A Christmas Story, pt. 1
It's a beautiful winter day in Austin. It feels more like California. I'm picking Steve up from work, and the first thing he says is, "Want to go to the tree lighting tonight?"
He's talking about the Kyle tree lighting. He read about it in the Buda Eagle Express, I think it's called, a little paper that gets thrown onto our driveway once a week. I leave it there, but undoubtedly he picks it up. He's taken it to work to read the latest sordid news in Hays County, but also to find out about all the Christmas goings on. Like the tree lighting.
He is Mr. Christmas. "What time is the tree lighting?" I ask. 6 p.m. he answers. "That's right during dinner time," I answer. I'm Ms. Inflexible. He wins and it's decided we go to Sonic for dinner, also to celebrate Ben's high math test score.
We are home by 5:30. At 5:35 Steve jumps up from the computer and tells everyone to get in their coats; we're going. He's so excited. I say, "But it starts at 6, what time do you think they will light the tree?" We guess this will happen at 6:30 when it gets dark, and I'm also thinking about 5 people will be there, 6 if you include Santa. "There will be treats!" Steve adds. He has watched too much Gilmore Girls with me.
We get downtown a little before 6, and park at a little Baptist church several blocks away from Center Street (hence the center of town). We see quite a few cars. Just over the skyline of small buildings you can see the top of tree from where we walk. At approximately 6:03 Steve sees it light up, that is, sees the top light up. "What?!! We missed it!" he says.
"No," I say, "surely they didn't mean they were going to light the tree at 6." Apparently they did.
People are walking back to their cars with funnel cakes. "Let's go see the tree anyway," I say, trying to cheer Mr. Christmas up. "It's kind of anti-climactic now," he responds.
There is a mass crowd around the tree, and booths everywhere. A loud man in the middle is trying to sell Lehman High School Lobo silly bands. He is a little annoying. "Here he comes!" someone says behind us. Another voice chimes in, "it's Santa!" Sure enough, there is Santa, trying not to get mobbed by the crowd as he makes his way to City Hall to, well, be Santa. But Santa looks a little grumpy. Or maybe egotistical. One of the two.
We look around for five minutes, having brought no money for hot chocolate. "I thought treats were free," says Mr. Christmas. He is sad. "Look at the tree!" I say, "Isn't it beautiful!" We start walking back to the car. "Are we leaving?" Syd says. "Yesss!" says Ben.
This weekend we are going to the Wimberley Trail of Lights. Please pray they are there.
He's talking about the Kyle tree lighting. He read about it in the Buda Eagle Express, I think it's called, a little paper that gets thrown onto our driveway once a week. I leave it there, but undoubtedly he picks it up. He's taken it to work to read the latest sordid news in Hays County, but also to find out about all the Christmas goings on. Like the tree lighting.
He is Mr. Christmas. "What time is the tree lighting?" I ask. 6 p.m. he answers. "That's right during dinner time," I answer. I'm Ms. Inflexible. He wins and it's decided we go to Sonic for dinner, also to celebrate Ben's high math test score.
We are home by 5:30. At 5:35 Steve jumps up from the computer and tells everyone to get in their coats; we're going. He's so excited. I say, "But it starts at 6, what time do you think they will light the tree?" We guess this will happen at 6:30 when it gets dark, and I'm also thinking about 5 people will be there, 6 if you include Santa. "There will be treats!" Steve adds. He has watched too much Gilmore Girls with me.
We get downtown a little before 6, and park at a little Baptist church several blocks away from Center Street (hence the center of town). We see quite a few cars. Just over the skyline of small buildings you can see the top of tree from where we walk. At approximately 6:03 Steve sees it light up, that is, sees the top light up. "What?!! We missed it!" he says.
"No," I say, "surely they didn't mean they were going to light the tree at 6." Apparently they did.
People are walking back to their cars with funnel cakes. "Let's go see the tree anyway," I say, trying to cheer Mr. Christmas up. "It's kind of anti-climactic now," he responds.
There is a mass crowd around the tree, and booths everywhere. A loud man in the middle is trying to sell Lehman High School Lobo silly bands. He is a little annoying. "Here he comes!" someone says behind us. Another voice chimes in, "it's Santa!" Sure enough, there is Santa, trying not to get mobbed by the crowd as he makes his way to City Hall to, well, be Santa. But Santa looks a little grumpy. Or maybe egotistical. One of the two.
We look around for five minutes, having brought no money for hot chocolate. "I thought treats were free," says Mr. Christmas. He is sad. "Look at the tree!" I say, "Isn't it beautiful!" We start walking back to the car. "Are we leaving?" Syd says. "Yesss!" says Ben.
This weekend we are going to the Wimberley Trail of Lights. Please pray they are there.