Day 88: The Branches

Photo of the Day: Behind the Scaffolds

It's a sure sign the holidays are upon New York City when the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center goes up. The 74-foot Norway spruce actually was erected last Friday, but I hadn't the opportunity to stop by and take a look until today. For now, the icon remains hidden behind scaffolding, where it is getting prepped for the grand lighting ceremony on Nov. 30. I learned that the magnificent tree, which this year hails form Mahopac, NY, undergoes some cosmetic enhancement before its unveiling. Today a crew was sorting and hoisting spare branches up and down the scaffolding, where folks nailed and wired them into place. Apparently every year, they use this method to fill in bare spots and give the Christmas tree its perfectly conical shape. Then they will adorn it with 30,000 lights and top it with a glittering Swarovski crystal star. I'm still debating whether I should attend the tree-lighting; it is right next to my office, but I may also want to avoid the certain crowds.

Despite a heavy workload, today was a surprisingly short day because I excused myself from the office early and returned to Culture Espresso Bar with my laptop to complete the day's tasks. Though I was being productive, it felt much more relaxing and less stressful doing my job from the comfort of a swanky little cafe. However, I was still exhausted and wound up working pretty late, so I decided to skip my usual Tuesday night fellowship group for some much needed rest at home.

Contractors at work at the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.

Crews sort through extra branches to find the perfect length and size.

Crews use pulleys to hoist extra "filler" branches up the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree remains hidden by scaffolding and awaits its grand unveiling in two weeks.