Lights on. November 26, 2007 ~ 10:55 am
Posted by Julie in : Da Cats, Daily Grind, In Da Hood , trackbackEveryone in my neighborhood had the same reaction to the day after Thanksgiving as I did: days too short, nights too long and dark, must decorate. Even if houses were only half decorated on Friday, some lights or decorations were put up. Neighbor Forrest outdid himself and managed to put three giant inflatable light-up things on his porch roof, besting his record of two from last year. When he is completely done, I’ll take a picture and post it, although anyone who happens to check out pictures taken from the space station can probably see it. It’s that bright.
My apartment is lit up pretty well itself, and I’ve discovered that LED lights are like laser beams. I have them on my tree for the first time this year (trying to save the planet through my Christmas decorations, Al Gore would be proud), and holy shit, they are little multicolored spotlights. I was so blown away by them the first night I had them up that I totally forgot to put the ornaments on the tree and just sat there mesmerized by the glow. Freddie was also transfixed, at least enough so that he forgot to try to chew the cord for a bit. That’s good, because I’m really tired of saying “No! Zap! Zap!” to him. I don’t think he’s going to understand electrocution except by experiencing it - telling him “Zap!” ain’t cutting it. And no, “Bzzzt!” doesn’t seem to make much of an impression, either.
The short days depress me, and the lights only help so much. The past few days have seemed endless, and I always think it’s much later than it actually is. Today might not be as bad since I’m back at work and that eats up a lot of hours, but then again, I’m back at work and that sucks. When we compare that to endless days spent watching my TiVo backlog…well, work does not offer me the entertainment of Tim Gunn or Ugly Betty, ya know?
Comments
I’m the same way about this time of year. I need LOTS of sunlight to function as something other than a zombie.
Also, We will need a picture of the LED lights, I think. You shouldn’t be so greedy and keep it to yourself.
LED lights eh? I may have to look at that. I’ll probably be getting a tree this weekend. Outside lights were up weeks ago when it was still warm. I hate climbing a ladder in the cold, you know?
We just had 4 really crappy days of clouds and rain and I remembered why we bolted from Seattle! Sun’s out today - YAY! At least the days here aren’t so terribly short during the winter.
Our Christmas lights always help with the winter blahs, and a portion of them will remain up … well … just cause they are fun the rest of the time (like little whites in the trees)!
Something about this post keyed into that oxymoronic happy/melancholy I feel every year when I put up the lights. Maybe I spent too much time wiling away the Meadville winters, having a hollow read of my tacky dorm string o’ lights. Every year, though, I just feel a mix of childhood mirth and woeful wintry ache all at once. I wish I had Neighbor Forrest come and bring some new inspiration to my holiday menagerie.
Kendra~You would not think that if Neighbor Forrest were actually your neighbor. I have been in this neighborhood for four years now, and every year his house gets a little more je nais cest quois. Brighter, certainly. I think this year the Martians can see it, not just those living on the moon. But I know what you mean: tonight I decorate my little tree, the same one I’ve had since freshman year. And every year when I decorate it, I get a horrible urge to listen to Dave Matthews Band and drink some Bud Ice. The Meadville Melancholia, it lingers.
Seamus~I have icicle lights in my living room. Last year I did not take the removable 3M plastic hooks they hang on down. They just stayed up all year. This year…well, the icicles may stay up with the hooks.
Vince~You are smart with the hanging lights in the nice weather. But a live tree this early smacks of sawdust by Christmas Morning, no? (This is why I like my plastic trees.)
Grace~Pictures will be taken, if only to test out the arty values of the new camera. Now if only I have the energy to upload them onto the PC at home…yesterday’s batch hit the wall that way.
These short days got to me so much that yesterday I actually kept expecting it to be later, so it ended up being the LONGEST day ever. But I can also blame the fact we’ve had cold rain for the past two or three days straight… It’s so blah and dark ALL the time. Work sucks because of it, as the depression prone are hard put by it. Can’t blame them…
I did Christmas Tree Sachets (sneaky little bags of cellulose and Spruce essential oil that make a non-real tree smell real) yesterday, with loads extra, so now I need to make more soap and find OUR tree and lights. I might throw in some begging for LED lights as well–yours sound awesome.
Ok, I’m backward. I love the cloudy, cold and rainy days, but sunny and hot gets me depressed! I live in the wrong state I tell you…
If you pick the right kind of tree and keep it watered, it’s no problem. I don’t usually lose too many neeedles when I take it down after Epiphany, so we get 5 to 6 weeks no problem.
Vince~I bow before the tree guru.
Brighton~I don’t like it hot, but sun is good. Grey is not. I went to college in a place that spends more than 2/3 of the year grey, I now have an aversion.
Pan~The Christmas Tree Sachets sound cool. Are you selling them?
J-Me~I actually said to Rick at one point “How is it only 8? This is the longest day EVER.” You and I are on the same wavelength.