Monday, November 26, 2007

More About Christmas Lights

After my last post last, here, about Christmas lights on my house, I got back up there and spent a few more hours stringing them along the roofline. It took another 8 strings, and when I was done I was so excited. I plugged the extension cord into the plug with high anticipation ... and...nothing.

Can you even fathom my frustration?

I tried another extension cord since the one I was using was looking to be useless. Same thing. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about it but I knew I'd have to get up there again and do something! All those hours of work WOULD NOT be wasted.

I was putting it off until my Thanksgiving company was gone. It obviously wasn't going to take just a couple of minutes especially since I know nothing about ...well, anything related to being handy. I thought I'd get the tree up, and decorations out and then head up there but DH beat me to the punch (mainly since my rediculous "pre-lit" Christmas tree lights were on the fritz). He got up there and within 1/2 hour had it all figured out.

DUH! The thought never occurred to me that I had 476,214 million strings of lights plugged into one outlet! It took .0000002 seconds and the fuse blew. DH changed the fuse just to be sure, and again, it blew. Earth to Amy!

We ran another extension cord and Voila!, we have lights! I am now a beacon to all alien-life in outer space! As DH would say (about me),

"come...take me home!"

I feel like after all I've learned about electricity (and Christmas lights) - from this house-lights & other tree-lights experiences I've had this year, I should be awarded some type of Santa-issued "Merry Christmas" diploma!

And, of all the monopolies we, as a society, try to crush - the one that should be promoted relate to the design of Christmas light plastic hanger thing-a-ma-jiggers (oh, and actual lights). I can't be the only person in the universe frustrated by the inconsistency of these! The lack of continuity made me want to rip my hair out! Am I just simple? Ugghhhh!

6 backward glances:

FriendinME said...

did you ever watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?"

Just goes to show that movies like that are truly educational. If you watched it, you might not have made that mistake.

and... like you, my dang "pre-lit" Christmas tree is on the fritz. One string on the tree isn't coming on. There is no apparent reason WHY.

I am going back to real candles.

Ute said...

I don't don't don't put up Christmas lights. EVER!! This is my husband's job and if he doesn't, well, then the house just stays dark this year. :)

I do have some lights inside the house. Good enough for me. :)

DaVinci said...

God! Is it that time of year again?
How many freakin lights do you have if you blew a fuse that fast?

josey said...

you poor thing. i am giggling a little bit thinking of National Lampoon. hehe. but hey--when youre on a mission to light up the block, you dont think about unimportant things like electrical circuits and fuses and junk like that! ;)

i do hope you plan to post some pix! =D

oh and guess what? i just went out and hooked up an extension cord to my stapled-up lights on the porch from last year. THEY STILL WORK! woot!! hahahah...i hate those dumb Christmas light plastic hanger thing-a-ma-jiggers, too!

Amy said...

Alright! It's not as bad as National Lapoon's! Maybe I should do real candles too! They at least wouldn't require electricity! I think they're requiring so much juice because they're not those little tiny sparkly jobbers. They're the big bulbs, and I really think I have about 15 strings on one plug. I'll post pictures as soon as I get ... around to it.

Rachel said...

I'm just happy you had a little support from DH this year. We put up two strings of lights, it took 30 minutes to hang and 1 1/2 to argue and be pissy to each other... lights bring out the worst in us!
I'm glad yours are up, it always helps the street look cheerful.