“Oh Christmas tree! Oh Christmas tree!”

This year I got a precious lil Christmas tree. He’s about 3 1/2 ft tall and cost THIRTY DOLLARS. I nearly had a stroke when I saw the price pop up on the cash screen. Alas, I needed a tree and … and, let’s just be honest – I’m a completely impulsive shopper and, much like the “SQUIRREL!” dog from Up, I was marching past a convenience store and spotted the trees and the rest of the world faded into oblivion as I zombie-walked, tree-in-hand, to the cashier.

So this evening I put him up. Went to the dollar store around the corner and bought cheapo, multi-coloured lights and tacky-amazing Christmas bulbs. I lit my favourite Christmas candle (“Fraser Fir” by Thymes) and put on the best Christmas playlist on Songza (“Classic Christmas”). Yes. I went whole hog into the moment.

Of course, one can’t trim a tree alone without a refreshing beer to wash down the shame of it all. And what better than the classic English ale, “London Pride”, made by older-than-Canada brewery Fuller’s. This Amber-coloured ale is serving all kinds of malt characteristics (toasted brown bread, caramel, toffee, vanilla) and is simultaneously so quaffable that one flies through a bottle without taking a breath (by “one”, I mean “Edison”, obviously) and so delectable that one wants to savour each sip. Savour the second one, that’s what I always say.