OUR ADVENTURE AT THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT

Well, how do I start?  We thought it would be fun working a Christmas Tree Lot this year.  Hmmm.....

Fun is not the word I would use.  Work, hard work, extremely hard work, those are words I would use to describe our experience.  I have never worked so hard in my life.  I didn't get any pictures after the sales started because it was so busy I didn't have a second to take one.  I have some I'll attach when we got our first shipment of 350 trees and were ready for sale.  We ended up selling 2260 trees.  That's not to mention the wreaths, garland, stands and other sundrees.  I can honestly say, I would never do this again.  I don't think I could get paid enough to work this hard (well maybe if I was broke).  No free time.  24 hour work.  Only 5 weeks but seemed like a lifetime.

It started with the set-up of the circus tent.  We had to string lights, water lines; attach signs on the poles, fences; put together an office and everything that goes in it; put together 1000 stands, garland reels, netting table, work tables; set up a flocking tent the same way including the flocking machines, tables etc.  Try doing that 3 times (we had to help two others put theirs up).  We thought this would be the end of the hard part (the joke was on us).

Now comes the trees at 8 in the morning or during the busiest time of day around 5 p.m.  350 trees in a semi-truck that have to be unloaded, stumps cut and drilled for the stands (the stands have a spike in the middle where the tree sits on); hammer a stand in each tree, stand it up, water it, cut the bailing string from around the tree, and tag it with a price.  Times that by 2260 trees.  Every two days receiving 2-300  trees.

Now that trees are up, its selling time.  Try hundreds of mostly cranky people wanting a tree.  Picking one out, then we have to take the stand off, put the tree on a shaker, shake it, and then carry it to the netter, net it, and then either in a truck bed, or the dreadful top-of-car tie on.  At the same time trying to sell these people a stand and several other sundrees. Remember these are not Walmart trees.  They are from a tree farm in Oregon and weigh 150-300 pounds.

The worst part was handling of employees that didn't want to work, just wanted to get paid.  It was more tiresome to try to get these employees to work rather than just do it yourself.  Of course, if they wanted to work why would they be working at a tree lot for 5 weeks a year?  Exhausting!  A bunch of government handout people who have enjoyed too much free money!  We had 3 good employees and the rest were lazy.

Now you think when we closed at 9:00 p.m. we could go to bed. NO!  First we have to water 300 trees, then I had to do all the bookkeeping.  Count the trees that were left by size and species, every sundree that was sold, how much money paid to employees, balance the credit card charges, checks, cash etc.  That was a 4 hour job every night.  Just to wake up at six to water more trees, get another shipment of trees and start all over again.

Just to add some excitement Kevin got bit by a spider and it got infected and his entire hand was turning read and swollen and the spider bite got red, then black, then kept extending.  Had to get IV antibiotics and go the doctor 3 times.  Geez!  I attached a picture of the bite after it was almost healed up.

Would I do this again?  NEVER!  This was a nightmare!  People are not happy at Christmas!  They are crabs!  Why buy a tree if you are so crabby?  Stay home and shut the door!  Don't come to the Christmas tree lot and take it out on the cashier!

With that said, MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!  The tree lot is closed and I will have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.  Off to a Christmas concert, then to a Christmas Eve celebration on Monday.  So glad the tree selling business is over, and so glad my Savior was born and died for my sins!  So glad I get to spend Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!