Christmas stress

[Rapid_Roy]

Started early this year.. I was walking through a home supply store to get a new latch for our patio door the day before Thanksgiving. I stumbled on some LED lighting. Being the energy saving, peace loving, hippie I am, I thought these would be perfect. I noticed the bulb size would be slightly bigger so, I bought 6 boxes. I almost stopped at the cost, they were 10 dollars. However, with safety and low electricity use, I figured it was a fair trade off. The tree had came originally with 800 white lights. We thought that too many, so I figured 600 would be ok, since the bulbs were slightly larger.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/PB260008.jpg

You can see my problem, even after we tried moving some around, not enough. There was 70 bulbs per box, not 100. I was going out of town camping, returning Sunday. We were leaving early, and I didn't want to ask them if we could swing by a Menards so I could get more lights.
I returned Sunday night and all the LED lights were gone. I called stores all day today, nobody had any. They were made for Menards.
I stopped at one on the way home to buy 4 different single colors to mix by hand (desperate)so we could finish the tree. They only had 2 colors. After supper, I drove to the one closest to home, becasue they had the 4 colors, and I was going to build them by hand.

I walked dejectedly to the lighting isle, ready for a long evening and sore fingers. Much to my surprise, they had restocked and had boxes of them, and a ray of sunlight lit me while a dove with an olive branch landed on my shoulder (it may have been a sparrow with a coconut, African, of course). Once I stopped crying and got off my knees and wiped the bird poop off my shoulder, I realized how stressed I was.(Pure tale enhancement and balderdash) When the sales girl became more courageous of the wildly laughing man,she approached. I asked her when those had come in. She said she re-stocked them that day. I continued laughing madly as I left, and it infected her, and the clerk who rang me up. I wished him a Merry Christmas, and walked out of the store 2 inches off the ground, with sunshine coming out of my...
outlook.

[larrydk]

The LED's are very expensive compared to the regular bulbs of the past. I too splurged for a couple of boxes, one had half the string "out", tried to repair but could not. For $13 a box, I decided to return it, at first the register person thought I was crazy for returning christmas lights, I explained to her that at $13 per box instead of the $1.59 per box for the old bulbs, I had to return them.

The lights to look nice though.

[Rapid_Roy]

Yep. It was stated if it cost 150 bucks to run your lights, the same amount of LED lights cost 1.50. I figure they will pay for them selves this year or next. The cord was completely cool when I unplugged them last night. :thumb That alone was worth it.

[clowry]

We bought the outdoor colour-changing led lights for the house up north 2 years ago when they first came out here. Got ONE season out of them - one string literally exploded, and shorted out the rest, I guess. We were picking up little bits of plastic from the flagstone patio all the next summer. Also, the bulbs were molded in to the sockets and can't be changed. A total waste of money, unfortunately. We've gone back to the mini icicle lights.

[Rapid_Roy]

I can see how they might not take to an outside environment, thank you for lesson learned without spending money. I use the regular mini lights outside, I have boxes of them. We get them for 35 to 79 cents after Christmas. Apparently they sold all the 5.00 dollar ones first. :laugh

[wmubrown]

I stopped at one on the way home to buy 4 different single colors to mix by hand (desperate)so we could finish the tree. They only had 2 colors. After supper, I drove to the one closest to home, becasue they had the 4 colors, and I was going to build them by hand.

The best source I've found here is Target. I couldn't believe it. I pulled my icicle lights out from last year and found half the strings didn't work. In four of the strings, not a single bulb so much as thought about the possibility of glowing. One string I fixed within 5 minutes by replacing 1 bulb. Cool. The next string took 15 bulbs and STILL wouldn't light. I gave up. Last year I replaced half my strings of lights for the same reason (it takes 14 strings to do the eaves of my house). Then I thought "why doesn't someone make LED lights, they don't burn out" So I Googled it. Ah ha, they do! Only... I like the blue and white icicle lights and all I could find were multicolored, all blue or all white. Figuring I'd have to swap bulbs between strings (yeah, I'm getting retentive here) I started looking around our local stores. Menards, Lowes, Home Despot (not a typo), and finally Target. Target was the only store I found that had anything close to what I was looking for. Yes, they were $10 a box (Amazon had the same thing for $15! HA!) but the entire string draws only 2+ watts (I measured it) while the bulb strings draw 80 watts (again, measured it)! It's worth it! One problem... since I mixed these with old bulb style strings of lights I noticed how the old 'white' bulbs were really yellow, and blue is practically washed out - the new ones white is BRIGHT and pure white, blue is very sharp and bright! Nice! Though they look very mismatched with the old strings but my retentive mode is turned off now, I'm not going back up on the roof this year!

Now... if they work out of storage NEXT year, I'm golden! :) And then I'll replace the remaining strings (currently working) with 9 more next year :)

[jdmetzger]

I guess I'm a grinch. I don't decorate for Christmas. Of course, I also generally don't have visitors for Christmas, so it seems a waste of time to decorate for just the dog and I.

One year I had some family members stop by and do some guerrilla decorating, though. Imagine my surprise at coming home and finding a short artificial tree on a small table in the corner of my living room, fully decorated. :scratch

[ltljohn]

I guess I'm a grinch. I don't decorate for Christmas. Of course, I also generally don't have visitors for Christmas, so it seems a waste of time to decorate for just the dog and I.

One year I had some family members stop by and do some guerrilla decorating, though. Imagine my surprise at coming home and finding a short artificial tree on a small table in the corner of my living room, fully decorated. :scratch

You are not the only grinch. The only reason I decorate is because I have a child at home. A three yr old needs Christmas decoration.

[screwtop]

Christmas Stress?? Yeah, we got that. Wife is still bickering with her sister over where the family will convene this year. I'm refusing to travel, cause we already made the harrowing road trip for Thanksgiving (which was about as much fun as a swift kick to the groin). I don't care if no one comes to our house either. Long as I got the burboun and vino handy, it will be a Merry Christmas.

As far as decorations, we're breaking down and buying an artificial tree this year. We just completed hardwood installation in the entire first floor and installed oak risers on the steps. I'll be gosh-darned if we're gonna take the chance of the tree-stand springing an undetectable leak under the tree skirt.

[Rapid_Roy]

I forgot, the happy ending.:dance
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/PB270004.jpg

[adamceckhardt]

All this talk of faulty Christmas lights reminds me of a family friend from back in the day that would discard the entire tree with ornaments and lights, and would just buy an entire setup the next year. Extremely wasteful, but Mrs. S never had a Christmas headache that wasn't wine related.

[Belquar]

The inside is decorated. Our tree is one of those prelit jobs. No work. Just put it up and plug it in. Throw on ornaments.

Outside....

The wife is bugging me to get that done. Probably going to do it this weekend. It is a mess. We hang icicle lights on the house. Colored lights on the two little evergreens by the porch. Have an animated moose in the front that hangs out by a bundle of mini trees with lights and then the monster.

The monster is a Gigantic spruce or fir, don't know what kind of tree. It is about 10-15' diameter and twice as tall. There are 2000+ lights on it. I don't take them down. This will be the 4th year for those lights. We will see what has survived this year. I usually end up replacing at least one strand every winter. I hope it all lights up. I just wish it would catch fire and burn down. I hate that tree.

All lit up, it is like a beacon on my street.

Electricity....fuggettaboutit. When I turn it all on you can hear the draw on the house and that meter spins at summer AC speeds.

HO FREAKIN HO

[Rapid_Roy]

I used to get Thank You cards from the power company.
"The little twinkle lights aren't twinkling Clark."
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/P6170004.jpg

[jgr451]

hey Roy,call THAT a tree??
Ah yuh.

I'm with Josh though.

[rocketman]

Shoot man you guys got it easy! What to talk about a xmas headache, try finding a live tree that has both a straight trunk, will fit in a house with standard ceilings and is full and even all the way around, then string it with a few hundred lights evenly, and at least a hundred ornaments, again evenly spaced keeping the tree perfectly balance so when it revolves it won't topple over! (yes I said revolve!) and it also had a music box in it that played xmas tunes. It took my family about 4 hours just to decorate, and that was after my Dad and I had spent several hours wandering around looking for just the perfect tree at the xmas tree lot while the attendant got more and more frustrated with us as we rejected tree after tree that he would pull out, because it wasn't straight enough, too tall, too short, the branches were not evenly spaced enough too many gaps or too sappy. And when we told him why were being so particular he would look at us like we were loony! "Why? Because we also put candles AND sparklers on it, and YES we did light them! So we had to be careful that it wasn’t too sappy, very fresh and have plenty of branches both strong enough to support the candles and have clear space above so that the branches above didn’t catch fire, all while the tree revolved!

Really though it was a ton of fun, and when my kids came along the tradition continued, and they got as big a kick out of the whole affair as I had growing up.

so you see, you guys got it easy!:brad

and no we weren't nuts, the candles and sparklers and revolve stand were all part of my Fathers family tradition brought over from Germany by his father.

RM

[Rapid_Roy]

I didn't ever want an artificial tree. However, I had it with dragging sap and needles in the house, damaging paint and wood, and killing trees, just to throw them out. That tree is artificial and we started buying them when Christmas trees that fit our cathedral ceiling became 40 dollars. Our first tree was paid for in 3 years, this one even quicker. You are correct, you have it harder, but the holidays can be as hard as you make them. :laugh

[rocketman]

Now that my kids are grown or away with their mom I too just go with the artificial tree, no candles or sparklers any more either. Now I just visit my daughter and enjoy her tree and my grandkids joy on xmas morning. For me that's having the best of both worlds!:brad

I've tried to find a revolving tree stand, but they don't seem to make them anymore. You should see the looks I get when I talk to sales people and ask if they have any "a revolving tree stand? Yeah, right!"
Ha Ha!

RM

[Rapid_Roy]

Now that my kids are grown or away with their mom I too just go with the artificial tree, no candles or sparklers any more either. Now I just visit my daughter and enjoy her tree and my grandkids joy on xmas morning. For me that's having the best of both worlds!:brad

I've tried to find a revolving tree stand, but they don't seem to make them anymore. You should see the looks I get when I talk to sales people and ask if they have any "a revolving tree stand? Yeah, right!"
Ha Ha!

RM

If it revolved, you would need candles and sparklers, it would pull the cord out.:whistle

[rocketman]

If it revolved, you would need candles and sparklers, it would pull the cord out.:whistle

Well actually the very first one we had we did indeed have to unplug the lights when it revloved, then they came out with one that had two tracks on the lower part and the part the held the tree which fitted on a cone protruding from the center of the base with the music box in it had two contacts that lined up with the two tracks so you plugged the lights into upper cone and then they could still be on while it turned.

We did turn off the lights when we light the candles one by one as it turned and then lit one sparkler at a time. Watching the lights dance on the ceiling as the sparks cascaded down thru the tree with the room lights off was quite spectacular. We would invite over all our friends and thier families, the look on the faces of the kids was quite something.

When we lived in Europe (where I lived for the first 8 years) we mostly lived right in the city centers and we had homes with bay windows facing the street so we would put the tree in there and on several occasions wound up inviting passersby that had stopped to stare at the proceeding in disbelief, in to our house to view the show. Once as we were sitting around just after my Dad had done the candles and sparklers a couple knocked on the door and when my Dad answered they told him that their kids had told them some tall tale about the candles and such and they were very concerned that their kids would make up such a blatant lie. Surely this could not be so! So naturally we invited them in, along with their children and my Dad put on a second show, they were totally stunned, and of course the kids had huge grins on their faces and kept saying "We TOLD you so! We TOLD you so!" Ha Ha.

Those indeed were some good times. As I have often said and wrote about in my article entitled “I’m a Lucky Man” it was times like those, and especially my first 18 years while living with my folks that I am most thankful for. I am indeed a VERY lucky man, if my parents hadn’t come along and rescued me from the orphanage in Germany back in 1951, its extremely unlikely I would even be alive today much less have lived the life I did while with them. I saw and did more in my first 18 years than most experiance in a lifetime.

RM

[From MARS]

If it revolved, you would need candles and sparklers, it would pull the cord out.:whistle

I'll bet we could design a revolving tree stand. Hell, we ride BMW's. We can solve any "problem".

Let's see. If we took down the ceiling fan and mounted it upside down on the floor, screwed a base to it, added a couple of slip-rings to supply the current to the lights, yeah, we could do it. Might cost 500 bucks or so, but what's money for if not to finance our desires.

Caution: Make sure fan switch is in the "slow" position before applying power.:wave

Tom

[rocketman]

I'll bet we could design a revolving tree stand. Hell, we ride BMW's. We can solve any "problem".

Let's see. If we took down the ceiling fan and mounted it upside down on the floor, screwed a base to it, added a couple of slip-rings to supply the current to the lights, yeah, we could do it. Might cost 500 bucks or so, but what's money for if not to finance our desires.

Caution: Make sure fan switch is in the "slow" position before applying power.:wave

Tom

What? and take all the fun out if it. Why you could put it on high and then play dodge-em as the hot wax flew off the candles!:brad

and yes, that's exactly how they worked (the slip ring idea). We even had one that held water in the base to help keep the tree fresh. and my Mom always had either a pale of water or later a CO2 extingisher. thou the tree only caught fire once (it was only a small one!) in all the years we did it.

RM

[Rapid_Roy]

Only once? That doesn't seem like a high number, considering the circumstances.

However, compared to my tree, that is a hundred percent increase in fires. :laugh

[Rapid_Roy]

I'll bet we could design a revolving tree stand. Hell, we ride BMW's. We can solve any "problem".

Let's see. If we took down the ceiling fan and mounted it upside down on the floor, screwed a base to it, added a couple of slip-rings to supply the current to the lights, yeah, we could do it. Might cost 500 bucks or so, but what's money for if not to finance our desires.

Caution: Make sure fan switch is in the "slow" position before applying power.:wave

Tom
I am picturing glass ornaments shattering against the walls like bombs as we duck and cover.
:laugh

[Hodag]

2 kids in nutcracker ballet (this weekend)
with a wife that works retail


what stress?

[GeoffMiller]

Oh! Oh! Oh! I know! I know! A chainsaw powered tree turntable!!! brapbapbapbapBWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA!!!!!!!!:rofl

[Rapid_Roy]

We could run it on 220, 221.....whatever it takes.[/Mr MOM]

[From MARS]

I am picturing glass ornaments shattering against the walls like bombs as we duck and cover.
:laugh

Bet the kids would enjoy it. "Do it again, Daddy!"

[Rapid_Roy]

2 kids in nutcracker ballet (this weekend)
with a wife that works retail


what stress?
My kids have been Nutcrackers since they could walk.:hungover

Christmas makes me glad alcohol was invented.

[flgoff]

Stress? What stress? YOU WANT STRESS?!

I'LL SHOW YOU SOME FREAKIN' STRESS!!!

Excuseme, I just finished putting up my tree.

Floyd
Harboring hate or resentment is like taking poison and hoping the other guy dies.

[Rapid_Roy]

Merry Christmas! I got the next virtual round.
:drink

[hondarider]

This thing took MANY boxes of lights...hundreds upon hundreds...and crates full of ornaments...:banghead...but the kids loved it:thumb

[Rapid_Roy]

What we do for our kids. :laugh

I neglected to mention, in the photo I posted of my house, there are roughly 13 thousand lights outside. It doesn't seem like much , but I started in October, and I did it all myself.

[rocketman]

What we do for our kids. :laugh

I neglected to mention, in the photo I posted of my house, there are roughly 13 thousand lights outside. It doesn't seem like much , but I started in October, and I did it all myself.

Wow! No wonder my lights at home go dim every evening!;)

that reminds me of the story about the guy that had this extra light switch in his house, he would switch it up and down but could never figure out what it controlled. Then one day as he was playing with it still trying to figure out what it controlled he got a call from overseas, the woman simply said "STOP THAT!" then hung up. Ha Ha!

RM

[tommcgee]

Here you go, RM: http://www.christmas-treasures.com/Lights.htm#OrnamotorII

[rocketman]

Here you go, RM: http://www.christmas-treasures.com/Lights.htm#OrnamotorII

Ha Ha! actually I've seen that one, but somehow its just not the same thing, and besides it doesn't have a music box in it, how droll...;)

Without kids in the house now, its just not the same and my daughter would KILL me if I tried to set up an artificial tree in her house and then set fire to it! Not to mention the fact that they no longer make smokeless sparklers, the last time I did the tree lighting thing some years ago I found out that the sparklers made here produce a LOT of smoke, took us hours to air out the house!

But thanks a bunch for looking for it none the less. :wave

RM

[Belquar]

The inside is decorated. Our tree is one of those prelit jobs. No work. Just put it up and plug it in. Throw on ornaments.

Outside....

The wife is bugging me to get that done. Probably going to do it this weekend. It is a mess. We hang icicle lights on the house. Colored lights on the two little evergreens by the porch. Have an animated moose in the front that hangs out by a bundle of mini trees with lights and then the monster.

The monster is a Gigantic spruce or fir, don't know what kind of tree. It is about 10-15' diameter and twice as tall. There are 2000+ lights on it. I don't take them down. This will be the 4th year for those lights. We will see what has survived this year. I usually end up replacing at least one strand every winter. I hope it all lights up. I just wish it would catch fire and burn down. I hate that tree.

All lit up, it is like a beacon on my street.

Electricity....fuggettaboutit. When I turn it all on you can hear the draw on the house and that meter spins at summer AC speeds.

HO FREAKIN HO


There is a bald spot in the middle of the monster that I have to fix this weekend but here is the outside all lit up.
With the flash so you can see how big the monster is. Stupid tree.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f229/belquar/DSCN4294.jpg

And without. Kinda blurry. no tripod and long exposure.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f229/belquar/DSCN4297.jpg

[Rapid_Roy]

There is a bald spot in the middle of the monster that I have to fix this weekend but here is the outside all lit up.
With the flash so you can see how big the monster is. Stupid tree.
...
If it is stupid, why are you fixing the bald spot? :stick
Wait, I am stupid, you did say you were married.
Stay warm.:thumb

[Belquar]

If it is stupid, why are you fixing the bald spot? :stick
Wait, I am stupid, you did say you were married.
Stay warm.:thumb

Yes. SWMBO really likes the tree. I admit when it is lit properly I think it is nice too. I just hate working on it. Get all covered in pitch and it is a constant up the ladder. Down. move ladder. Up ladder, down. Move ladder.

[Rapid_Roy]

I use a 3 section pole with a hook at the end. I've got a tree that is the same type, in the front yard, about 10 feet taller than that, that I have to throw the lights to get them to the top. It's a pain, I don't do it every year.
It does look good though, nice job. You have more than I do outside this year. :wave

[BradfordBenn]

The L&T Jennifer canceled "Free Loot Day" as we call Christmas since we are a mixed religion marriage... she did not feel up to it this year after losing our Marty (dog). I miss doing the decorating a chance to put lights on stuff and put up the inflatable Santa on a Motorcycle in the front yard.

The reason the two are tied together. One of the trees in the backyard is an "evergreen" of some sort that was "his tree". The first one was a live potted Free Loot Day tree that we planted after we used it. Then he decided it was his tree. His use of it killed it, but it was his tree so we got another one. When I decorated it he still had it as his tree... it was funny to watch him try to figure out how to use it with all the lights on it. When we moved to the new house, we planted him another tree. Same idea same thing.