When I got home this morning from work I had all intentions of writing about the bad night my switchman, The Rambling Hillbilly had, because no matter what he did during the shift, it went wrong. Nothing major... Nothing to get anyone hurt... Just a whole bunch off little things happened that I wont go into because it would necessitate a huge description of a bunch of railroad terms... So a long story short, he was having a bad night, and the more frustrated he got, the more me and my conductor laughed, and the more we laughed the angrier he got...Not that I would ever derive pleasure in an other's discomfort...
We laughed our asses off!
Sorry, Bill, it was just too damn funny! That look on your face was precious!
Now to what I decided to write about. Christmas traditions...
Christmas was always my Mother's favorite holiday of the year (and being that my siblings and my birthdays are all around the end of December I'm leaning towards St. Patrick's Day as my Fathers...) and she would go all out decorating the house and the tree.
I'm of German descent on my mom's side, and I was always told that in Germany, they wouldn't put up the tree and decorate it until Christmas Eve. So that being said, we'd always, as a family, put the tree up and decorate it right before going to bed.
In 1992, few years after I got out of the Army and I was working in Law Enforcement, my father died and now it was up to me to come over the house on Christmas Eve and put the tree up so my mom and sisters could decorate it.
This I did, every year, then one time my sister said something about "The Leaning Tree of Christmas..."
Let me explain a little...
So I'd come over the house and put the tree up...
But I'd always stop off at the local watering hole, Lengehan's Pub, before the requisite tree erection... So I'd usually have half a load on. My sister told me it always would have a 10 degree starboard list when I was finished...
How was I to know?
It looked fine to me!
So that's my last recollection of Christmas in the home I grew up in... A tree askew in the living room... much like the one pictured above, only that's not it.
And as they say on the nightly news, alcohol was a factor...
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden
Photo pinched from the Interweb
9 comments:
Hi honey: I'm leaning towards that fact too. But booze always makes things look much better.
My brother used to say he has slept with many beautiful women, he just woke up with some not as pretty.
I laugh and nod...I still don't get it.
BTW that tree looks fine to me...oh, never mind. I was reahing for my coffeee and leaning a tad.
hehehehe.
Merry Christmas Ranger Man...
Ciao. xxx
Spiky: Booze always makes things look better... Though a bit blurry!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Mushy: Same back at you Mush Man!
I love your homeey livingroom. The tree looks great! I did not notice it leaned until you said so.
What a beautiful picture, Tom.
Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi!
We're about about 5 hours ahead of of you in acquiring that drink-related list! Merry Christmas from North Wales, UK.
Uber: It's amazing! Someone broke into my house last night while I was at work... They stole everything and replaced it with an exact replica!
Bryn: I've only had tee martoonies ossifer! Merry Christmas from Purgatory!
Merry Christmas! I knew it...German...
My dad is of German decent and that last guy I dated German
guy I'm with now German...
What is it with me?
I like the tree and the traditions..Sweet!
Just Telling it: It just shows you have impeccable taste!
Actually,I claim my Father's Irish~English heritage... More jokes there.
It's been several years since I had a tree for Christmas. Living alone kind of sucks all the holiday cheer right out of me, but I do miss the tree decorating on Christmas Eve.
Post a Comment