The lights are out to get me

I've finally finished all my final exams and all my papers, etc, (YEAH!) and today was my first free day - from school anyway. So how did I spend my well earned freedom you ask. I put up Christmas lights. Not my own mind you - lights on the house that we are rental managers for here in Laie.

Really it wasn't a big deal. The lights needed to to up and I had a free morning with children off at school. There was a decent breeze blowing, so it wasn't too hot, just really sunny. I headed over about 9am this morning - I walked, it's close and it was a nice morning. I got everything out of the garage that I needed and headed up to the deck on the second floor. From here I would just use a ladder to hang the lights on the eaves of the roof. It wasn't far up and I wasn't in any danger of falling, but I'm sure I got a few weird looks from cars and people passing by. it's not everyday that one sees a woman, 7 month pregnant, on a ladder hanging Christmas lights. The landloard, who is a distant relative, definately gave me a look as she pulled out of the driveway - I instantly wondered what my dear mother-in-law would say if she say me. She'd make me get down. But she isn't here, and I was determined to get those lights finished today.

Anyway - I ended up needing more hooks and couldn't find any in the garage, so I hoofed it home to get the car and drive to the hardware store (luckily we have one of those in Laie, we don't have much), only to be greeted by the ring of my cell phone. It's the elem. school - Isaac has a stomachache and would like to go home, when could I come pick him up? It's only 9:30, come on. I wanted to tell the lady I was all the way in Honolulu and I wouldn't be back for a couple of hours at least, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I drove over and got him on the way to the store. He certainly wasn't acting sick, but I wasn't going to argue, I just wanted to get back to the lights so I could enjoy the rest of my day of freedom.

After painstakingly checking each strand of lights and replacing the bad bulbs (we failed to do this when hanging the lights on the deck last week - I had to take them down and start over) I started stringing them up on the roof. I had one minor mishap with a plug completely crumbling when I added a new strand of lights, but that was easily fixable. So I'm about 10 feet from the end of the roof, my cell phone alarm goes off saying it's time to pick up Danielle. Amazingly enough Isaac has actually been helpful and listening to me (if only they could all do that when they are together), so I'm actually in a pretty good mood. We get ready to leave, I step off the ladder and all the lights go off!

They just came unplugged, right? It wasn't secured very well, I just had them plugged in to make sure they were working. So I walk over to the plug - oh no - they're still plugged in. And not only that, but the first of at least 10 strands (I'm not exaggerating) is still lit, but the rest are only glittering in the sunlight - not going to help so much when the sun goes down.

Now I know that you're thinking - that's not so bad, at least you can logically deduce that it's the second strand that it having the problems. Well, that's exactly the thought I had. Only the second stand is on the highest part of the roof - at the scariest part. Not that you would fall off the ladder, but you have to lean around the edge of the eaves a little and it feels like you might fall - you know the feeling, the one you have in your dreams when you think you're falling, but you know that you're not. OK, maybe that's just me.

I gave up. I'm done. And when I drove by the house tonight, no one had bothered to plug in the lights on the deck railing that are all done anyway, so way am I bothering? I don't know.

Oh, and did I mention that I have a white-glove inspection on Monday? This is a good thing - my house really needs to be cleaned. I'm glad I have a reason that I can't put off until another more convenient time, but guess how I spent the rest of my day of freedom? You bet - washing windows and screens. Which is actually quite the experience here. The windows are just a bunch of glass slats that can be opened or closed, kind of like blinds. And since the windows are open 24 hours a day, the screens are SO dirty and dusty. I was afraid if I started cleaning them earlier this week that they would get dirty all over again. But at least I got the kids to help. They washed all their beautiful artwork off the walls with magic erasers (love those things). Someday they won't think that's fun, so I figured I'd better take advantage of it.

Well, I should go off to bed now. I actually did all the dishes tonight, so my pruny fingers are now getting numb from typing and I have much more cleaning to do over the next couple of days. I need my sleep.

I hope you all had a more enjoyable day than I - but I do have to say, at least I was productive.
And maybe when the house is clean I'll actually take a few pictures so you can see all the glory of our 500 square foot palace!