Ok - The Tree Goes Up!

Pushing Christmas down the throats of people who love the Season has done more to slow the process of Yuletide cleansing than anything I can imagine.

Radio stations playing non-stop Carols, Tin-Pan alley novelty songs, and Hip- Hop monstrosities allegedly using the notes of Schumann, Bach and Martin Luther since well before Halloween have exacted a toll on Christmas devotees.

The looping of It's a Wonderful Life and Christmas Story have benumbed that medium to a point where people say - 'So What!'

One guy, Aloysius P. " Tri- State" Shea - called Tri-State by his brothers due to the fact that the 5'6" Aloysius weighs in at a husky 294 Lbs* - has beaten every one on his block in the Morgan Park neighborhood of St. Cajetan's Parish with his own November 30th Tree trimming party.

Beginning on Friday, November 29th at Sundown, Aloysius and his Tannenbaum Tree Trimmers who work shifts from Landis Plastics in Worth, IL. Arrive at the bachelor Shea's home - nestled near the B & O rail lines west of Kennedy Park, arrive to prepare the tree branches consisting of high quality Dutch Beer Bottles - the Pint Sized Ones with the ceramic recloseable caps - though I have never -ever - witnessed anyone ever closing the cap. The Bottles Must be emptied in order to avoid any possible explosions due to temperature fluctuations or a late night attempt to cool the pipes during the Holiday Season. On Saturday, November 30th, Tri-State's crew put together the Christmas display.

This morning after coffee with the Worthies at Kean Gas Station at 111th & Talman I cleansed my arteries of plaque with a manly amble over to Tri State's lair to capture Christmas 2008! Tri State's crew then took up places all over his front yard as human statuary in various examples of Nativity slumber - must be the beasts asleep and awaiting the Harking Herald of Angels Singing! - or it could be the Grolsch.


I wish Andy Williams and Claudine Longet were here to witness this Merriest of Christmas Tributes!


Christmas is Bock! or maybe Lager than Life!


* An Homage to the Tri State Tollway -Interstate Route 294