Oh Christmas Tree

You know those weird events where you think to yourself “This feels like a scene out of the Christmas Story” (great movie by the way)? Well today I was returning a Christmas tree at Home Depot. The reason for this was that the tree dried out because it was next to the wood stove and the needles were falling apart; we always have the tree in the family room by the fire place but unfortunately this year the tree did not make it. So we took off all the lights and cut the branches off because we had to fit it in the car to return it. Then I get to Home Depot and take the tree up to the return counter, without any branches, to the amusement of those around me. Unfortunately the people refused to take it back and refund it, so while my father straightened things out I was lucky enough to stand by the tree, while people walked by and stared at it. Many people laughed, and pointed, and some took pictures. A few of my favorite comments were “What… did the branches fall off?”, “What happened to that tree?!”, “This is perfectly viable, you just cut the branches off to use them.”, and “Don’t worry it’ll grow back.” It was a fun day and will probably be one for the books, I think it is safe to say that my dad and I are the only people to cut the branches off of a Christmas tree and try to return it.