Damn Gremlins

The weekend after Thanksgiving is usually filled with decorating the house for Christmas, we normally bring out the lights from the year prior and string them along the front of the house, lighting up our evenings until almost New Years day. The Christmas tree is set up and all the bulbs on the strand of lights that aren’t working are checked and double checked until the problem is found and they are all shining once again, now for the life of me I know they were all working last year when I turned them off for the last time.

Today I opened up the large box marked “Christmas Lights” in anticipation of taking out the neatly rolled strands of lights I packed myself last season, like the tree lights they were all working when I took them down so this should be easy---right? I mean that I did pack them all away almost like they came from the store, in neatly packed rows and each light firmly secured and separated from all the rest.

Well to tell you the truth I did roll them carefully and neatly, then place them into the box so as to not tangle them with the other lights, now my question here is, How in the world did they get themselves tied into knots, and how did random bulbs get themselves unscrewed just enough to not come on, and where did that one particular Christmas decoration thingy that I promised Cindy would be safe in my box of lights disappear to? Gremlins I am thinking, there must be Christmas light gremlins that sneak themselves into my boxes of decorations to tie and tangle my perfectly rolled strands of lights into knots that take me longer to untangle than it does for us to get them all hung onto the eves.

I did good today, this little project went off without too much cussing and it took a bit of assistance from Cindy to help me figure out which way the strand had to be pulled to get the knot removed, A ball of yarn I keep thinking, yes I would have about as much success if I rolled all the lights into a huge ball and just stuffed them into the box, heck I could go as far as stomping them down and making room for a few more strands, do you think if I did this that the Gremlins would sneak into this box and straighten them all out for me as a surprise for next year? Nope I don’t think so either so I will neatly roll them up again knowing well and good that there is no way to roll a strand of Christmas lights without getting them somewhat tangled.

Driving home from town this evening I admired our house all lit up with the lights we worked so hard on together today, I smiled as we turned into the driveway but felt that smile go away when I noticed the couple of lights that were not burning—Damn Gremlins!!

Heres hoping you enjoy your Christmas Decorating and that the Gremlins were nice to you this year.