Ugh...

I've meant to put up my Christmas tree since Thanksgiving but something always got in the way. Well, let's be honest - I wasn't really in a hurry to put it up. Here's an important lesson about Austrian culture: We don't put up our Christmas tree until right before Christmas Eve. We also celebrate Christmas Eve (yes, you get all your presents Christmas Eve). Oh and we (or at least my family and most of my friends) get a REAL tree and put REAL candles on there. None of this fake crap....

But having lived in a residence hall for years and celebrated quite a few Christmases in these lovely buildings, I have given in and bought one of those fake, plastic trees and fake Christmas lights. It'll never truly feel like Christmas without a real tree but you do what you can, right?

Well, tonight, I decided to finally put up my tree - I mean, there's only four days left and I have to work three of those - and EVERYTHING went wrong. The tree itself seems to be falling apart and now there's fake little plastic needles everywhere on the floor. And then I put up the Christmas lights - halfway through I thought, maybe I should have tested them first to make sure they're still working - and guess what, they didn't work. One string of lights is completely dead and only half of the other one lights up. And I can't figure out which tiny little light bulb is broken.

Ugh. I'm giving up. I miss Austrian Christmas!!!