My Griswold Christmas Lights Experience

One of my favorite movies to watch at Christmas is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and nothing hits closer to home than the mishaps of Clark Griswold trying to get the decorations on the house up and working.  My experience, while not quite as slapstick, was still very laughable, and I think you'll be able to relate.

Last Christmas, after looking at so many burnt-out and broken bulbs in the icicle lights I had used for 5 years, I just threw them all away, and vowed to start fresh in 2013.  So, of course, when I ventured into the attic in late November, I was puzzled as to where my lights had gone.  After a few minutes of thinking, I remembered (and regretted) my trashing exploits one year earlier.

So, off to Target to get my large spool of 400 lights, plus an extra box, just in case.  Up the eaves, and across the garage I went with my trusty spool, only to end up with this at the end...

DOH!  Really!?!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who's done this, but it's still so frustrating.  So now, I've got a choice.  Do I bust out the strand of 200, and try to go around the back of the house and hope I don't stop short, or do I do what any self-respecting lazy bum would do and just leave it?

You guessed it, I chose 'B.'

Now, with my empty spool, at the top of the house, on a very dark evening, I chucked it from this point...

In to the darkness of the grass below...

...but when I came down the ladder, there was no spool to be found.

After this flat piece of land, there is a hill on my side yard that leads down about 20 yards to a side street that meets my street at a stop sign.

Searching in the dark for several minutes, I finally find this.  The empty spool sitting on its end, after having rolled down the hill and into the street.

Not only was it standing on its end, but it was perfectly obeying the traffic laws, stopped at the stop sign.

After seeing this little trick.  I thought the only way to explain such a feat was as somewhat of Christmas miracle.   I looked back up the hill at my lighting work, thinking, hoping, and praying that maybe...just maybe, the lights would magically have reached the bottom of the roof's slope...and what do you know

DANG!