© 2019 Bill Murphy
Joshua ‘fit’ the battle of Jericho, and I just semi-finished my first skirmish of the 2019 Christmas Tree Light War.
Just as Ole Saint Nick began as a figment of someones fertile imagination, what they call ‘pre-lit’ trees are also imaginary. One would think they’d last even through the first season of ownership, but alas, the true life-span appears to be three weeks, tops.
My first call to battle came hours ago, when I attacked the flanks of the large, living room tree. It comes in three battle groups (sections): top, middle, base… with connections in-between. Duh. That SOUNDS easy enough.
The enemy no doubt had a grand laugh at my first charge. I attacked the middle unit first! Big mistake. (The base fits it nicely… as if a devious deception to thwart me.) Carol came in and said, “It looks too skinny.” I didn’t discover my mistake until and hour later. That’s where the lights really opened up on me, or should I say, stayed well (darkly) hidden, so that they could not be seen. A large sections of those lights refused to illuminate. Wheeeeeeeeee.
Fortunately, I knew exactly here the spare bulbs are kept: in our standard kitchen ‘junk’ drawer. Admit it, you have one too. 45 minutes later, and with the replacement of a couple of duds, wa-la! Houston, we have lights! It was around this time that I discovered that I was focused on the middle section.
Off came the base, and onto it now came the proper, larger, base section. I connected the two, then connected the power. The base was now acting precisely as the middle had previously done! Surely they were in collusion.
After only a few minutes of this, mysteriously the entire base illuminated as advertised! Amazing. But then, seconds after that, the middle section reverted back to its old ways, as if to say, “There, take THAT!”
I fired a few parting shots, hoping to hit a vital organ, which I did not. So I parted also, returning to the den for a little R&R… well actually R&C… rest and coffee. As a final act of defiance on my part, I unplugged the thing. It’ll get its anticipated meal of electricity later!
May I wish you all an early, pre-Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and may all your Christmas tree lights be bright!
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Pen In Hand 