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In the interest of harmony
I mentioned, a couple of days ago, that my next door neighbor had decided to go for a more traditional look this Christmas season in the house decorating department. Just a few pretty wreaths and non-electrified garlands and ribbons and whatnot for outside prettiness. I jumped on that bandwagon with enthusiasm. Told her that I liked that idea because Christmas lights use too much electricity. I probably should not have said that. She always looks at me a little strangely when I pop out with these sorts of statements. I dearly love the woman and couldn’t ask for a better neighbor, but she is resistant to anything related to conservation. She won’t even do curbside recycling because she ‘doesn’t believe in it’.
So, this morning, I heard a lot of hammering and banging going on out front. When I looked out the window, she was hanging her icicle lights across the front of her side of the house. I poked my head out the door with a questioning look...she said, “It looked too bare without the lights. I didn’t like it.” Well, I thought it looked nice, but there you go.
So, in the interest of harmony, I’ll hang my icicle lights, too. The house will look lopsided if I don’t and that’s just about as irritating to me as hanging the lights. Just because they’re hung doesn’t mean I have to plug them in. Well, I suppose I might for an hour or so in the evening, under protest, but in the interest of harmony. I haven’t plugged the lights into the kill-a-watt meter, so I’m not sure how much juice they gobble. I read somewhere that each individual light consumes 1-2 watts. With a 200-300 light string, we’re talking some serious wattage. If I do plug them in, I’ll have to figure out where to eliminate another 200 watts out of my daily use to compensate. Thinking...maybe the coffee maker. I can use the French Press and boil a kettle of water on the wood stove since it will probably be running most of the month of December.
When I look around my neighborhood, at all the mini lights that have appeared this week, it makes me cringe. There is enough wattage burning out there at night to run a couple of entire households. I’ve noticed that people are really decorating this year. More than usual. Maybe it’s a response to the tone of the news lately. It’s as if people are determined to create their own little oases of good cheer. I can understand it and even feel the same way. Except...without all the lights.
You should look to see if you can find any LED icicle lights. A quick Google search shows that they are available. LED Christmas lights are all the rage this year—they save a ton of electricity over conventional lights.
OMG, I’m hyperventilating. I checked the electric meter a while ago to see what the damages were and those horrid lights racked up an extra 1.5 kWh (for 3 miserable hours of holiday cheer)! Holy mackerel!! I couldn’t figure that one out—come to find out my neighbor plugged her lights into mine and I’m sporting the whole shootin’ match. That has to be rectified in a hurry. Now she wants to get a spot light for a second storey wreath AND more lights for the weeping cherry tree out front. As much as I don’t want any part of it, she is just so excited and happy about it all that I would feel like the uber-Scrooge to deny her excitement. She LIVES for Christmas. And, let’s face it, to most normal people 1.5 kWhs is hardly worth mentioning. I NEED to find some LED lights. I’m not going to survive Christmas with any semblance of sanity left at this rate. I think I could use a good cry right now.
Well, I guess I am not as nice as you are. I would not have taken to her putting them up after the comment you made about the lights taking up to much electricity, and then plugging them into YOURS so that YOU are paying for HER lights. Not a chance. Maybe if you don’t turn them on she will unplug them from yours so she can turn them on!
It is half her house, so she’s entitled to put lights up if she wants. I’m not happy that she changed her mind, but she does have the right. I’d like to convince her otherwise, but I’ll have to come up with an alternative that she can live with. I *am* going to look into some LED lights. I don’t think it’s worth the hard feelings to refuse to put lights up on my side.
Nevertheless, I didn’t agree to feed her lights juice, so I’ve unplugged hers from mine. She wasn’t upset about it...actually she thought that would make it easier for me to control the lights myself. Like I said, we’re talking about a person who doesn’t view electricity at all the same way I do and, from her perspective, I have a rather odd attitude about it. I’ll spring for my own lights. Not happily, but I did agree. If she wants to light the rest of the place up like Times Square, then she can foot the bill for it. In terms of cost, it’s not that significant, but each kilowatt hour is carved out of my hide. I see awful waste where she sees pretty...and tradition...and normal. We’re just not on the same page. I would like to change her mind, but unless I can come up with a stunningly better alternative, this place will be illuminated to the rooftop.
She totally has every right to light up whatever and however much she wants to. I think the holidays would be pretty dull with out all the pretty lights!
I just thought that was a little rude/ballsy (which ever you prefer lol) to plug into yours. Everyone (even people that don’t dread the monthly bill every month) knows how expensive it is to run holiday lights.
Is it the same bobbles as last year? or did she get new ones?
Oh and I have a couple of days off this week, Mon. Tues. I am having that thing done tomorrow and took Tues off just to get over myself lol. So maybe if If I get my sheet together and get stuff done today I shouldn’t have much to do on Tues. Maybe I can sneak over for a visit!
Brand new lights this year. Multi-color icicles instead of white. I wasn’t too sure how they’d look, but they’re pretty. She bought way more than she needed so handed a box over the porch railing and that’s what I put up. I have a spare box in case something burns out.
Good luck tomorrow and if you can make it over on Tuesday that would be great! Even if you don’t get all your stuff done today!
I saw this today and thought it would be the perfect solution:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20071203p2a00m0na017000c.html
LOL! I wonder how many it would take to run all our lights. I’ve always wanted a fish pond. 