You’ve got to be kidding me!
If I was superstitious, I’d say I was jinxed.
Seriously.
Either that or I’ve got some bad appliance mojo going on.
Surely you remember my washing machine issues? I didn’t mention that the dryer requires nearly two full 60 minute cycles to dry anything, my oven preheats to about 30 degrees below whatever setting I set it, AND TONIGHT my Christmas tree joined the revolt.
We’ve had this tree for about 6 years, I think. Jeff and I debated tonight just how long we’ve had it as we CUT the lights OFF nearly 3/4 of the tree’s limbs.
The lights would not come on; and before you list all the things we should have tried before we literally CUT THE LIGHTS OFF, we know…we tried it.
Yes, we did.
Yep, we tried that too.
Really, stop…we tried it ALL.
I even did a Christmas tree ‘rain’ dance, wherein I dipped myself in Pine-Sol and sang ‘OH CHRISTMAS TREE’…in German.
So, tomorrow (not tonight – oh no, not tonight) I dig for lights to wrap the lower half of this Christmas tree that we purchased SOLELY BECAUSE IT WAS PRE-WRAPPED WITH LIGHTS.
Tonight?
I’m just thankful we’re done removing the old light strands.
Two hours people – it took TWO HOURS.
My hands are sore.
Jeff even started sneezing – as if the boy was allergic to the plastic tree all of a sudden.
As you can see, Bruno kept us good company.
I’m so tired of the tree and it just went up.
I can’t go off and buy another one – not with Christmas gifts left to purchase and the washing machine/dryer set I’ve got my eyes on at Home Depot.
*sigh*
Happy December y’all.
Bah humbug.
36 Comments
tHeSocKmOnKeY
>I even did a Christmas tree ‘rain’ dance…
Please tell us there’s a youtube link for this?
Bruno looks so content :)
jessica
i’ve decided pre-lit trees bite. we got ours 4 years ago and the top and bottom won’t light up. the lights are so wired in though, we just left ‘em there and wrapped new strands around.
Celia
Happy December to you too!
And take your tree easy or it will kill you with the lights, lol…
Kari
Oh man, I feel for you. I too feel like I may be an appliance jinx. My FIL gifted us his washer and dryer so I had 2 sets and they BOTH broke down last month. My husband got the washers working but I’ve decided not to replace my dryers. It’ll be an adjustment, but I’ll make it.
I just blogged about it last week:
http://errabundusbus.blogspot.com/2008/11/decisions-decisions-decisions.html
Well anyway, know that you’re not alone and I’m sending you hugs. (Unless you think I’ll break something, maybe I better stay away!)
Kari B
Lisa C
That stinks … BUT … I know the feeling (sort of). Ours was doing the same thing; however, I called my mother to the rescue. She came over & somehow … between the two of us … we got the lights lit … with the exception of two branches! Two branches! How does that happen?!?! Anywho ~ I’ve turned the tree around … & noone knows! :)
Hope you have better luck while wrapping the strands of lights!
Sherilyn
It’s kinda pretty like that!
Caron
I refuse to buy a pre-lit tree for that very reason. My mother has one in her house that refuses to light up on one side. It’s rediculous. Sorry about your luck! :-(
Nikie
We are still cutting off strays two years later.
on another note…
I love the strips that are holding your maps. Where did you get them?
Gayle
Hey, keep it that way and say you’re conserving electricity!
Erica
Want to switch trees!?! The top 1/4 of mine tree does not light up. So, one of us could have a fully lit tree, haha :)
Natalie
Courage.
These things take tremendous courage!
Mandy
Oh no! Hope your December gets better.
OMSH
tHeSocKmOnKeY – Nope no youtube link, sorry. heh heh
jessica – these lights were INCREDIBLY wired, which is why it took 2 hours to CUT them off, but that anal retentiveness in me refused to let me wrap lights on top of lights.
Nikie – I purchased them at Dick Blick’s – it is called the TrapEase Display Rail and they are FABULOUS for holding thin to thick things. You can get them in all different links!
Sue at nobaddays
With you. I just bought a brand new pre-lit tree from Target. Spent and hour getting the branches spread just so and plugged it in. EXACTLY the result in your picture. We tried everything. Eventually, we shoved it back in the box, took it back and got another … and tested the lights before we spent time spreading the branches!
Luke Holzmann
One more good reason my wife and I can look to for not making a $300 “investment” in this particular technology [laughing].
Great photo!
~Luke
merrymishaps
I just bought a new pre-lit tree (still in the box) because my old one needed to be assembled branch by branch, and then I had to manually apply lights.
It’s still in the box at the moment, but I’m hoping for a quick setup this year!
And my dryer takes two 80 minute cycles. I’m betting if we properly clean out the duct, we might get a better result …
shannon
We got our prelit tree about 5 years ago and it’s been a dream! This year we had a section go out, but after a few jiggles and kicking the 6-year-old out from behind the tree, it works great!
Hubby bought our tree at Lowe’s the day after Christmas for 75% off!! He paid less for this tree than we would have for a real one. Go shopping on 12/26!!
Laurie
Hey you probably tried this….but…on the dryer, ours did the same thing (taking 2 cycles to dry) we cleaned out the ducts behind the dryer and it is like brand new!! Thought I would share. I have no idea how to help on the Christmas tree..sorry..
mommyknows
Bummer! I’ve been telling Will we NEED one of these pre-lit trees, but I didn’t really think about this scenario. It’s the same reason I don’t buy TV’s with the built in DVD anymore.
I would suggest you start treating the fridge with extreme kindness!
I can hardly wait to see the finished result :)
Tami Sickels
The same thing happened to my mom’s pre lit tree. My sister in law sat and tool off every light so now she just has a Christmas tree that she has to put lights on.
Shawn S.
We had it happen to a smaller “accent” tree last week too. Good thing I had help in the house. My step-dad spent 2 hours on the floor cutting them off. What a good man:)
Elda
Same thing happened to my miniature version of your tree. I am waiting for the sales AFTER Christmas to score one of those ginormous realistic trees for HALF the price… without the pre-wired lights. :)
I’m sorry you’re having such horrible luck with appliances! I swear by the brand AMANA. I bought my first set of appliances over 6 years ago and they are still going. Mom had an AMANA washer that lasted 13 years! Sometimes I whine about having bought such a durable brand — I have to wait until they croak to get those new and shiny versions. LOL
Alyson
We finally sold our 5ish year old tree at our garage sale a couple weeks ago – it had at least one bad strand of lights and two broken (probably fixable, but not by me) branches from our cats climbing in it. For budget reasons we got a $10 mini tree (about 2½ or 3 feet tall) from Target. Haven’t set it up yet, but I’m kind of relieved not to do the big set up this year. AND we can pack it up and bring it with us when we are traveling over Christmas break!
Dad
Heather, you probably don’t remember this “snic” but Mom and I had a living Christmas Tree for years. A one time purchase of a Norfolk Island Pine and you are done. It has very few branches so one replaceable inexpensive strand of lights,a few miscellaneous decorations and your good-to-go.
The dryer probably needs a new heating element. That’s a pretty easy job and I’ll volunteer.
OMSH
Dad – Well, I think after cutting off umpteen lights, we’ll likely stick with the one we have – at least until I get a new washer/dryer.
BUT I’ll tell Jeff about the heating element! :)
Drive home safely!
LizC
Clean the ducts and change out the heating element: nearly new dryer function. (My dryer was inherited from my grandfather… it’s about 20 years old now, and getting ready for a new element.)
AH, the annual Blaspheming of the Tree… We’re still a week or two away here. I made a vow last year that $5 in cheap lights is *not* too much to spend for a 60% reduction in profanity during tree set-up (I married the son of a drill sergeant), so the last few years, we chucked the lights, and bought new. Nice!
Normally, I’m only in charge of libations and tinsel.
Mrs. Wilson
I’m pretty much with you on the Bah-humbug thing. I hope you have fun decorating ;)
Katie (Perfectly Cloudy)
The same thing happened to me! I feel very sorry for the person who wraps those lights on the trees in the first place! They are meticulously wound and bound on the branches, aren’t they? After many hours I just went ahead and put the new lights on…there’s still old lights on it but I had enough!
gorillabuns
I thought for a second I was looking at a picture of my Christmas tree.
mamamilkers
I am so glad I heeded the advice to NOT get a pre-lit tree! Of course, this year, all of the lights worked before we strung them, but after they were on? Almost half of them didn’t work! We even jiggled them and everything– ha ha.
Carey
My dryer takes forever to dry a load too. But it gets hot, so I’m assuming it’s not the heating element. Am I wrong about that? I know absolutely nothing about dryers or mechanical stuff or technical stuff or construction stuff, so I’m always looking for advice.
LauraB
So you never indicated which new model W/D you are considering…LOL
I got the front load Neptunes when they first came out. Still going strong! LOVE LOVE the front load. Hate that they were only in white back then…such nice colors, now…
amber
Im so sorry, that really sucks. We had a dryer that wouldn’t dry too, my dad told me to run the Dry Vac in reverse so it blows instead of sucks and put it in the dryer vent out tube. Wow! You should have seen the back yard, it was like it snowed lint. But it worked! Good luck and hang in there!
Leanne
When I was a kid my Mom went and bought a plastic white tree and it had a spining coloured light that shone at the tree and made it turn colours. It only needed one light bulb, maybe this is why….
Venus
I am sure you already checked the vent. I am afraid that in the Year Of the Great Appliance Exodus, I am grateful that the reason my dryer wasn’t drying things was the vent was blocked on the outside, too much lint. Oh what a fire hazard. Fa, lalalalala la la la LA!
Good luck OMSH!