2 hard lessons learned: switch to LEDs, a bad bulb doesn’t cause the whole strand to not work. Go the electrical department of a hardware store, buy those plastic wind-up caddies for wire and use them to store bulbs. No tangles and you can label them if used for specific purposes, i.e, a door or picture window.
I have cord storage holders that I wind them up on and wind them off of. No tangles. I also have LEDs, if they don’t light, I get a new set. After 10 years I had one set of solar ones die. I think it was the solar unit more than the lights but not a big deal to get a new set.
Extension cords seem to do the same thing, no matter how careful you are when you coil the cord up. The long longer the cord, the more knots and snarls.
Put the lights away tangled and you face untangling this time of year. I loop the strings of lights and put a paper between each string when putting them back in the storage bin.
Untangling and checking the lights ought to be a good job for the kids, It would keep them busy for a while. By the time they’re done, they may feel they’ve done enough and not nag about climbing on the roof., which I’ve never understood anyway, I’ve never had to climb on the roof to hang the Christmas lights. Of course, I only hang them on the gutters, not all over the roof.
We light and decorate in stages, different ideas and all… Easier, lasts longer, we have to work around some of the animals, too. Adventures abound, but no tinsel…. ever.
Ah the luxury of being old, and having planned for a comfortable retirement. We have a company that puts ours up and takes them down. In the warm months they are a lawn service, in the cold months they are in the Christmas light installation and take down business. Reasonably priced as well, plus I don’t need to store or fight with the light either.
Indoor silver tree with color wheel – check! Outdoor single projection device that casts falling snow images on the whole front side of the house – check! Christmas lighting done – in under 30 minutes tops! :)
My simple solution to this, when I used to go all out and decorate the entire front of the house and yard with lights: Put each string of lights in a old plastic grocery bag. Always have plenty around from shopping. That way, each string of lights can only get tangled with themselves.
About the only good use for an empty 3D printing spool is to use it for coiling up holiday lights, so you can uncoil them easily next year. On the other hand, my father winds them onto 2-foot lengths of PVC pipe. The resulting bundles don’t fit in a box, but it doesn’t matter.
allen@home about 1 year ago
Darryl getting the Christmas lights down from the attic a little easier might have helped maybe. Just saying.
Ratkin Premium Member about 1 year ago
We did ours yesterday without much trouble, but only the tree lights.
cmxx about 1 year ago
One guess who slopped the lights into the box last year.
BenGMan about 1 year ago
We meet again.
iggyman about 1 year ago
Time to go out and buy new lights!
eced52 about 1 year ago
Going to be even worse when he opens the box and finds all the shattered bulbs.
nosirrom about 1 year ago
My job as a kid. Untangling the lights and finding the burnt out bulbs.
Carl Premium Member about 1 year ago
Hello darkness my old friend, which of your lights is burned out again.
GerryRoss about 1 year ago
Welcome to MY Christmas!
steveh64 about 1 year ago
For an appropriate sequel, see today’s “Foxtrot Classics”.
Walrus Gumbo Premium Member about 1 year ago
It was all part of Daryl’s plan to shatter the lights so he wouldn’t have to untangle them!
tremaine53 about 1 year ago
“This year, we’re setting the lights on fire on the front lawn, kids!”
mourdac Premium Member about 1 year ago
2 hard lessons learned: switch to LEDs, a bad bulb doesn’t cause the whole strand to not work. Go the electrical department of a hardware store, buy those plastic wind-up caddies for wire and use them to store bulbs. No tangles and you can label them if used for specific purposes, i.e, a door or picture window.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member about 1 year ago
I have cord storage holders that I wind them up on and wind them off of. No tangles. I also have LEDs, if they don’t light, I get a new set. After 10 years I had one set of solar ones die. I think it was the solar unit more than the lights but not a big deal to get a new set.
ctolson about 1 year ago
Extension cords seem to do the same thing, no matter how careful you are when you coil the cord up. The long longer the cord, the more knots and snarls.
ladykat Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ah yes; the annual untangling of the Christmas lights.
Gameguy49 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Put the lights away tangled and you face untangling this time of year. I loop the strings of lights and put a paper between each string when putting them back in the storage bin.
walt1968pat Premium Member about 1 year ago
Put them away correctly and you don’t have this problem!
KageKat about 1 year ago
I bet this is exactly why my folks never did outside lights – far too much hassle!
J-Yoshi64 about 1 year ago
Last year’s Darryl strikes again!
ChessPirate about 1 year ago
“We begin our little Holiday Tangle, er… Tango, once again…”
Sherlock5 about 1 year ago
Untangling and checking the lights ought to be a good job for the kids, It would keep them busy for a while. By the time they’re done, they may feel they’ve done enough and not nag about climbing on the roof., which I’ve never understood anyway, I’ve never had to climb on the roof to hang the Christmas lights. Of course, I only hang them on the gutters, not all over the roof.
Frank Burns Eats Worms about 1 year ago
Oh no, knot again!
pheets about 1 year ago
We light and decorate in stages, different ideas and all… Easier, lasts longer, we have to work around some of the animals, too. Adventures abound, but no tinsel…. ever.
raybarb44 about 1 year ago
Actually “Pogo” comes to mind. “We’ve seen the enemy and he is us”…….
kaycstamper about 1 year ago
I always wrapped mine around empty paper towel holders, taped in place, wrapped in a plastic bag, no problem with them tangling!
daleandkristen about 1 year ago
I hung lights over the fireplace last night. No tree this year…. younger cats are too young. I’ll be lucky if they leave the lights alone.
Daltongang Premium Member about 1 year ago
Ah the luxury of being old, and having planned for a comfortable retirement. We have a company that puts ours up and takes them down. In the warm months they are a lawn service, in the cold months they are in the Christmas light installation and take down business. Reasonably priced as well, plus I don’t need to store or fight with the light either.
battycomic Premium Member about 1 year ago
Reminds me of the knot in the lights in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
EMGULS79 about 1 year ago
Indoor silver tree with color wheel – check! Outdoor single projection device that casts falling snow images on the whole front side of the house – check! Christmas lighting done – in under 30 minutes tops! :)
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace about 1 year ago
Projected lights are nice, but you miss the ambulances coming to pick you up from the ground to take your broken body back to the hospital.
charliefarmrhere about 1 year ago
When done for the season, I always coiled mine up in a circle so next year no tangled mess.
tammyspeakslife Premium Member about 1 year ago
I wonder if there’s a market for untangling light strings. I wonder how much I can make doing it. I’m really good at untangling things.
ChrisTrey about 1 year ago
My simple solution to this, when I used to go all out and decorate the entire front of the house and yard with lights: Put each string of lights in a old plastic grocery bag. Always have plenty around from shopping. That way, each string of lights can only get tangled with themselves.
The Quiet One about 1 year ago
I know the feeling.
Foe about 1 year ago
I did mine several weeks ago lmao
amatulic about 1 year ago
About the only good use for an empty 3D printing spool is to use it for coiling up holiday lights, so you can uncoil them easily next year. On the other hand, my father winds them onto 2-foot lengths of PVC pipe. The resulting bundles don’t fit in a box, but it doesn’t matter.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] about 1 year ago
Okay,now who’s gonna hold the ladder?
EXCALABUR about 1 year ago
You are the one who put them away like that. The blame is on you.
ToneeRhianRose 8 months ago
Haha! (^▽^)