I could (a) do whatever I wanted (well, at least whatever I wanted in a three hour span on short notice), and (b) tackle a number of chores expediently. Yay!

The kitchen hasn't just been cleaned, it has been nuked. It is now spotless (and possibly mildly radioactive). I've also finished the laundry, wrapping his xmas presents, written to my extended family to determine what various nieces & nephews may have on their xmas wish list, and finished the last of the holiday cards (83 in total). Kent still needs to apply his K-glyph (ever see his signature? It's utterly illegible but therefore irreproducible), seal them and send them on their way. I am short postage stamps for domestic US mail, but I can fetch those tomorrow at lunchtime.

I will sleep victoriously tonight!

Addendum: Anyone else notice how easily I'm amused the later it gets?