Original Commentary
That Kimberly... always the suspicious one.

Modern Commentary
This is the first Christmas that Kimberly has spent with anyone in a long time.
It's not the tree or the presents or the dinner, but the act of sharing those things -- and the celebration - with another person who she cares about. There's something about doing special things together.
It's not about doing the whole made-for-TV-movie-Christmas. They're not going to be doing anything extravagant. But it's important to Kimberly that they do something. - Terrence

Original Commentary
Terrence wrote this joke- I absolutely love it. So what did they cut from their food budget? Probably eggs... or Snickerdoodles.

Modern Commentary
Add an egg, green onion, and sesame oil and you've got a decent meal.
Instant ramen is an archetypical cheap food. If you ask 100 people to name a food that broke college students eat, at least half of them will say instant ramen. Or at least they would back in 2004. It's more fashionable now and there's higher-quality ramen available in the US now; it's not just a byword for cheap food any more. But if I say "eating ramen for a week" hopefully you understand that I mean they've only got a couple bucks left, rather than going out to moderately fancy Japanese restaurants.

It's not the cheapest food option. You could get several pounds of potatoes for the price of a dozen packets of ramen. But potatoes aren't funny.- Terrence

Original Commentary
This story arc was created a bit oddly; basically I came up with the idea and ending while Terrence actually wrote each comic. It was the first time we did this- but it'll most likely not be the last. Did Kimberly sell Christmas Trees? No, but she puts on a good front.

Modern Commentary
That is indeed not the first time that Isabel and I have co-written a storyline. Sometimes I just transcribe what Isabel says. Sometimes Isabel gives me a general outline and I write the exact dialogue. Sometimes Isabel gives me a general outline and I write something peripherally related.

Kimberly is correct here. Dude tried to rip her off and got out-maneuvered.
I wonder if her plan was to see if they could get a cheap tree (and just enjoy going out and wandering around in the holiday cheer if they couldn't), or did she plan on finding a salesman who'd try to rip her off?
Note the seamless transition from half-price rope to free rope. Do not try to scam Kimberly. It will not go well for you.- Terrence

Original Commentary
Kimberly Taylor: one of the few female rabbits than can make a grown man cry. The background to this comic was from a tree-lot I drew back in 2002 for Namir Deiter. I actually ended up using it for ND in 2004 as well. That tree salesman must really get around.

Modern Commentary
Kimberly has never professionally sold trees, but she has a cursory knowledge of the merchandise. This guy probably answered a want ad and, if asked what kind of Christmas trees he sold, would be confused by the idea that they come in different types.

She's probably lying. The tree is decent and will probably last until Boxing Day. But if you don't know your product well enough to tell if it's going to last two days and take a customer's word for it, then you deserve to get ripped off- Terrence

Original Commentary
Before this arc, Terrence and I went tree shopping (ironically, the tree was not for us). There were trees going along the lines of $130. I personally don't understand the point of paying that much for something you're going to only have for two or three weeks. And yes, we paid full retail price for that tree (unfortunately).

Modern Commentary
I don't know what kind of Christmas tree Brisbane expects for $30. You can't get anything taller than a foot or two for that price, even back in 2004.
I'm assuming that he's never gone tree shopping and has no idea what these things cost. I'm sure the Minerva Theatre management or one of the more prominent performers bought the tree.

But as importantly, this isn't about trees. At least not just about trees. Kimberly has been shaken by events and this lets her get her confidence back. - Terrence

Modern Commentary
On one hand, you should tell your partner the truth. On the other hand, if Kimberly was talking about cutting out ramen to save money, you know she would've insisted that Brisbane not buy her anything. And if she bought him something but he didn't, that creates an imbalance and an obligation.

Like Brisbane, I have no idea how bustier sizes work. Couldn't even begin to guess. A gift card would be the smart thing, so that Kimberly could get something properly sized. Or just get any size and keep the receipt so she could return it for the right one at some point after Christmas. If you're clever, you explain that it's the only size they had during the Christmas sale so your partner isn't upset about you buying one that's too large or too small. - Terrence