To Tree or Not To Tree? Not wins.

It's getting closer, Christmas is. Hard to believe it's just two weeks away; well, at least it'll be just two weeks Sunday.

Now we're facing another weekend, and a nice one, but cold, it should be. According to the weather reports, there's no significant storm in sight. That doesn't mean we won't get anything, but if we do it'll be just a quick hitter. The temperatures this weekend, though, are going to be more like December. That stretch of really nice stuff just might be behind us. Or not. We see there's still some warm stuff to the west of us and that could get here for another mild spell. I think the Farmers' Almanac, not sure which one, said we'd have a warm December. In fact, I think it said we'd have a warm winter.

We haven't put up our Christmas Tree yet. The big tree, not the Department 56 one we showed you after Thanksgiving. Both Mrs. Gator and I grew up with our trees being decorated shortly after Thanksgiving and through the first half at least of our marriage we had our tree all prettied by the first weekend of December. 

We haven't done that for a while. After the kids left the nest and there were just the two of us, our old tradition got pushed back to two weeks before the holiday. Now we have a Golden Retriever which has a very active tail. Because of Gator Golden we had to put our village up higher than we first planned because that tail kept wiping the display off the table. 

We put the big tree in a space that blocks off the entry to the dining area, a regular route for GG to her bed. She could get by the tree by charging under it, but you can imagine what that did to the decorations. And she's a mighty happy dog so her tail is in near constant motion. When we're in the living room, that's where she has to be and that tail can do a real number on the lower part of the tree.

So, we now only put that tree up the week before Christmas so we can enjoy it for at least a week. It comes down the day after the holiday. That was a major topic of discussion again this year. Under the old circumstances, the tree would be up and decorated this weekend. We thought about doing it again as both GW and I like the spirit the tree brings. But good judgement won out and the tree will wait until next weekend.

Oh, we do have a gift wrapped very long box that we put behind the tree in the actual doorway. That box has successfully served as a deterrent to GG's trip to her bed. She can and does, however, know she can get there by going through the kitchen.

Like most weekends, I try to keep this along family matters. Weekends are times of rest from the world that affects us. Even though the issues don't stop, I try to relax. And so it is this weekend.

Oh, I would like to make a comment about sports. I find it absolutely obscene that a baseball player can earn a quarter of a billion dollars, that's 254-million, over ten years. I'm sorry, but Mr. Pujols or any other baseball player isn't worth that much money to play a game. Now, that said, I'd be the first to admit I too would take a deal like that if it were offered to me. No chance of that. But I can't fault the player for taking it. If management is stupid enough to pay it, the player is in the right to accept it. That doesn't make him worth it, though.

Another big bucks signer makes me happy. Although I've said in the past that Big Papi (David Ortiz) had peaked and probably should hang up his spikes, I'm glad, especially after last year, he'll be with the Red Sox for at least another season.

And the Gators. Oh, those Gators. I'd be surprised if you hadn't noticed I haven't mentioned them a whole lot this football season. They simply stink. The only surprise is they ended up bowl eligible and will be in the Gator Bowl. No, it's not their own but just another Florida entity with "Gator" in it. But, at least they might get a decent offense coordinator for next year. This year's first year Gator OC has just been named head coach of Kansas U. Their loss, our gain. Charlie Weiss had one of the worst offenses in college football this season.

Now I hope you have just a very superior weekend.

Gator