I DO Believe!!!

Yesterday's lack of cooperation between my printer and computer was just about the death of me.  Try as I might, I just couldn't seem to convince the two of them to let go of whatever their differences might be and work together to let me finish my work.  

To further compound the problem, the printer was soon to be blocked by what I'd hoped might be a Christmas tree.  I had plans for putting that bad boy up this weekend, but it seemed irresponsible to do so before I printed off all the things I had been putting off transforming into hard copies.  I feared for the whole holiday.  Would technology steal Christmas? 

Let's all take a minute to send warm, loving and not-at-all-creepy-because-they-are-coming-from-complete-strangers kinds of thoughts to commenter Sherry for reminding me that the simple solutions are the ones we so often overlook.  

Unplug the printer...let it reset itself.  I knew that.  I just didn't know that I knew it until I remembered that I did.  Which is sort of like not knowing it at all except for the part where you should have known better.  Thank you, Sherry!  Who knows when I would have remembered that I knew that before I forgot it?  You saved me days...and days...

  Other than the pain in my head from my having smacked my forehead whilst shouting out a resounding, "Doh!!!," things began to go much more smoothly after I performed that simple act.  That which needed to be rendered in ink was handily spat from the printer and Christmas was saved!!!  It's a Christmas Miracle!!!  I believe!!!!

Heck, I don't even mind having to explain that big forehead-smackin' bruise tomorrow morning at work...

With all that business out of the way, it was time to get that Christmas tree up!  I brushed off my hands, put on my best holiday face and took a nap. 

Then I worked on some holiday gift-knitting for a while and pretended that it is the kind of stuff I will actually get finished and that I won't really end up purchasing more things than I meant to.  

Then I had a snack and watched TV for a while.   Because that is just how we do things here.  Putting up the tree tends to be something of a fiasco most years so I put it off for as long as is possible.

Finally, I felt that I had engaged in enough of the Mental Preparation and just set to work on the thing.  It had to be done.  This is the Absurdly Gi-normous Kitty's first Christmas here and we don't want him thinking that we lack spirit, do we?  Happily, the process was smooth this year and there was not a single snag along the way.  It was up and decorated in no time and nary a single light failed to twinkle.  Miracles abound here, I tellya!  Although, I have to admit to some concerns regarding the AGK being in a room with a large fake tree sporting dangling stuff all over it.  

He showed great interest in the fake branches while they were scattered about the floor, but soon wandered off to watch events progress from the comfort of his nappin' basket.  He hasn't bothered with the tree since.  I know that this means nothing and that, at any moment, he will suddenly be seized by the urge to swing alongside an irreplaceable crystal ornament.  

But, for the moment, the tree remains safe.  Just in case, I've left much of the bottom unlit and minimally decorated.  We should be OK even if he does get any smart ideas.  Frankly, I view this as yet another Christmas Miracle and fully expect a nice couple on a donkey to show up at my door asking to use the spare room for a couple of nights until they can get an appointment with their obstetrician.

Now I must be off.  In light of all this miracle-working, I suppose that there is some hope of my finishing up a few gifts in time for the holiday.  Even if I don't, I still get to sit here and enjoy the glow from my Christmas tree and that is a very good thing, indeed.  I'll even share it with you just in case you also happen to enjoy pictures of Christmas trees taken without the flash.

They're more glow-y that way and you can't see where I forgot to bend the branches back into place after storage...

SA