01/28/2017 – J-Dub's Grin and Bear It

Today, Saturday January 28, 2017, Big B squared and I attended the 7th Annual Jammin Jams Fruit Tree Adoption held at the historic Pearl and sponsored by the Alamo Forest Partnership. First come, first serve, limit one tree per family while supplies last.

Billy Bob was not too keen on going. But he enjoys gardening. We have planted tree(s) every February since we built this house 17 years ago. Plus, the tree was FREE!

He is positive no one will be there because it is rainy. I tell him, it will be crowded. He freely continues to give me his opinion … for the entire drive there … all 12 minutes … this is dumb and we’ll never get a tree … I ask why? If no one will be there? No answer. Still he is sure of this … despite never having attended before today.

Starts at 8 am, we get there at 7:50 and the line is already stretching back around the building. He slows down and I “drop and roll” out of his truck as he goes off to find a parking space. He eventually finds me in line and then we wait. And we joke around about stuff. And we laugh. And we wait some more. And is he SURE we won’t get a tree. He suggests we leave. I am tempted. But then I think, what else is going on? Back to the empty nest? Pffft, nope. I wanted to stay so I tell him “let’s just see and I don’t care if we don’t get one; I’m having the time of my life”. I knew that’d get him. He stayed, for me!

Favorite things overheard while waiting in line:

Random guy a few spaces back from us: “F@ck this Sh*t, we don’t need a tree, I’m going to HEB to get lemons” for non locals – HEB is a grocery store. Arborist lesson: of all the offerings, lemon is the only tree that fruits immediately.

Man trying to get another card necessary to redeem for a tree: “Hey I didn’t get a card”

Volunteer: “Your wife got one, it’s only one tree per family”

Man: “Her? She’s not my wife, she’s my sister.”

Volunteer: “I’m not falling for that, please move along sir”

Volunteer (under her breath but loud enough for us to hear: “Must’ve been his sister-wife”

Lol! Yes, I am easily amused.

Now for the piece de resistance of our trip, two hours after getting in line, we arrived to the front. The tree runner is asking B what kind of tree we want? I am filling out the form, lucky card #959 of 1300. Our original goal was avocado, then peach or olive or orange. Avocado and apple were gone but everything else was left therefore we got our 2nd choice – PEACH! Not sure what the hell we would’ve done with an olive tree; thank goodness we don’t have to find out.