We got a Christmas Tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving. A little early perhaps, but I wanted to have it before Mitch’s family came to visit. We went to the Guardsmen’s Lot, which was a little odd. The “lot” was inside a giant warehouse at Lower Fort Mason. The lighting was strange and the floor was slippery, wet concrete.
I’m used to an outdoor lot with bright lights so you can see the tree you’re picking out and sawdust on the dirt floor. The only carried one type of tree, the Nobile Fir, and I wasn’t much impressed. The were all very wide–too big of a footprint for the place I had in mind for the tree. I was about to give up and suggest we go to Delancy, but Mitch called for me. He found the perfect tree!
The guys working at the lot were great (they’re also kinda hot)! They put the tree in a net, lifted it on the roof of our car and tied it securely in place. They knew we had tie down hooks near the tires. How cool is that!
I was trying to remember what we used to eat for dinner the night we picked out our tree when I was a kid because I wanted to recreate it for Izzy, but I just couldn’t recall. We ordered pizza and I figured that’s a pretty awesome tradition.
A few days later, it dawned on me. We used to go to Sam’s Hof Brau on Broadway in Oakland for dinner before going to Santa’s Coliseum to get our tree. Since Sam’s is closed now, we’ll go to Tommy’s Joynt next year for dinner before picking out our tree.
Our tree has a combination of handmade and store bought ornaments. I love how it looks, although it doesn’t smell like a tree is in the house. I’ve been simmering orange peels and cinnamon sticks to give the house a festive smell.
I just finished making these ornaments for the tree. It took me over a week! I’m still not used to the interruptions that come from such a tiny human.
Kirby loves the tree very much. I love how his eyes are glowing as bright as the lights.
