Oh Tanenbaum.
We're having a little bit of separation anxiety when it comes to our Christmas tree.
That's right. It's February 6, and our Christmas tree is still standing tall and going strong. I stopped watering it about a month ago. It's still quite green, and the needles are staying on. It's just not quite as perky as it once was; it looks a bit as if it just heaved a deep sigh.
The Russian lover was reluctant about the tree; I insisted on it and he likes to see me happy, so he went along with it. We found the perfect tree at Home Depot (this is this city; there are no cute little farms or stands down the street and the markets are ripping you off). We paid twenty bucks for a perfect 8ft tree. I wrapped it in white lights and nothing else, because I was terrified that lots of shiny ornaments would prove too enticing for the cats. I was hoping the cats would just sort of ignore the tree.
And by and large, they've shown no interest in climbing or playing with the tree. They have, however, decided that it is delicious. Fortunately, the tree has not proven to be poisonous, as the cats are still with us. They like to use the tree as a between meals snack, or as a second course. They've eaten off most of the lower branches by now. I have proposed leaving the tree here just to see how long it takes them to polish off the whole thing.
Anyway, the cats aren't the only ones who aren't in a hurry to see the tree go. We've grown rather fond of the pleasant glow of light through branches on these dark winter evenings. Even the Russian lover, who didn't really want to be bothered with it as first, doesn't want to see it go.
Trash days are Tuesdays; every Monday evening when we're taking the trash out, the Russian lover looks at the tree, which we had decided earlier that week really must go out. And then he looks at me and says conspiratorially, "Another week?" And I say, "Oh, why not." And so it remains.
It's going to be bittersweet when -- probably the second week of March, at this rate -- we finally manage to haul the tree out to the curb. I imagine the garbage men are going to let out a loud "what the fuck" at the sight of it. The cats are going to be confused, and probably hungrier. And the living room will be darker at night.
But the sun is sticking around longer these days so maybe...it won't be so hard to bring ourselves to let go of the tree. Finally.