Posted by Pistol Pete
Twenty five shopping days until Christmas.DW wants to put up our tree this weekend.I remember when I married her,her kids had never had a real tree.It was an annual thing when my children were young.We’d take the pickup,head to one of the many tree farms in the area and tramp through acres of trees to find just the right one.Then you take out the saw and kill a tree in honor of the season.We’d drag it out to the path where a tractor with a flatbed would come along and haul you and your tree back to the main building.While they tagged it and fed it through a machine to encase it in nylon netting we’d go into the little restaurant with the roaring fireplace and treat ourselves to some hot chocolate and a fresh donut.We’d sing carols all the way home and after much effort I would finally get the darn thing to stand up straight in the stand.It filled the whole room with a delightful smell and you almost ignored the constant watering and stepping on dried needles in your bare feet.We never left it up long after the holiday because these trees can ignite and be engulfed in a matter of seconds.We repeated this with SD and SS as long as they lived with us and SD still makes an event of it with her two daughters.SS is so tight with a dollar he makes Scrooge look like Santa,so they do the artificial tree thing,as we’ve done for years.This is one of the simple memories of family time that stay with you forever.
ADDED BY CTH FOR PETE’S SAKE:
polination.blog 
J CREWS’ $145 BABY SWEATER
I guess it’s OK if you have the money and you’re a self-indulgent weenie
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/j-crews-145-baby-sweater-170700501.html
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Wow … and to think I once felt really guiltily indulgent for spending $18 on a Christmas-themed stretch suit for my newborn to wear to all the “meet the relatives” holiday gatherings.
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NEW JERSEY VETERANS BAND TOGETHER TO BURY THEIR OWN
The term:A Band of Brothers is more than just words…it’s the code of honor they live by.
http://nation.foxnews.com/war-veterans/2012/11/28/new-jersey-veterans-band-together-bury-their-own
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CHURCHES RENT OUT STEEPLES AS CELL PHONE TOWERS
Since nobody wants them in their back yards,steeples are a unique place where they’re not noticed
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/churches-increasingly-rent-out-steeples-as-cellphone-towers/
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Since it’s the SF area, maybe they’d have better luck trying to erect their exposed towers under the local public nudity ordinances.
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FIREFIGHTER FACING PERSONAL TRAGEDIES GETS A SURPRISE VISIT FROM HIS BOYHOOD HERO
Not all stars are jaded gasbags–this is great!
http://screen.yahoo.com/proposal-episode-10-adam-west-014018512.html
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WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE SCRABBLE SET -$30,000
I thought Chrissy and Bob would get a kick out of this
http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/world-most-expensive-scrabble-set-costs-30-000-234028121.html
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And again … wow. I thought I was just going so over-the-top when I bought us the Deluxe Diamond Anniversary set AND splurged on an entire extra set of racks and tiles, because they were special for that set and I wanted to have replacements that matched if we ever lost or broke any of them.
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This one is way cooler and loads cheaper … if anyone is thinking about getting me a stocking stuffer for Christmas ;o).
http://www.hammacher.com/Product/11995?promo=search
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Hey, we play it for free on Facebook. No muss, no fuss. It even has a built-in dictionary and automatic scoring and lots of other nifty features. And you can’t lose or misplace the pieces, either.
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Plus, the only place I have big enough for that thing is where my quilt design wall is and I am NOT giving tht up! So, hey, we just saved ourselves $12,000. I think that means we’re doing better than Congress. LOL
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Yeah, too bad we’re not running the show — we’re a lot better at budgeting and balancing checkbooks than those clowns in Washington are. And we’re both accomplished penny pinchers!
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GRAPEFRUIT AND MEDICATIONS MAY BE A DEADLY MIX
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/grapefruit-and-medications-may-be-deadly-mix
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Holy cow! Grapefruit can interact with more than 85 drugs, 44 of which actually can cause sudden death if taken within hours of drinking grapefruit juice or eating the fruit.
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Good thing I don’t do drugs. I love grapefruit.
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My thoughts exactly.
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STARBUCKS SELLS $7 PER CUP COFFEE
I’ve never had a latte,a cappucino or any other artsy-fartsy drink.Regular coffee with a little cream and sugar is how I’ve taken it since I started drinking it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-7-dollar-starbucks-finca-palmilera-20121128,0,7281217.story
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Who can afford this?
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I can think of better ways to spend seven bucks. And the Cuisinart Grind-and-Brew coffeemaker that my kids gave me for Christmas I don’t know how many years ago makes coffee that’s just as good as that overpriced stuff.
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Mama Buzz got me one of those glass and stainless push and steep things. I can add spices to my grounds and leave it sit as long and strong as I want. It’s so delicious!
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FAST FOOD WORKERS DEMAND $15/HOUR
The first comment sums it up pretty well
Qualify for something other than flipping burgers you leeches. You had the choice from when you started school to do something with your life. Teachers and most parents emphasize the importance of education and/or getting job skills for the real world. You chose not to listen and now you have come to the realization working at McD’s isn’t going to pay the bills? Stupid is as stupid does. Welcome to the real world!
http://www.myfoxny.com/story/20216614/fast-food-workers-protest-for-higher-wages
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What a bunch of ignoramuses. What do they think will happen if management doubles the amount they pay all their unskilled workers? Do they really think the additional cost will not be passed on to the customers? Do they really think the customers are going to continue to eat there if the prices go way up? The only reason people eat at those places is because the food is cheap.
I have no love for McDonalds or any other purveyor of junk food, but if the nitwits they interviewed for this story are typical of their employees, then I can’t help feeling sorry them. How can you run a business when the people working for you are idiots?
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SIX MONTH SENTENCE IN STABBING DEATH OF PARROT
You’d get off easier breaking into your neighbors’ house and stealing everything he has
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121127/NEWS01/711279792
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JURY STARTS DELIBERATIONS IN CASE OF UNDERWEAR MODEL WHO ALLEGEDLY CASTRATED SUGAR DADDY
I just posted this so you could see the model
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/closing_arguments_underway_allegedly_JXwQJ9MwC3ma1SyTKpgdGL
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WOMEN BANNED FROM SHAVING IN PUBLIC SHOWERS
http://www.yourjewishnews.com/Pages/w6362.aspx
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It was thoughtful of them to caption that photograph “Woman shaving her leg.” I would never have been able to figure out what the picture was otherwise, especially since the story was about women shaving their legs.
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SCARED OF SANTA
Tribune posts slide show of kids who freaked out when they sat on Santa’s lap.If you never did,I bet you knew somebody who was.
These are hilarious!(unless one of them is so traumatized he grows up to take a life)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/holiday/chi-scared-of-santa-2012-20121115,0,2324685.ugcphotogallery
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MINNESOTA FAMILY SHARES EXTREME CHRISTMAS CARDS
These are not your ordinary family photo cards.These people are a hoot!
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/minnesota-family-shares-extreme-christmas-cards-230812735–abc-news-topstories.html
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More pics here. These are fun!
http://abcnews.go.com/US/slideshow/extreme-holiday-card-photos-17819077
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I haven’t started posting Christmas vids yet.You may enjoy this.
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ANALYSIS FINDS CONTAMINATED US PORK PRODUCTS
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/whats-pork
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FEDS:$100,000 TO TEACH TEEN GIRLS ‘CONDOM NEGOTIATION’
http://washingtonexaminer.com/feds-100000-to-teach-teen-girls-condom-negotiation/article/2514683
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It’s comforting to know that our overlords are so careful about the way they spend the money they confiscate from us peasants. It makes me feel better knowing that they would never dream of wasting it on stupid stuff.
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Heaven forbid they would spend money on something that promoted virtue, like teaching them to just say no. I might be ok with using our money to buy the girls handguns as an aid in “saying no” negotiations, but I just read something about how a large chunk of guys in prison are there because of the revenge of jealous girlfriends, so arming teenage girls would probably not be the best idea. Maybe there would be fewer guys in jail, but there would be more getting their private parts shot off.
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We could arm them as long as we also provided them with those t-shirts that said, “I have PMS and a gun.” You know, like posting a “Beware of dog” sign.
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ROFLOL! That sounds fair! And then, later in life when safely in a monogamous relationship, they could graduate to a more mellow “Give me the chocolate and nobody gets hurt” t-shirt.
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I want that one in every color, thank you.
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Whoa … check out the intro by Rosie O’Donnell with Big Hair and a Small Butt.
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Thanks for that, Pete! I LOVE Peanut!
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We’ve loved Dunham for years, especially Achmed, but his shows just haven’t been the same after his divorce. Don’t know why. He works it into his act, but it just comes across as tragic, and not so funny. I feel bad for the guy. It’s got to be hard on a family to be traveling all the time.
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Damn. I didn’t know he’d divorced.
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Yup. It happened about the time he finally landed a TV show. I don’t know how long the show lasted, but it wasn’t bad.
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Because of my allergies, we couldn’t have a tree. When Mama Buzz was in second grade, her teacher asked the kids to tell about their holiday traditions. When Mama Buzz shared, the kids were really sad and set out to find a way we could have a tree.
My mom was very artistic and did some gorgeous trees when I was growing up. And much later, we eventually found an artificial tree we could afford which, after five years of out-gassing, in the shed and the basement, was finally safe enough to be in my air space in the living room where we’ve prettied it up in some memorable ways. Some years, it has been so pretty, I left it up for months.
But the tree those little 7 year olds made us with their creative minds and giving hands is still, hands down, my favorite tree EVER.
They found out I tolerated paper and dried glue, so they designed a tree out of huge pieces of green paper, three triangles, that we could put on the wall with tacks. Then they made lots of ornaments out of paper so after we put up our tree, we could decorate it too. The teacher told us the motivation, brainstorming and work was all by the children. She just got them the materials they asked for and gave them time to work on it.
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What a great bunch of kids, and what a nice teacher!
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This is hilarious! Must see! Anyone having a worst day than you are:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/people-who-are-having-a-worse-day-than-you
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PP
Loved you story about cutting your own tree. We have always cut ours down because I love a tall fresh tree. Last year, I thought that maybe we should get a fake one. I got one pre season at a great price. I started putting it together and got it half done and got fed up. I swear it took more time than driving to the tree farm, tromping through the fields, and driving home, and it just looked too fake. So I boxed it back up an took it back to the store.
I have decided I would rather have no tree than a fake tree.
Last year we drove up to Woodstock to cut one down. Any good tree farms near you?
Also, here is some great news:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/allen-west-always-remember-abraham-lincoln-only-served-one-term-in-congress/
Run West Run!
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I ♡ Allen West.
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Having no choice, I held out for a really great fake. It’s one I admired at a store being used for ornament display. I didn’t find one like it for sale, but the store manager went to our church and understood my problems, so he graciously agreed to sell it to me after the holidays were over that year. It’s really pretty, about 7′ tall, with those almost real looking “silk” needles and only 3 pieces, top, middle, bottom. The branches are all hinged on the “trunk”, so we just plug the trunk poles together then let the branches unfold.
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