There's A First Time For Everything

I have never before had Christmas lights on my house.

I've never even thought about having Christmas lights on my house. It just seemed too big a task. Putting up Christmas lights is daunting enough, but then you have to take them down too.

If you leave your Christmas lights up after March 1st, everyone will know that you are an alcoholic. Your neighbors will listen for the recycle truck and listen to the tinkle of the wine bottles you forgot to wrap in paper so they wouldn't know how many there were.

You will be fodder for community gossip. And I hate it when that happens. People already chatter about me and my high heel shoes for heaven's sake.

Okay, yesterday I walked out to get my mail. I have a next door neighbor named Mary who has a fabulous Italianate house. She had two men working on putting up Christmas lights. In the ten years I have lived here, Mary has never had Christmas lights. Her recently departed husband did not want them.

One of the men was very tall, maybe 6 foot 17 inches tall. He was also black and good looking. I am never a woman who will not speak to a great looking guy in the yard next to mine. I went over and introduced myself and shook his hand. I exclaimed over how wonderful it was that Mary was getting lights.

I told this great looking man that I too would just love to have lights on my house! Ramon said unfortunately, they were too busy to schedule any more lighting projects this year.

I gave him my "there might be something really nice in it for you if you'd reconsider" look, and said sorrowfully, "Would you please just take a look at my modest little house and give me a ballpark idea of what it would cost for me to have Christmas lights?" He walked over in front of my house with me clinging to his arm.

He smiled and said, "Oh this would not take much time at all! I could do it for you for $150." I squealed and said, "Oh I wish you could take on this little job!"

Ramon succumbed to my feminine charms and said "I'll do it for you this very afternoon, Linda". I hugged him and said "muchas gracias" since he's from South America and speaks Spanish.

My house looks very cool with my first Christmas lights ever. Ramon will come back in early January and take down the lights. I look forward to seeing him again.