It's Christmas Time in the City

SUMMARY: Wordless Wednesday visits downtown San Jose

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O Xmas Tree Phase 1

SUMMARY: Getting the lights up

So, I'm a little late this year--but last year I never got a tree. Orrrr I got it but never decorated it.

Yesterday I found a decent-enough tree, a smallish silver-tip fir. I love these because they have soooo much space between the branches for ornaments, and I have soooo many ornaments -- more than I can fit on an 8-foot tree, so with this tiny one, hooboy, it'll be really hard to pick and choose.

But first--the lights!

In the order of things, the string of lights with light-up ornaments attached goes first, to try to distribute the light-ups fairly evenly.

Some of my light-ups:

(Says "five...four...three... two...one...liftoff...roarrrrrrrrrr")
(Says, "You are strong, young Skywalker, but you are not a Jedi yet. [inhale]")

Hmm, do we detect a space-ish theme here?

I also have this high-tech computer user ornament--a ginormous(*) CRT with glowing green letters on a black background making a letter to Santa. Does this date me? And my ornament?

(*)Thinking of you, Steph, wherever your spirit has roamed.

And a couple more.

Next, one string of twinkling lights. I thought that, with a smaller tree, I could get away with just those two strings, but noooooooooo -- too many empty branches. Ah, well, not bad for one busy weekend. To bed!

Random Things Around Town

SUMMARY: A lazy blogging day.

If you're like me and love--I mean really LOOOOVVVVVE sprinkles on your ice cream, would you be happy paying $1.37 an ounce in 1.25-ounce bottles as found in pretty much any grocery store around? Sometimes even more than that? How can stores justify charging that much for those tiny bottles? I think you're mostly paying for the plastic, because there are about 2 servings of sprinkles in those little guys.

Or would you go to Smart and Final, buy a mongo 17-ounce jar that'll last you a month or two, and pay a mere 35 cents an ounce? Can you say ice-cream ecstasy?!

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You've seen those ubiquitous, low-paid workers waving signs around streetside to draw your attention to a store or business, right? As I pulled up to the stoplight the other day, I thought there was something odd about this particular person holding up the sign--not a lot of waving going on. REALLY cheap labor.

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Ever since a big wind storm a few weeks back, coming home from agility class in the hills, this dragon's head has been lying in my headlights on the far side of the T intersection. I wonder what happened to the rest of his body?

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I'm thinking that I need a new office chair. It's just my disarming personality, I guess.

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There's a street in Palo Alto that's blocked in the middle from through traffic, and they planted trees in the barrier. Apparently someone decorates them differently every month. Update March 27: "Anonymous" reader found this link that explains it. On the weekly 5-mile walk with the Sierra Club Wednesday night, we were a bit awed by the vibrant spring decor.

A little bird is ready for spring.

Fellow Sierra Clubber camouflaged by the lights. It really brightened up our night, so to speak.