So, Christmas is upon us, and that brings any number of things to any number of people. To some, it's just another day; to others it's a joyous event; to others still, it's a nightmare. Whatever its effect on whatever people, it probably falls somewhere in one of those 3 categories, and it can probably change day by day. We had a busy day today; we got a tree, a wreath, a bunch of icicle lights, a truckload of diapers, Joy's Christmas present, etc etc. A regular shopping day for us, and we got a lot of stuff.
Up until today, we were the only ones on our block without lights on the house. I usually don't care too much about that sort of thing. I mean, lights on a house used to be kind of an oddity. Now, it seems, it's a requirement, at least in our neighborhood. We know a family a few blocks away who go completely nutty with the lights. Nice enough folks, just nuts about the lights; I may have mentioned them before... I digress. I didn't want to be the only one on our block without lights somewhere outside the house. As if I needed to somehow prove I wasn't a grouchy old bastard, I felt the need to light up the place. Of course, the first thing that comes to a guy's mind is something that would show up on a photo taken from Mars. That is not terribly realistic (not entirely UN-realistic either...), so we decided on some icicle lights hanging from the gutters all across the front of the house. Ya know, a little understated but still festive.Not exactly Norman Rockwell but also not Grouchy Old Bastard either.
As usual, I waited until most of the day had elapsed, and I was a little tired. We put Joy in the front yard in an "exer-saucer" (you'll have to google it if you care) to contain her a bit and still let her be a part of the action. The action being me putting up the lights, and my wife preparing the wreath and other decorations. It was a festive joyous moment. I felt good. Until I started to unravel the lights out of their boxes, then my demeanor diminished. It was getting cold (snow in the forecast in a few hours), and the wires of the lights had taken a set and didn't want to unravel to a row of nice icicles. So, I ended up with less of a string of icicles and more of a big jumble of lights hanging from the gutter in one long, snake like bunch. The clock was ticking, the daylight was getting short, it was getting cold (did I mention that?), Joy had decided awhile ago that it was time to go inside, and there I was, rushing to finish. I HATE to rush. I'm one of those guys who would get up an hour or so early before work just so I could sit with my coffee for awhile. I hate it. I find myself rushing alot though. There is always a serious time constraint looming directly ahead, and I am always fighting to meet it. Whether I am trying to do whatever task before the baby wakes, or before the glue dries, or before the wind picks up, I am always rushing. In projects, that is. It doesn't seem to matter what that project is, either. It can be anything, like emptying the dishwasher, or mowing the lawn, and this is just an example. Could the lights have waited? Yes but that would mean I would have to clean up my stuff only to bring it out another day. Spending more time that I might not have. If I don't get it done NOW it might not get done; I might not get another opportunity. Would that be the end of the world? No but then I would be the Grouchy Old Bastard Without Lights, or worse yet - I would be the Hillbilly With Only Some Random, Half-Assed Lights. So I had to rush, and not do a good job. That's how it goes when I rush, I don't do my best. I do my best for now, and sometimes that's all I get to do.
So the lights went up as did my blood pressure. I did get them up and working before nightfall, so I guess we will call that a win. In the end, they actually looked ok. A little goofy but... festive at least. Now I am NOT the Grouchy Old Bastard without lights. You can see them from inside, though the window. Joy seems to like them. She will stare at them, gesture towards them and babble something in her native tongue.
Two seconds of that makes it all worthwhile.
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