Christmas Break

I don’t think I have ever had to go to work on December 21, but I did this year. The boys were out a full week before I got to sleep in past 5:00. Today Evan and I volunteered at the local Christmas event for low income families. We were tasked to put up a tree for tomorrow’s party. This is about the worst thing they could have asked us to do.

First, we don’t care to put up our own Christmas tree, much less a tree in no fewer than 100 pieces with some archaic hook and hang system for the branches. It took three tries just to get it the center pole right. To make for an even more fun morning, the supervisor was caring for five grandchildren under the age of five. There was screaming, crying, empty threats, and chaos. It had me dreaming of the Jose Cuervo in the cabinet and Evan wishing he was old enough to drink.

But we did it! Two and a half hours later, we had a tree with no lights, silver tinsel, a golden angel, and black and white ornaments. It was hardly a beauty.

Evan left the building mumbling, “The things white boys have to do to get into college.”