11.28.98
"Abandon ye all hope, who enter this place." WELL! Got one holiday out of the way, on to the next! Gotta stop here and describe how RR becomes about Christmas. He just goes apeshit over the thing. It is the one time in the year when I am absolutely assured that this fifty year-old youngman still is exactly that, a youngman who never will grow up. I'm bored with the commerciality (if that is a word) of it all, but RR still looks at the thing with the eyes of a child. One of the many things I love about the guy. It gets on my nerves from time to time, but in the end, it all turns out well. You know, if it came down to eating or buying a tree, He'd buy a tree.
And that is exactly what we did today. There is a GORGEOUS 10' Noble Fir sitting in a bucket out by the hairless dawg. (we have a flea allergy, and all the hair has fallen off his ass. He looks like an orangutan.) There's a story behind it, though. Last year was such a cluster fuck, and we were warned that there was going to be a shortage of noble firs starting for the next couple of years (they are apparently very slow growing) This in mind, we flopped down $20 as a deposit to reserve a tree, with visions of the perfect one bathed in golden sunlight waiting for us to take it home.
BZZZZZZZZZ! wrong! Thanks for playing!
Instead, we were treated to the spectacle of watching this odd mixture of Samoans and Hawaiians unload the 40' refrigerated containers at the rate of, oh about 1 tree per five minutes. Obviously, the lads are being paid by the hour. That's also about how long RR and I stood, jaws slackened by the grand inefficiency of the thing, waiting. I even had the opportunity to hike the three blocks to Starbucks for their own brand of hyper brewed coffee (which is still sitting on my stomach like lead.) You know, I'm just too damn haole for all this. Discrimination sux, regardless of the level of which it is imposed.
Why do I say this? More than once, during this painful annual tree obtaining ritual have I heard "Dis one stay for the bruddah," with a gesture made to one with the brown skin. Certainly, I have no birthright to trees based on my ethnicity, however it is rather disheartening in this age to be passed over because I do not match the majority. Many of you are no doubt scratching your heads at this point. See, the unique ethnic makeup of this place creates a situation where caucasians number about 18%, quite the reverse of the way I was reared. As such, I can now understand the plight of the persons with skin not the colour of the majority, for I am now one. I think everyone should have the experience. It makes you a lot more sensitive when dealing with people.
We paid for our $175 tree and left. (Hey, someone I knew paid over $250 for one once, but I'm not allowed to bring that up in public.) Whaddya expect of something that's been sitting in a refrigerated container for the last 90 days? (that's to kill the bugs and allow coniferous trees to pass agricultural inspection) Just makes me wanna....spit.
In conclusion, a huge and significant aloha to the friends with whom I spent almost 6 hours on ICQ last night. I really had a blast, guys. You want my #? easy nuff. Just ask. If you are cute enough....
And that is exactly what we did today. There is a GORGEOUS 10' Noble Fir sitting in a bucket out by the hairless dawg. (we have a flea allergy, and all the hair has fallen off his ass. He looks like an orangutan.) There's a story behind it, though. Last year was such a cluster fuck, and we were warned that there was going to be a shortage of noble firs starting for the next couple of years (they are apparently very slow growing) This in mind, we flopped down $20 as a deposit to reserve a tree, with visions of the perfect one bathed in golden sunlight waiting for us to take it home.
BZZZZZZZZZ! wrong! Thanks for playing!
Instead, we were treated to the spectacle of watching this odd mixture of Samoans and Hawaiians unload the 40' refrigerated containers at the rate of, oh about 1 tree per five minutes. Obviously, the lads are being paid by the hour. That's also about how long RR and I stood, jaws slackened by the grand inefficiency of the thing, waiting. I even had the opportunity to hike the three blocks to Starbucks for their own brand of hyper brewed coffee (which is still sitting on my stomach like lead.) You know, I'm just too damn haole for all this. Discrimination sux, regardless of the level of which it is imposed.
Why do I say this? More than once, during this painful annual tree obtaining ritual have I heard "Dis one stay for the bruddah," with a gesture made to one with the brown skin. Certainly, I have no birthright to trees based on my ethnicity, however it is rather disheartening in this age to be passed over because I do not match the majority. Many of you are no doubt scratching your heads at this point. See, the unique ethnic makeup of this place creates a situation where caucasians number about 18%, quite the reverse of the way I was reared. As such, I can now understand the plight of the persons with skin not the colour of the majority, for I am now one. I think everyone should have the experience. It makes you a lot more sensitive when dealing with people.
We paid for our $175 tree and left. (Hey, someone I knew paid over $250 for one once, but I'm not allowed to bring that up in public.) Whaddya expect of something that's been sitting in a refrigerated container for the last 90 days? (that's to kill the bugs and allow coniferous trees to pass agricultural inspection) Just makes me wanna....spit.
In conclusion, a huge and significant aloha to the friends with whom I spent almost 6 hours on ICQ last night. I really had a blast, guys. You want my #? easy nuff. Just ask. If you are cute enough....
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