Bad idea: getting a 9' tree right before the taller member of the household leaves for Europe for a week in prime tree-decorating time. We, uh, got a little carried away; we'd decided to put the tree in the front living room instead of the famaily room this year and the ceiligs are higher, and Rudder does have that tendency to go a bit overboard, and.... Actually I overstate. I think it was only 8 1/2'. Either way, I couldn't reach the top to put the topper on, and we have the Coolest Tree Topper ever, that we bought a couple of years ago. It's a Santa in a biplane; there's a candy-striped pole with a star on top that's hitched to the tallest branch and the biplane hangs off a hook and flies in a circle around the tree. I finally got it on by the simple expedient of bringing in clippers and lopping off that highest branch. (What? The pole is meant to go well above it. I didn't make the tree any shorter.) Only problem is..... apparently I hooked Santa onto his wire facing the wrong way. So he flies backwards. Oops. I'm not taking him off; it was hard enough putting him on. I think it will be easy for Rudder to turn him around when he gets home.
Other issue with a tree that big: I need to remember to get some more lights when I stop at the drugstore tomorrow. But the 2/3 that are lit up look good.
This weekend I did my best imitation of a cheicken with its head cut off: lots of running, not much squawking. Yesterday I went to a very high-maintenence party. There was a gift-swap and an ornament swap AND you were supposed to bring a dish. Yeesh. The first two were optional but I didn't feel like sitting around watching everyone else get presents. So I spent all day preparing for that. Correction: first I dropped Rudder off at the airport at 8, then I went to the boatyard and erged 8km, then I got check out in a coaching launch (She-Hulk and I were scheduled to do that at 9:30 and I didn't feel like driving home in between, hence the boatyard erging. I'm spoiled. Those ergs are icky.) Then I went to Ikea to get a prty gift in case I didn't finish the scarf I was knitting (and about $80 worth of other stuff for the house) then I came home and knitted frantically for two hours, finished my scarf but decided to also give the photo frame I'd bought, then I went to the supermarket for ingredients, then I made Mexican Layer Dip for the party. Then I went to the party. Did I mention it was 50 miles away?
At least I got to sleep in a wee bit today. Other than that it was a similarly frantic round. The List for the next week:
Finish lighting the tree
Decorate the tree
Finish decorating the rest of the house
Finish the remaining half or 2/3 of my cards and send them out
Knit one more dishrag
Knit a hat for my MIL
Clean house for company arriving 12/23
Erg 67000 km
Wrap presents
Make several more ornaments
Breathe.
On the other hand this weekend we got the tree and set it up. I got Rudder off to the Netherlands. I erged 18000m. I put together and shipped a gift package. I got organized for a group donation to the Heifer Project I'm handling. I did lots of cards. I finished knitting a scarf, made 8 beaded stitch markers and 4 ornaments, did assorted kinds of shopping, did 2 loads of laundry, saw some former coworkers I like, got checked out in the launch, made some decisions about how I'm working on the instrument rating, made myself some earrings (just since starting this entry) and probably other stuff I'm forgetting. So at least I don't feel unaccomplished.
Thankful for: All the stuff that's finished and done.
Holiday Challenge:67000m left to go.