Every year after Christmas, I put them away neatly, and every year before Christmas when I bring them down, I find they have rebelled and formed a giant knot.
It never mattered how carefully we stored the lights when I was younger; they would all end up in one gigantic snarl. Later on, I stored each strand in a large freezer bag. Now I have a nice fiber optic tree.
Darryl, the fact that it’s the best way to deal with fitted sheet sets doesn’t automatically mean it’s also the optimal technique for storing Christmas lights.
Even when you TRY to put them away neatly, it’s almost guaranteed that next Christmas, those lights will have reverted to their natural state of tangled anarchy.
Some holiday traditions deserve to be reverently pulled out, gazed at, stomped on, shredded and reused as fire starters. This time put them away after carefully packaging them.
I When I had a house I used to; take them down, separate each string. connect the string to itself. fold to fit a plastic grocery bag. tie the bag loosely. put the bags in a box.
Anyone have a holiday tradition that is aimed at anticipating next year’s holiday season rather than augmenting this year’s? I always watch the Simpsons episode “Kill Gil Vol 1 & 2” with the last of my Christmas leftovers. To me it very nicely illustrates that the festive spirit rapidly diminishes once the holiday is past, but also includes a dramatic reminder that the season will come around again.
They make “light wheels,” where you roll the lights around a plastic wheel, and they don’t tangle. But Darryl doesn’t care. He likes to make things harder for himself.
allen@home about 1 year ago
Well Darryl whatever floats your boat.
Blu Bunny about 1 year ago
To Daryl, untangling them is like solving a Rubiks cube. He enjoys the challenge.
Ratkin Premium Member about 1 year ago
Lighten up, Wanda.
sirbadger about 1 year ago
In January, he could get an empty spool from an electrician and wrap lights around it. That might not fit as well in the attic.
einarbt about 1 year ago
Fair point there from Darryl. She should just leave him to it.
angelolady Premium Member about 1 year ago
They make spools for those, even. My husband coils them up like a hose and stores them in round tins. They uncoiled without tangles.
Cornelius Noodleman about 1 year ago
He’ll probably electrocute himself before he gets half of them put up.
iggyman about 1 year ago
Next time use a larger container, Paul!
Macushlalondra about 1 year ago
You have only yourself to blame, Darryl. Wanda, just leave him to it. Shut the attic door lest his language be heard by the kids.
cdward about 1 year ago
Every year after Christmas, I put them away neatly, and every year before Christmas when I bring them down, I find they have rebelled and formed a giant knot.
dlkrueger33 about 1 year ago
That’s why I got a tree with lights attached. I’m not dealing with that nightmare anymore.
oakie817 about 1 year ago
remember it’s @ before # except after $
Huckleberry Hiroshima about 1 year ago
She has one eye with two pupils. Don’t expect a lot of insight.
eced52 about 1 year ago
Send him down to tractor supply and buy a hose wheel.
nosirrom about 1 year ago
Being the designated detangler and bulb tester as a kid trained me to put this stuff away neatly.
ctolson about 1 year ago
Hopefully the kids aren’t in ear shot, especially Hammie. FFFFUUUUDGE! No lug nuts involved.
goboboyd about 1 year ago
Suspend the ball of lights, as is, and call it the star that guided the dudes bearing gifts.
Across the room from the Festivus Pole of course.
6foot6 about 1 year ago
it doesn’t’ matter how well you attempt to store the lights. They will always end up in a tangled mess.
Webby_dog about 1 year ago
Packing it up early I see!
ladykat about 1 year ago
It never mattered how carefully we stored the lights when I was younger; they would all end up in one gigantic snarl. Later on, I stored each strand in a large freezer bag. Now I have a nice fiber optic tree.
DawnQuinn1 about 1 year ago
Hey guys! Why put them away? Christmas is not come yet.
Cozmik Cowboy about 1 year ago
1) Go to your local hardware (or, as a last resort, home improvement big-box)
2) Find the extension cords (outdoor ones, 25’-100’ range; household ones are probably elsewhere)
3) Look around until you find the reels they sell for winding a bunch of cords on and buy a few
4) When you take down the lights, just wind them onto the spool and Bob’s yer uncle; my 2 spools held several thousand lights
cracker65 about 1 year ago
You do it Wanda.
Charles & Susan Premium Member about 1 year ago
My husband does it the same way :)
Frank Burns Eats Worms about 1 year ago
Santa will find out if Darryl’s been knotty or nice.
EMGULS79 about 1 year ago
Darryl, the fact that it’s the best way to deal with fitted sheet sets doesn’t automatically mean it’s also the optimal technique for storing Christmas lights.
Pet about 1 year ago
Our holiday tradition is me making a giant bowl of coleslaw for 16 people and forgetting it in the basement fridge :-D
The Quiet One about 1 year ago
That is the one tradition I can do without.
Smitty about 1 year ago
Even when you TRY to put them away neatly, it’s almost guaranteed that next Christmas, those lights will have reverted to their natural state of tangled anarchy.
philwinn about 1 year ago
Funny
Teto85 Premium Member about 1 year ago
Some holiday traditions deserve to be reverently pulled out, gazed at, stomped on, shredded and reused as fire starters. This time put them away after carefully packaging them.
mbhiggins5555 about 1 year ago
“If I get stoned and sing all night long…”
Thehag about 1 year ago
I When I had a house I used to; take them down, separate each string. connect the string to itself. fold to fit a plastic grocery bag. tie the bag loosely. put the bags in a box.
Quentin1992 about 1 year ago
He just doesn’t want to be told what he already knows.
kaycstamper about 1 year ago
I’d be outta there! Leave him with the mess he created!
prrdh about 1 year ago
Darryl uses this to exercise his capacity for patience and forbearance in preparation for the trials the holiday season will put those qualities to.
J-Yoshi64 about 1 year ago
What is it that Lucy van Pelt said about traditions?
dv1093 about 1 year ago
Here ya go Wanda. Show me how it’s done. (later) You did a great job! It’s all yours from now on.
pchemcat about 1 year ago
“If you don’t like how I do it, then let me suggest that you take over the job.”
Alyssa the Great about 1 year ago
I do put them away neatly. They ball themselves up. And half of them break in storage.
comicalUser about 1 year ago
Take a thin, flatter piece of wood and wrap them around it . . . it is not hard!
wildlandwaters about 1 year ago
Actually he did, but some nasty elves…..
John Jorgensen about 1 year ago
Anyone have a holiday tradition that is aimed at anticipating next year’s holiday season rather than augmenting this year’s? I always watch the Simpsons episode “Kill Gil Vol 1 & 2” with the last of my Christmas leftovers. To me it very nicely illustrates that the festive spirit rapidly diminishes once the holiday is past, but also includes a dramatic reminder that the season will come around again.
rshive about 1 year ago
I wonder whether there IS a neat way to put away Christmas lights.
DevilDog2001 Premium Member about 1 year ago
They make “light wheels,” where you roll the lights around a plastic wheel, and they don’t tangle. But Darryl doesn’t care. He likes to make things harder for himself.
BenGMan about 1 year ago
No, she doesn’t.
Takos about 1 year ago
It doesn’t matter how neat or careful you put them up. They somehow always come out tangled like they were in a hurricane.
ToneeRhianRose 7 months ago
Haha! (^▽^)