My Christmas Madness Hits New Peaks (or lows...)

I love Christmas lights and decorations. Utterly love them. I suppose in some ways it's a guilty, no-longer secret pleasure. I started as a young man, helping my Dad do the outside lights. Eventually I got to trying to organize the lights, to figure out their placements, suggest new purchases, the whole thing.

Once I moved out, that was one thing that I really missed. The only way to satisfy that craving was to visit those wacky neighborhoods where everyone went crazy with lights, animatronics, inflatables, the whole business. But instead of laughing at them, I was jealous. I wanted to be those people with the house that can be seen from space on Christmas Eve.

For some reason or other, perhaps it's her pregnancy, Amanda has really let me go nuts with decorations this year. We now have five good sized plastic tubs filled with Halloween decorations thanks to her indulging me (and a lot of day-after bargain hunting on her part). This Christmas, well, as you can see, it's craziness with lights. A few weeks back, I saw a box of electronics that cam preloaded with 20 songs, a speaker, six power inputs and the ability to make those lights plugged in dance to the music. Like that house with the lights that are totally synched with that TransSiberian Orchestra song. And now, for only $120 suggested retail price, you too can do it too.

But at that price, it was too much. Until the day after Thanksgiving...where it came down to only $60. So like idiots, we woke up at 5:50 to hit Michael's to make sure I got the Lights And Sounds Of Christmas box at 50% off.

I've got a total of 8 strands of lights...the power load of this bad boy will let me do anywhere between 30-40 strings depending on their wattage...can you imagine what I could do with a real house and a proper yard? Amanda shudders at the thought...