Unexpected Arrival Of A Christmas Tradition

These photos were taken on  December 17, 2020 at 9:45 PM.

The location was in my home in Beltsville, Maryland.

The "Take It!" came from having opened the newly purchased box of 40 feet of sort of traditional looking electric Christmas lights. 

When I pried the lights out of the box ( box and contents made in Cambodia ) I found to my dismay the entire string of lights to be pre tangled. Previous experience with this situation does not help soften the blow.  

Here is where one dives in and begins the untangle game.  How in the world such a simple understandable string of lights could become such a challenge, never ceases to amaze me.  There are the break out moments where they separate with ease for a what seems to be a stretch that one begins to engage in the self deception attached to the hope that the good fortune will continue to the final end of the 40 feet and the goofy game will end.  NO SUCH LUCK!  lol.  The inevitable next snag is reached and the game resumes.  

Part of the game as partially described above, is, to not do the untangling while outside where the lights are destined to be hung, where it is often cold due to the season - but inside a garage where it is a bit warmer and there is space to lay the strings out as the untangle game is played.  I had to opt to use the space in my small house as my garage is full of tools and the fixings for future projects ( I have quite a bucket list in that separate building - lol ).  Well, my house is without much space, so, I had to resort to using the ups and downs method to gather enough space ( 40 feet ) by using doors in concert with the refrigerator. To add a little fun and possibly facilitate my shortening of the game - I plugged the lights into an outlet in the bathroom as it was adjacent to the bathroom door which volunteered itself to help with my plight - lol. The lights were cool as they were LED and offered no "ouch" like the older ones used to, when they were turned on for a while. The game went on longer than I want to admit to - and finally ended with the last up and down being in the kitchen over the fridge.  

By the time I finished the game - it was past the time I go to bed as I get up very early on the three mornings a week that I do my part time job.  I just did not have it in me to organize the now untangled string of lights any further - so just left them lit ( to keep from tripping over them in the dark if I got up ) and went to bed.  

Yes, I did get up during the night and had the Christmas tree lights be my guide into the bathroom - Ah the joy of the season being expressed as never before in my world - lol.

Due to the snow making the outside of the house - a treacherous proposition to hang this set of lights - I am going to string them up in the living room and not join the neighbors that got their lights up before the snow hit - and we had unseasonable temperatures in the 60's to facilitate their creativity.

I will leave this bit of frivolity with letting you know what I am going to do if the next set of knew, in the box lights that I purchased, turns out to be in a similar tangled mess.  I will set up the extension cord to bring on the power - then in the designated location above the front porch - pick out a fairly central location and proceed to hang the lights in the pre tangled clump in which they were extracted from the box - and leave them at that.  I will connect the power and display to all who pass by - the opportunity to apply that age old saying " It is the gesture that counts "   Ho Ho Ho 

Should I resort to the immediate above - I will dash off a photo/story to share in the fun of it.

Merry Christmas to everyone,

Bruce

PS:  From a sane distance - Taylor joins me in the holiday good wish.