Spruced up, in a way

Christmastime doesn't necessarily feel like Christmastime without the decorations, but what am I going to do, put stuff up in my apartment? As busy as I can be, the holiday tends to sneak up on me as it is. By the time I might even consider decking the halls the big day is almost here anyway.

Last year I bought a string of multicolored lights that I draped across the thing holding the blinds in place by one of my sliding glass doors. It was lame, but I kind of liked having the lights there for me. That's the most I've decorated my own place to generate the holiday spirit.

This year I decided that I needed to get a little artificial tree. Of course, when you first look for one on December 9, the pickings are slim, at least if one doesn't want to get something enormous. Luckily, it only took me four stores to find something like what I had in mind.

I bought a three-feet tall artificial pine tree that came with white lights already wrapped around it. (Since it's a pine, can I technically say I've spruced up the place?) I wanted one with multicolored lights, but none of those were available. Buying additional lights was out of the question because everyone seems cleaned out of their inventory of them, but I do have those I bought last year that I can add to the tree.

I'm still trying to find the right place for it, namely because I'll need two outlets if I add the other string of lights to it. I haven't been home much in the day-plus since I got it, but I look forward to having it add a little seasonal cheer to my dwelling. At least for a little while the place won't seem so decoratively sterile.