I'm sitting here going through morning email and WRECK posts. Sitting next
to me is a large dog and 3 big boxes of tangled exterior Christmas lights.

The dog is OK.

The lights are a different story because without opening the boxes I know at
least 1/2 of the strings are skrewed up. I waited until it got cold. I
have a lot of other things to do; not the least of which is building a
jewelry box for my wife and a some candle holders and frames for our kids.

OH WELL, I'll get over this long before the grandkids get here!

Merry Prelude to Christmas
RonB

"RonB" wrote in message

The lights are a different story because without opening the boxes I know
at least 1/2 of the strings are skrewed up. I waited until it got cold.


Put a single light candle in the window and be done with it.

Put a single light candle in the window and be done with it.
Oh, come on Ed. You know better than that! Send me your phone number and
I'll have my wife call you. Then my kids. Grandkids next.

Actually this is the only part of the season that makes me shudder and it
will be over with my dusk - hopefully today.

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 08:19:31 -0600, "RonB" wrote:

I'm sitting here going through morning email and WRECK posts. Sitting next
to me is a large dog and 3 big boxes of tangled exterior Christmas lights.

The dog is OK.

The lights are a different story because without opening the boxes I know at
least 1/2 of the strings are skrewed up. I waited until it got cold. I
have a lot of other things to do; not the least of which is building a
jewelry box for my wife and a some candle holders and frames for our kids.

OH WELL, I'll get over this long before the grandkids get here!

Merry Prelude to Christmas
RonB

****-can the lights and hit walmart!
every year they get better, cheaper and use less electricity... So
much easier to put the suckers up when they're new in the box..

take your time and do a great job on her jewelry box... place receipt
for lights in it with a few pics of the lights at night.. be prepared
to duck..

"RonB" wrote in message news:TvFrd.81202$EZ.72461@okepread07...
I'm sitting here going through morning email and WRECK posts. Sitting next
to me is a large dog and 3 big boxes of tangled exterior Christmas lights.

The dog is OK.

The lights are a different story because without opening the boxes I know at
least 1/2 of the strings are skrewed up. I waited until it got cold. I
have a lot of other things to do; not the least of which is building a
jewelry box for my wife and a some candle holders and frames for our kids.

OH WELL, I'll get over this long before the grandkids get here!

Merry Prelude to Christmas
RonB

I have yet to get the ambition to do this, but I've always considered:

1. Measuring my eaves
2. Installing eye bolts every 8 feet or at corners.
3. Cutting a bunch of 1x2's to size.
4. Putting (big honkin') hooks on the ends
5. Priming and painting to match eaves
6. Stapling on the icicle lights.
7. Making a storage rack in my attic.

That way, all I'd have to do is pull out the 1x2's hang them on the
eye hooks and be done with it.

Oh, I forgot a few steps..

8. Cursing that I forgot to label the boards on a diagram
9. Swearing and vowing I would label them next year.

On 2 Dec 2004 10:41:53 -0800, Jay wrote:

I have yet to get the ambition to do this, but I've always considered:

1. Measuring my eaves
2. Installing eye bolts every 8 feet or at corners.

Suggestion: I've seen, but can't find, bolts with _glass_ rings maybe
1.5" in diameter. Those would be _great_ for this purpose.

3. Cutting a bunch of 1x2's to size.
4. Putting (big honkin') hooks on the ends
5. Priming and painting to match eaves

Yes.

6. Stapling on the icicle lights.
7. Making a storage rack in my attic.

Why not just pull the strings through the bolt/eyes, space 'em at 4 feet, and
let tension keep 'em mostly straight?

That way, all I'd have to do is pull out the 1x2's hang them on the
eye hooks and be done with it.

I need to do something different, somewhere between your approach and mine
might be it.

Oh, I forgot a few steps..

8. Cursing that I forgot to label the boards on a diagram
9. Swearing and vowing I would label them next year.

10. Continuing to not label them year after year, repeating 8 and 9 as
necessary.

11. Saying "Screw it, I'm putting up a wreath and a single spotlight
this year". (been there, done that, looks just fine).

Dave Hinz

Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.


Now, back to the shop.

"RonB" wrote in message
....
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.


Now, back to the shop.

It is people like you that make life difficult for the rest of us. I still
have not come up with this years excuse, but be assure, I will. .

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.


Now, back to the shop.

It is people like you that make life difficult for the rest of us. I still
have not come up with this years excuse, but be assure, I will. .

I just get the stupid things up in October so I don't have to worry about it
after the weather becomes less agreeable.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in
news:qc0sd.120$gF5.84@trndny01:

It is people like you that make life difficult for the rest of us. I
still have not come up with this years excuse, but be assure, I will.
.

I'm a firm believer in recycling. ;-)

Patriarch

If it wasn't for the stupid neighborhood association I'd try leaving them up
for Valentine's day, Easter, Memorial Day, .......................


Hmmmmm. Maybe Neighborhood Association Day?

"RonB" wrote in message
news:Jb%rd.81982$EZ.25674@okepread07...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.

Isn't that what Grandsons are for? SWMBO called 15yr. old(6'1", size 15
shoes!) yesterday, picked him up after school and got it done, only cost us
pizza for supper.

--
Nahmie
The law of intelligent tinkering: save all the parts.

"Norman D. Crow" wrote in
:

"RonB" wrote in message
news:Jb%rd.81982$EZ.25674@okepread07...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.

Isn't that what Grandsons are for? SWMBO called 15yr. old(6'1", size
15 shoes!) yesterday, picked him up after school and got it done, only
cost us pizza for supper.

Yet more evidence you married a clever one!

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 16:21:54 -0500, "Norman D. Crow"
wrote:




"RonB" wrote in message
news:Jb%rd.81982$EZ.25674@okepread07...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.

Isn't that what Grandsons are for? SWMBO called 15yr. old(6'1", size 15
shoes!) yesterday, picked him up after school and got it done, only cost us
pizza for supper.

If he eats like either of my teen-agers it would have been cheaper to
buy a new house that was already decorated.

What is it with big feet any more? When I was in high school I wore a
10 1/2 and it was considered pretty big. My 13 year old wears a size
14 and doesn't have the biggest feet in his class!

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

"Tim Douglass" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 16:21:54 -0500, "Norman D. Crow"
wrote:




"RonB" wrote in message
news:Jb%rd.81982$EZ.25674@okepread07...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.

Isn't that what Grandsons are for? SWMBO called 15yr. old(6'1", size 15
shoes!) yesterday, picked him up after school and got it done, only cost
us
pizza for supper.

If he eats like either of my teen-agers it would have been cheaper to
buy a new house that was already decorated.

What is it with big feet any more? When I was in high school I wore a
10 1/2 and it was considered pretty big. My 13 year old wears a size
14 and doesn't have the biggest feet in his class!

Dunno. However, he gets the height from both sides. When he was about 1mo.
old, a family friend took one look and told his mother "Aha! Footballs next
major appliance."

--
Nahmie
The law of intelligent tinkering: save all the parts.

"patriarch astDOTnet" patriarch wrote in message
.77...
"Norman D. Crow" wrote in
:

"RonB" wrote in message
news:Jb%rd.81982$EZ.25674@okepread07...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.

Isn't that what Grandsons are for? SWMBO called 15yr. old(6'1", size
15 shoes!) yesterday, picked him up after school and got it done, only
cost us pizza for supper.

Yet more evidence you married a clever one!

Well, SHE likes to think so . . . and most of the time I let her get away
with it.

--
Nahmie
The law of intelligent tinkering: save all the parts.

RonB wrote:

If it wasn't for the stupid neighborhood association I'd try leaving them
up for Valentine's day, Easter, Memorial Day, .......................


Hmmmmm. Maybe Neighborhood Association Day?

We don't have a neighborhood association (which is a big reason why I live
here; neighborhood associations can kiss my lily white ass) but leaving the
lights up isn't really a viable solution. The year of sun and UV and rain
and UV and sun and UV and rain, and they're no good by the following winter
anyway.

I think one of these days I'd like to do some fancy thing with track lights
built into the gutter permanently or something. Some kind of lighting
installation that can take the weather day after day. I've seen stuff like
that on commercial buildings.

Oh, but then where is the fun of having the star or the little lighted elf
ladder hanging from a slightly different spot from one year to the next?
she says.

Hork.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/

Be glad that you don't live next to me.

--
If at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving


"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:qc0sd.120$gF5.84@trndny01...

"RonB" wrote in message
...
Lights are up. They look purdy. Wife is happy.


Now, back to the shop.

It is people like you that make life difficult for the rest of us. I still
have not come up with this years excuse, but be assure, I will. .

"TBone" wrote in message

Be glad that you don't live next to me.


Saturday, my wife mentioned it was a nice sunny day. Good day to put up
lights. I was going to, but fortunatly, Iooked at the sun and it damned
near blinded me as it was so low in the sky. Had I been on a ladder, I
might have been killed!

Yep, that was j ust too close. Maybe next year. Today is out because it is
starting to snow. That makes it much too dangerous to attempt it.
Ed