Oh Tanenbaum

[timepiececlock]

My parents bought a fake Christmas tree. They surprised me with it yesterday. A FAKE TREE. Of course we live in Southern California now so it's not like there's a Santa Cruz Mountain just lying around nearby for people to grow Christmas tree farms on, but still... OMG A FAKE TREE. MY CHILDHOOD IS TRULY DEAD NOW.

...looks pretty realistic though. Great needles. Just suffers from being a little too symmetrical. It's an artistic thing, noticing shit like "It's symmetrical! I hate it for its symmetricallness!"

My parents pointed out that it came with lights already wrapped around it, which is a 'good thing' because "if you didn't notice growing up, we've almost split up about 15 times while hanging christmas tree lights." I had, in fact, noticed this. It always freaked me out a little. But then I grew up with a sekrit pathological fear that my parents would just randomly decide to get a divorce one day (apparently it wasn't that sekrit and they knew I worried about it, though I never told them so go figure. Parents.) In reality they still flirt a lot and, ew, as happy as I am for them I did not need that mental image.

But really, FAKE TREE. In a year and a half I've lost my house, my city, and now my Christmas tree traditions. Goodbye lingering bits of childhood. I shall miss you.

Comments

[gweniveeve.livejournal.com]

I actually associate my childhood with a fake tree, as we did not get a real one until I was a teenager. "Putting together the Christmas tree" was part of the tradition of Christmas. Although now I do prefer real ones (they smell nice and there are more places to hang ornaments!)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

My cousins are growing up with a fake tree. ::sigh::

I lived in San Jose until I was 20, and we could drive up the Santa Cruz mountain (took like half an hour) to the christmas tree lots and run around looking for the perfect tree, then cut it and take it home for 40 bucks. Apparently real trees on lots here cost about 100 dollars. I can understand my parents balking at that. But still.... -_-

They do smell great, though.

[arafel.livejournal.com]

We had a real tree until it was apparent that I was allergic, so we've had fake ones for as long as I can remember. Me, I appreciate that a real tree smells nice and has that pretty Christmas touch, but I'm just as happy to burn a balsam candle and to not have to vacuum needles and water the tree.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

The mess never bothered me-- Christmas was always vaguely messy anyway, with ornament hooks and wrapping paper and decorative stuff clutttering up the living room with shinyness... falling needles were just par for course.

[octopedingenue]

I've never had a real tree and never wanted one; I'm only mildly fond of the smell and they seem like such a mess and fire hazard!

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

SACRILEGE.SACRILEGE.SACRILEGE. I'm getting you all cards with big TREES on them.

[spikewriter]

I'm highly allergic, so we always had a fake tree. It wasn't until I moved in with the Roommate From Hell that I ever had a real tree -- and always ended up being sick all through the holidays.

Now, the husband and I have a candle tree, which we really enjoy. It's our own tradition, which is nice.

[angelryka.livejournal.com]

Hi, I sorta wandered over to your journal from avatar_fans and was wondering if your Zuko mini-movie icon is usable by others or did you make it just for your journal?

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Right now it's just for me. I might include it in a larger post I'll be making later, though. :)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

It is up for grabs. I just decided to post it last night. :D

[flouritephoenix.livejournal.com]

Your parents fighting while putting up the tree every year didn't give you a pathological fear of xmas trees? You actually still like them (them meaning the trees, not your parents)?

See? You have blessings to count. ;-)

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Your parents fighting while putting up the tree every year didn't give you a pathological fear of xmas trees?

Nope. I learned to interject myself so it was either me & my dad or me & my mom doing the tree lights. Then we could get mad at each other instead.

It's kinda funny. Although my parents bickered as much as any married couple with kids does, the christmas tree lights were one few localized hot zones when it came to stuff. They could both be in a great mood to begin with but by the end they wanted to rip each other apart. I think it's the way light strands tangle. There's something truly evil in their ability to frustrate normally happy, reasonable people.

You have blessings to count. ;-)

I do! :D

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

"if you didn't notice growing up, we've almost split up about 15 times while hanging christmas tree lights."

This makes me laugh a lot, because we've got a fake tree with lights now that my dad adores because for like twenty years my Mom thought he liked hanging up lights, and he actually hated it, he just didn't like how whe hung them!