Purchased this year's tree at our favorite tree spot, a giant lot at the Present Perfect Nursery in Pasadena. Great selection, negotiable prices and they load it up and tie it down for you. I have to say I also love the giant, faintly evil-looking fiberglass Santa that presides over the place.

Once we got the tree home, Philip set to putting the lights on - with the caveat that he was only to put one string in each extension cord socket slot and not double or triple up with piggybacked light sets (last year he managed to MELT a couple of extension cords with the intense heat). Jeannette stopped by to return a stepladder she had borrowed, so we set her to work putting on the ornaments. By the time we finished, I started feeling achy all over and my sinuses started to collapse...