A tree for Dinner

Yesterday I finally dragged my sick body out of bed at Tom's recommendation to go see a friend for lunch. We met at the Nordstrom Cafe where I had the most delicious sweet potato Jalapeno soup, just spicy enough for me to taste through my stuffy nose. The thick river is still running down my throat but lying in bed for for five days didn't seem to make it any better, just made me feel lazy.


After lunch I had to head back. I promised the boys I would pick them up after school if they would stay after school and do make up work. Riley also had a blood draw that I almost completely forgot about in my pleasure just to be out of bed for the day. I ran into a girlfriend at the school who reminded me, asking how the blood draw went. I rushed Riley over to the lab. He is fast. We swung by DQ as I like all doctor visits to contain something fun and positive which usually revolves around a food treat. It is something my mom used to do with me, buy me a milkshake after we would visit the dentist where he would threaten to pull out my teeth. I wouldn't baulk at going or throw a tantrum if I knew the end result was a treat afterwards. We wont get the results until the next day on the blood draw. Since it is the local clinic, they wont be as fast getting back to us.

Trevor had patiently waited in the car for us. the boys know not to complain or whine or the treat will disappear and we will go straight home. At the DQ Trevor orders the special of the month which is two double cheese burgers for the price of one along with an Oreo blizzard and fries. Riley orders the Oreo blizzard with a chicken strip basket. I eat half of one of Trevor's sandwiches and some fries from both boys. We get home and find Tom has already arrived from work. I ask him what he would like for dinner and he says a Christmas tree.

Last year the boys gave Tom a really hard time over the "tree" he brought home. The tree was waist high to me. Trevor called it a bush and went out to the car to see where the real tree was hidden. This year Tom has been refusing to participate in the tree hunt as a result of his sensitive feelings having been hurt. He has yet to live down the "Charlie Brown" tree. Trevor and I were amenable with going out looking for a tree even though it was dark out, anything to avoid having to cook. I made a few calls to friends asking where the tree stands were. It was too dark to go cut one down and the tree farm would be closed by this time of night. By the time we left the house it was almost seven.

We drove to a place where I thought we might get a cheap tree but it was already closed. I don't mind seconds or trees that have a hole. You just face the hole to the wall and save yourself $15 or $20 in cost on something you will be throwing away in a month. Put a huge ornament or stuffed animal in the hole and no one notices. We ended up at the Lions Club. Kind of pricey around $5 a foot more or less depending on the kind of tree, Douglas, Noble, Grand fir, no holes to cover up. I only had $15 which would have bought another charlie brown tree. Trevor and I told the guy to hold on while we drove to my local bank and hit the ATM for more cash. I negotiated an extra foot on a grand fir and ended up with a six foot tree for $30. It was perfect with no flaws. Once a tree top ornament is added it will be the perfect height for Tom's room with its standard 7 foot 3 inch ceiling. We shoved the tree gently into the trunk of my now very expensive jeep and drive home.

Tom was extremely pleased. I put the stand on the tree in the garage and sprayed it with fire retardant. By testing the stand in the garage I don't have to deal with adjusting it in the house and knocking lots of needles onto the floor and making a mess. Much easier to toss the tree around in the garage making adjustments. I find that the retardant seals the needles so the tree doesn't get so dried out over the course of a month considering how long it stays up in the house when you get it the week after Thanksgiving. At least I get my moneys worth by having the tree up as long as possible. Trevor and I carried the tree upstairs where Tom has a spot already picked out. Everyone is happy.


Today I am picking the boys up after their after school make up time to go cut down a tree at the tree farm. Riley has weight training. Trevor has what ever Trevor wants to do for his after school, sometimes It is just getting his homework done before he comes home. He can also go to weight training. As I pointed out to Trevor yesterday, I couldn't have brought two trees home in the car anyway. There wouldn't have been room.

Trevor tried to see if he could remove the roof box on the car to get a bigger tree but it was too hard to see in the dark. I think the tree is the perfect height and just barely fit inside the car. I want a similar tree when we go to the tree farm. It is safer to transport the tree in the car than on top of the car anyway.

I have set up a table in the living room in front of the two story windows, with a beautiful golden sheet over the table to hide it for our next tree. It can again be six feet tall but when we set it on the table it becomes nine feet tall and without having to deal with a width issue where the base branches would be so wide nothing else would have fit in the room. It will keep the tree to a narrow size and leave room for packages beneath, or not, depending on my mood as we approach the holidays. The table top is what confused Tom last year. He brought home a table top tree not understanding that the table was to boost the height not diminish the tree.

AS I dwell on what presents to purchase this year I am stumped as usual on what to give Tom. I like experiences and vacations. Tom feels if it doesn't happen on the day then it doesn't count. A honeymoon is not a honeymoon unless it is right after the wedding. I would love to receive or give a plane ticket or reservations to a resort. I wanted to do a family cruise to Alaska next summer but Tom didn't consider that a Christmas gift. I think the time distance discouraged him. It is also when he will be looking for his next work project. Until he lands his next project he wants to be a bit conservative. Though those cruise trips to Alaska are pretty cheap, around $500 a head and that includes feeding Trevor for a week.

I am going to give the lab a call and see if I can get our test results this morning. Hopefully, since Riley has been well for over a month, his numbers will be better than last time.