Start Drinking....NOW!

This is our third year with a live Christmas tree. To date, we have had some Griswald-ish experiences with trees. The first year, our house was on the market and I didn't want something huge. We picked out a great tree, but after cutting some off and getting it in the stand, I realized that the top was about eye level. It reminded me of the Charlie Brown tree. Last year, Len found us a great deal on a 9ft tree at Home Depot. It was the most beautiful tree. The only problem was that for some reason, it NEVER drank any water. By the second week it was completely dead. I couldn't even turn on the lights. So last night we bought a tree from the boy scouts. It was late at night and very dark, but this tree looked great. It was leaning against a pole and appeared to be 7-8 ft. They even measured it and thought that it was 7 ft. Once we got home, I found the price tag hidden inside which said this tree was 10 ft. It wouldn't fit in our large stand. Once we had a bigger stand, Len and I could hardly get it through the door. If you remember the scene in Christmas Vacation where the limbs go flying everywhere...that is what happened. This tree is HUGE for my little den! Now, here is my question: I am scared because once again, the tree stand is still full of water. Shouldn't a tree that big be gulping it up? I cannot have another dead tree in a week. We cut some off the bottom and I am at a loss as to what else to do. Any suggestions?