More Denver Christmas

Yesterday was a long day of Chrismas activities. After an early morning workout, my father and I set out. Our first stop was the Christmas tree lot. (We used to buy our tree last thing on the 24th, but then one year we arrived too late and Dad had to scale the fence and throw a tree over to Sarah and I.) After bargaining the guy down to $50.00, we moved on to Zadies for breakfast and another planning session. Fortified with a veggie omlette and potato pancakes, we finally faced the Cherry Creek Mall.

I can't give too many details about the shopping, as people have yet to open their presents. So I will instead describe a very weird playground we saw at the mall. Instead of swings and teeter-totters, children play on giant fiberglass waffels, fried eggs, and pieces of bacon. I guess the news that we are supposed to encourage healthy eating in America's children has not reached the mall community. There is also a section with a huge television surrounded by what appears to be living room furniture. It was filled with men watching the Bronco game, waiting for their wives and girlfriends to finishing shopping.

After we gathered the gifts, we stopped for a libation and then headed off to the Tattered Cover, our traditional last shopping stop. Then home. But Christmas activies were far from over. Sarah, Andy and Anders came over and helped get the tree up and decorated. There was a slight crisis when we realized we did not have enough (working) lights, so Dad and I headed out to Walgreen's, opened 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It was packed with people doing last minute shopping (although I do not want to know why the woman in the Harley Davidson jacket in front of us was buying 3 boxes of rubber gloves). In addition to the lights, we picked up some always-useful reindeer antlers. These proved to be a big hit with Anders, who is showing the family affinity for goofy headgear.





Now it's Chrimas morning. The presents are wrapped, the stockings are full. The Mengshols will soon be here to eat waffels and bacon and the festivies will begin.