O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree...

… you may just be the death of me.

Very shortly after I started with my company, I was approached to take on the Christmas party. Apparently, no one else wants to do the Christmas party, so delegating this to the new girl seemed like a great idea.

And over the last five years (save for last year’s DRAMA), I’ve enjoyed doing it.

Along those lines, the putting-up, decorating, and tearing-down of the Christmas tree on our floor has also fallen into my hands. While putting up and taking the tree down are a bit of a chore, I don’t mind. There are a thousand reasons to not celebrate Christmas at work, mostly because people are discouraged about the economy. Since I fall on the glass-half-full line of thinking, I put the tree up for no reason other than dispelling those negative thoughts.

Fast forward to three-and-a-half weeks ago: A small division of one of the departments on our floor has recently moved back to our building. These ladies are creative and I was excited about having them back. One of them approached me about decorating the tree with new stuff this year. I was THRILLED. I asked her to keep her receipts and we’d split the cost but that the tree would be fun. I specifically said that the tree needed to go up last week because it’s considered a “down week” and no one would be here. She agreed 100%. Over the next few weeks, we looked at ornaments and picked up (and brought in) what we were going to decorate the tree with, except for just a few things.

So last Monday, I came to work with all the stuff I signed up to bring – lights, extra ornaments, MY ENTHUSIASM – and approached this coworker about putting the tree up. She tried to fluff me off, but I persisted and she told me to go ahead and put the tree up and that it would be decorated that afternoon.

Well, at 4:00 that Monday, last Monday, she came to my office, and told me that she didn’t have everything she needed and that she would decorate the tree over the weekend.

At this point I’m confused. It’s MONDAY. Doesn’t the weekend imply Saturday or Sunday???

Lo and behold, she was taking off the rest of the week. So there was a 6 foot tree in the middle of a fairly busy hallway with nothing on it but lights.

ARGH.

Yesterday (a week later), I took off. I needed a Sabbath. I didn’t get out of my pajamas or put on a bra. (IT WAS MARVELOUS.)

I got to work today, and you know what?

THE TREE IS STILL NOT DECORATED.

Heaven help me. I generally believe that losing one’s sanctification on the basis of a fake spruce is not a good reason, but I think I’m waning.

xoxo,

Me.