Every year one state gets to send a tree to Washington DC to be the Capitol Christmas tree, and this year for the first time, Wyoming was chosen to send one. But before it went east, it went on a tour of the state so everyone could see it. Well, since fun activities are scarce around these parts, Declan and I knew we needed to go check it out. I was expecting a pretty unrealistic, spectacular event with the tree standing up in its full glory and everyone holding hands around the trunk and oooh-ing and ahh-ing over its beauty. We got there in time to see the two semis pull up, one holding the tree, and one holding the 5000 ornaments that Wyoming residents made to put on it. (including the one Liam made at scouts!) It was pretty exciting.
So you can imagine my disappointment when, five minutes after parking the trucks, they announced that everyone could line up to see the tree...
...through this tiny window.
Now after learning that the tree was 70 feet tall and weighed tons, I understand that they couldn't get it out and stand it up in every town they went to. But hundreds of people lined up to see it through a tiny window? Very sad. Couldn't they have at least figured out a way to open the side of the truck?
Hundreds of school kids took a field trip to see the tree and we found this guy,
who got home and said, "Well, that was pretty much the worst field trip ever." Turns out that the line for the tree was too long, so they didn't have time to look at it AND their teacher wouldn't let them stand in the cookie and hot chocolate line either. Oh, the disappointment.
There was a small ceremony with speeches from the mayor and the forest service people who chose the tree. And then there was this poor guy.
He is a pretty decent singer-songwriter who had the unfortunate luck of being chosen to write the "official Wyoming Christmas tree song." How does one even begin writing that song? He was apparently up to the task, and it was a pretty nice song. Only. Performing in Rock Springs, you have to expect things to go as badly as they can, because professional is something this town just ain't. And true to form, they hooked up his PA system using the cigarette lighter from a pickup truck. So yes, there were many technical difficulties. His mike kept going in and out. Plus, remember that the crowd was 95% made up of grade schoolers. So every time he cut out during the song, the crowd collectively laughed a loud Simpson-esque laugh: "HA HA!"
Whatever they paid that guy, it just wasn't enough.
