Lessons Learned from Leaving Christmas Lights Out All Year

[fivecats]

Red Light
December 2005 Raleigh, NC
____________________________________

Contrary to popular belief, I actually do learn from my past. Most of the time. Okay, some of the time. For instance, at work, "The Wizard of Oz" and I are ancient history. I will check the yard for Big Rocks before mowing the lawn now. And I won't be cutting my hair again for a long, long time.

Today's "What Have We Learned" comes from a story I told back a few weeks ago having to do with being the first on our block to have our house's Christmas lights turned on. Those who have been following along with the story will remember that we were the first because I never took them down last year. They've been up there, unlit, all year long where I've smiled at them through the seasons.

What I failed to mention a few weeks ago was that a number of the lights no longer worked. Like lots of them. The one string that ran across the apex of the roof (which, in my defense, had some serious problems last year) was completely dead with some of the bulbs partially filled with water. Those that ran along the gutters were maybe 20% dead, with many of them suffering from a sad lack of paint on the outside of the bulb.




Green Light
December 2005 Raleigh, NC
____________________________________

I climbed up on the roof this past weekend and spent some time replacing most of the dead bulbs and resolved to take them down sometime after Christmas.

It almost feels like cheating now.

...

Comments

[myasma.livejournal.com]

I...resolved to take them down sometime after Christmas

After christmas of what year? ;)

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

See, you were supposed to be polite and not ask that question.

...

[fupher.livejournal.com]

Our dad used to just repaint them, lol. Unfortunately for me, I think yes_rhade got all the frugal genes, lol.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

What kind of paint did he use? I'm willing to try, but I don't know what would work and what wouldn't.

...

[fupher.livejournal.com]

i think he just used regular latex.. he dipped them once and then another year he spray painted them, lol

[sakkijarvi.livejournal.com]

Do you think that finger nail polish might work? (translucent, "tough as nails", wide selection of colors, each bottle with its own brush, (maybe) less chance of spilling while dangling from a ladder or hanging your upper torso over the eaves)

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

I can't stand the smell of finger nail polish. Besides, dipping sounds closer to my speed on this than painting with a tiny brush. But I like where you're headed with the idea.

...

[vavaverity.livejournal.com]

I always did like white lights better... *snerk*

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Yikes! Are you suggesting that we contribute to White Blight? No way!

In fact, our little suburban block used to be all White Blight when we first moved in -- all except us. I refused. Big C9 colored lights gathered from multiple Thrift Stores and hung all around the outside of the house was what I insisted on.

Now our neighbors feel much freer to express themselves in whatever colors of lights they fancy -- most have colored lights, in fact.

...

[vavaverity.livejournal.com]

Whight Blight! Whight Blight! Whight Blight! Whight Blight! Whight Blight!

You non-conformist.

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

That would be me, the guy with the pony tail who's sensibilities are stuck somewhere in the 70s - 80s.

...

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

A project for a rainy day for the terminally bored: painting those lights. Actually we keep lights out all year on two very large blue spruce on the front lawn. They have faded over the years, but it sure beats taking them down every year. In actual fact, they still have enough colour to produce the effects on my post today - those are them . .

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Not only had the paint chipped off in large quantities but -- and I forgot to mention this -- the plastic clips that held them in place either to the gutters or under the shingles were brittle to the point of falling apart if I touched them the wrong way.

Our lights may have the UL Seal of Approval, but your lights must be made to stricter Canadian standards that factor in the colder extremes. :-)

...

[ladyamybug.livejournal.com]

hahahhahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
*falls out of chair*

i love you!

[fivecats.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm talking serious science here!

...

[zeppo-marx.livejournal.com]

It's not cheating.

You didn't say WHICH Christmas you'd take them down after....

;)