The lit old timers thread

So yesterday I get up to the sound of lawnmowers and leaf blowers promptly at 8AM. Remove the yard decorations and extension cords. After a 5 man huddle the landscapers gave up and drove off. They never made it out of the first yard. I put the decorations back.

Today, same wake up call. As many as 5 guys and never fewer than 3 worked for 3 hours to get the snow covered leaves out of my yard and flower beds. Yeah, they took a lot of cedar mulch out of the flower beds in the process, but did an acceptable job that probably could have been done by 2 guys in 20 minutes back before the rain, freeze, and snow.

I am essentially finished decorating. The lights are hung, the inflatables are up, the miscellaneous decorations are in place. I'm thinking about improvements for next year.
We don't need workers for that. We have 50+ mph winds to get rid of the leaves.
 
We don't put out many interior decorations any more because of cats and very hard floors.
 
We don't put out many interior decorations any more because of cats and very hard floors.
We have hard floors because they're easiest to clean. And no cats because I have a severe allergy to the critters.
 
I was puzzled as to why the first page of the GB appeared normal.
Then I realized that it is the weekend.
 
It's been a long time since I last visited.
Is there no playground now? I spent a lot of time on the Aussie thread.
Made some great online friends here, many of whom have passed.
If anyone remembers me... hi!
 
It's been a long time since I last visited.
Is there no playground now? I spent a lot of time on the Aussie thread.
Made some great online friends here, many of whom have passed.
If anyone remembers me... hi!
I recognize you. Welcome back.
As far as I know the Playground exists as a subforum of The Personals, same as it ever was. But, if were harder to find or down, that might explain some of the threads moved here.
 
It's been a long time since I last visited.
Is there no playground now? I spent a lot of time on the Aussie thread.
Made some great online friends here, many of whom have passed.
If anyone remembers me... hi!
I understand your confusion. :)
 
I recognize you. Welcome back.
As far as I know the Playground exists as a subforum of The Personals, same as it ever was. But, if were harder to find or down, that might explain some of the threads moved here.
And I recognise you too! Thanks for the tip, I'll go for a wander and see what I find.
Cheers
 
Adventures in outdoor decorating. It's kind of the norm to replace strings of lights over time. They get flogged in the winter winds, or gnawed upon by bunnies. The vinyl gets brittle with time and sunshine and cracks, then water gets in. Inflatable fabric becomes worn and porous, so that there is a drop in air pressure, and the figures tend to sag or act drunk. I expect that.

I had a new Mickey inflatable that mysteriously stopped working. Likewise, I had a programmable cone tree in it's second season stop working, too. It was probably my favorite. I think it's a moisture issue. Maybe I can get them dried out and working. If not, maybe I can find replacements on sale.

So, just because Christmas preparations are done, it doesn't mean that they necessarily stay that way. That can apply to shopping and wrapping as well.

How are things going for you now?
 
I've got everyone bought for. I might send somethings back, I went a bit overboard. I'm waiting on a gift card and then I'll send everything off to my daughter. I made her a "stocking" that is actually going to be a box.
 
I've got everyone bought for. I might send somethings back, I went a bit overboard. I'm waiting on a gift card and then I'll send everything off to my daughter. I made her a "stocking" that is actually going to be a box.
So many steps in the process 1) deciding, 2) finding, 3) purchasing 4) taking delivery, 5) wrapping, 6) sending..... paying might be spread out over months by credit card. Sounds like you've got it under control. Merry Christmas!
 
Busy as heck. Getting ready to head south for a week.
Pre-travel preparations are a lot of stress. That said I dearly enjoy the moment when I'm underway and I start clearing my head of all that stuff I'm leaving behind.
 
Oh goodness I’ve just realized I’m old. This place is different but the same and I still flock to my favorite play spaces.
 
2003...I guess I count as an old timer. Greetings to all. I think the people I interacted most with were YummyBaby, Ishmael and the Chief who assumed a new name every few months. Yummybaby is long gone, even erased her pictures, unless she's rejoined with a new name. In any case, here's a salute to the old timers. There was lots of politics, but lots of romance too.
 
Adventures in outdoor decorating. It's kind of the norm to replace strings of lights over time. They get flogged in the winter winds, or gnawed upon by bunnies. The vinyl gets brittle with time and sunshine and cracks, then water gets in. Inflatable fabric becomes worn and porous, so that there is a drop in air pressure, and the figures tend to sag or act drunk. I expect that.

I had a new Mickey inflatable that mysteriously stopped working. Likewise, I had a programmable cone tree in it's second season stop working, too. It was probably my favorite. I think it's a moisture issue. Maybe I can get them dried out and working. If not, maybe I can find replacements on sale.

So, just because Christmas preparations are done, it doesn't mean that they necessarily stay that way. That can apply to shopping and wrapping as well.

How are things going for you now?
Have you had any of these neighbors that fills the yard with Christmas displays? I had a neighbor, moved now, who filled every square inch of his yard, even his roof, mostly with lights and only a few inflatables. I asked him why he does it. He said, "You know I'm a pilot (United). With all these lights, when I take off, I can see my house as I fly over."

Another guy who lives in the next neighborhood over must have 100 inflatables. If you go at night, they're all lite up and it's bright as day. If you go during the day, they're all deflated. He must only turn them on when he gets home from work.

I just have a few lights and have them come on at dusk and off at 10pm.
 
I'm the worst in this part of town. In the next town there's a guy like your pilot who covers both yard and roof. It made the neighbors raise their game, and now their block is an attraction. Also in the next town is a mansion with a passion. that has some expensive decorations and everything co-ordinated to music.

Inflatables take some attention. They are at risk to wind, and if they get twisted or weighed down by ice or water the lights can touch the nylon and melt through. Better to be home while they are running. Also they draw some power, and 6 or 8 hours an evening is costly enough for only a few.

I have photosensors, with the time set for 9 hours. That's about how late we stay up. But it's light therapy that keeps me cheerful during the darkest days of the winter. In the process, I treat a lot of neighbors too. Much to my surprise it makes everybody happy.
 
Another trip to Walmart tomorrow. Return a couple items and buy a couple things for a stocking. I'm thinking pistachios and sunflower seeds. Maybe some hard candy
 
I've got everyone bought for. I might send somethings back, I went a bit overboard. I'm waiting on a gift card and then I'll send everything off to my daughter. I made her a "stocking" that is actually going to be a box.
Is she still back in Ohio?
 
I've only been through about 15 pages so far, but still haven't seen any names I recognize from when I started. It makes me feel ancient.
 
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