More Woes of Graduate School

Yesterday I set out to purchase a Christmas tree. I understand it's a bit contradictory to shine a bicycle menorah in your front window alongside a Christmas tree. But Corey and I want to combine all our traditions. And this would be my first live tree and my first any sort of tree in my own home. I realized I have no idea how to go about buying a Christmas tree. I assume equipment is involved, and a water dish. But I don't know what to do!

So I asked Cookie from next door where he buys his trees, and he told me. His wife later stopped by to confirm that I should, indeed, buy a tree from the Jancey guy because his rates are the best around. She also complemented my work with the Wovel.

Anyway, I turned on the car and cleared off the snow and drove down the hill to Jancey, slipping through three stop signs and telling myself it was very unwise to be driving in such conditions. I drove to the joint, and there were no trees there! So I shook my head and drove to the church on Stanton and Negley, where they sold trees last year, and there were no trees there, either. I refuse to go to Home Depot, so I drove back to the Jancey place just in case I missed the trees.

No trees.

I parked in front of a fire hydrant and ran into the bank, where a police officer held the door open for me and called me sweetie-pie. I asked the tellers, "Why aren't there trees out there? The sign says there are Christmas trees!"

"Oh! Well he only starts selling at 4pm. Sometimes 5. He works at night, that guy."

So I can't even buy a Christmas tree with my work and school schedule. I also can't convince Corey to stop and buy one for me (he also has class at night and works late the other days), so I have to wait until the semester ends and I don't work at night anymore.

I feel a little sad about that because I lined up all my ornaments yesterday--the ones my grandmother has made for every year of my life and the ones my godmother gives me each Christmas. I even have an angel for the top, now resting sadly on the floor in the living room waiting for a tree to protect.