Emily's Day

Happy Birthday Em! Here is your birthday shout-out. For those of you who don't know Emily, you're really missing out. But here is a little, real-life story for you:

A group of us were paying for pizza before heading to the Tom Petty concert at the Gorge. Em was up first to pay and she inquired as to the maximum amount of cash back she could get since she needed $60. The lady at the cash register did not know, so she called the manager to find out. After we discovered that the maximum was way over $60, Em continued paying. As she finished up her transaction, the lady at the cash register handed Em her "cash back." She said (in a rather disgusted voice--understandably), "Here is your sixty cents ma'am." Instead of 60 dollars, Emily had typed 60 cents into the machine! Needless to say, much laughter ensued. It took us a while to recover from that one.

Thanks for the great times Em! We wish you the best today.

Ted's Day

For some people, birthdays are like mini holidays. So in honor of these mini holidays, we will be posting a shout-out to our friends on their special day. They also get their day on the holiday tree. First up: our friend Ted. Our favorite things about Ted include his accent, obsession with music and something we call "Ted-isms" (e.g. "Dance your wheels off," "Makin' sweet eyes at her" and "Is this guy worth a hoot?").

Happy Birthday Ted!

MLK Day

Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Date: January 17, 2011
History: MLK Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. First observed in 1986, January 17, 2011, is the 25th anniversary of this holiday. MLK Day is observed on the third Monday of January; this is in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, which is on January 15.
Interesting Fact: The Japanese city of Hiroshima and the City of Toronto are two places outside the US where MLK day is observed.

For more information, visit http://mlkday.gov

Oh Christmas Tree, How You Have Inspired Us

This is the tree that started it all. With its white lights, childhood ornaments and colorful tree skirt, it was a pleasure to look at this holiday season. But as beautiful as this Christmas tree is, it doesn't make sense for it to be a focal point in the living room any longer... decorated for Christmas anyway. Decorated for another holiday, now that's a different story. Be sure to check back because one or twice a month this tree will be decorated in honor of a different holiday or celebration. Each post will feature pictures of the holiday tree along with the name of the holiday, the date, a brief history and an interesting fact or two. Up next: Martin Luther, Jr. Day.

The Year of the Tree

It all began quite innocently. It was New Year's Day and Stephanie, Bridget and Caleb had just spent the weekend together. At the time, the three were simply basking in their afterglow and reminiscing about their fun times. Against the window stood a Christmas tree; a silent reminder that the holiday season was over. Bridget asked Stephanie when they were going to take the Christmas tree down. It was then that Caleb made a comment--more of a passing comment--that perhaps they should not take the tree down at all. Instead, they should leave the tree up all year long and decorate it for various holidays. Caleb later revealed that he never meant his comment to be taken seriously. But serious is exactly what Bridget and Stephanie became about what they now call The Holiday Tree: a year-long, tree-tribute to holidays and celebrations.