The madness starts...
Printed From: Aurora
Category: Whatever Else
Forum Name: Off Topic
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URL: http://www.aurorashow.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=769
Printed Date: 27 Apr 2024 at 1:41pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: The madness starts...
Posted By: BigDPS
Subject: The madness starts...
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 10:33am
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Well, my wife and I went to Home Depot yesterday to buy some piping. When a department manager asked us if we needed help, we said we were fine. Seeing how much piping I was buying and no wire or boxes, he asked us if we were retrofiting an installation or something. Nope, we're making leaping arches for our Christmas display!
Well, the guy almost died. He asked us if it wasn't way too early to do such things and we said no, that these things take lots of planing not counting the fact that each sequence has to be reorged in order to accomodate more controller boxes.
At that point, he was lost. He quietly and politely told us he had something else to do (walk his goldfish or something) and left.
Have you guys been in a situation like this before, where people look at you funny because you're making your christmas decoration, in july, when it's 100 degrees outside?
If not, maybe I should get back on my meds and head back to the asylum for my weekly treatment! ------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: rmonty
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 10:41am
I was actually making my arches about two months ago out in the driveway. I had several people that were walking by take a double-take and look at me pretty funny. Also had the same thing happen at the store when I was checking out. They asked me what I was buying the material for and when I told them they got real quiet and seemed to speed up a little.
Ryan
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Posted By: BigDPS
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 12:03pm
Priceless! It is funny to see the reaction of people when you tell them what you're doing. The one reply that urks me the most and gets me really mad , is this one "You really have way too much time in your hands" 
I mean, I don't go fishing or anything like that, which takes a lot of freetime, except ride our motorbike once in a while but the weather in my area has been less than favorable for biking so I get a head start in my decorations. I tend to think that people that say this type of smart remark are those that don't have anytime on their hands and are jealous of me cause they can't plan anytime for themselves.
I just got in the house to get some wire and glue and took the time to read if someone had replied to my post. Now I'm heading back in my shop, listening to Classic Vinyl on XM and drink maybe a beer or two and just relax while enjoying the preparation of my display for 2009.
Light show-ers of the world! Unite!  ------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/">
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Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 2:41pm
Same sort of reaction here too. The basement is begining to look like a Christmas bomb went off. Friends and family that stop by are mostly dumb-struck.  This year I think I'll host a 'Lights Raising Party' and invite them all to help setup the display . Top it off with a Megatree raising ceremony
I'm looking forward to being the 'crazy old guy down or up the street with all the lights' again this year.
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Posted By: JohnnyL
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 5:36pm
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we get the same reactions from people around here too. my neighbors are used to seeing us working on various XMAS projects and their comments are usually something like "whats new this year?" ya know...if people that work in the box stores (Lowes etc.) wouldnt ask us what were doing buying dirrerent "dodads" we wouldnt get any enjoyment in seeing their reactions :) ------------- "In God We Trust" all others pay cash |
Posted By: bdkeen
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 5:39pm
Sometimes the reaction is well worth the price of the item  -------------
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Posted By: Buckeyelights
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2009 at 10:32pm
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Those stories are all pretty funny.
The reaction that I get most often is from my teenage daughter. It is a simple "DADDDD" with that look of what are you doing now and make sure my friends don't see you.
It's priceless.
Joe
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Posted By: BigDPS
Date Posted: 02 Aug 2009 at 11:36am
Well we have 1/2 of an arch done so far. My wife is helping me so I'm kinds dependent on her timings... However, she is pretty good while she does help me. I tried using one of the methods as seen on PC to make an arch by wrapping lights around a PVC pipe using a drill but that proved to be too dangerous. Never trust a 5/8 power-drill with an inexperienced handler ie: the wife. The drill would go slow and all of a sudden, it would pick up speed while I'm holding on the strand of light. Nearly had my hand caught and wrapped around the pipe!!! So after one segment done with a drill, I had enough of the close calls, so to speak, and decided that my better half would have to use some elbow grease. I made her a crank to turn the pole instead. It works like a charm. Much better control, lot safer and very energy efficient. We are going green!...oh wait, that's the color of the wire of the lights. My bad. Anyways, when someone calls for me and that my wife answers telling them I'm (or we) are busy making our Christmas decorations, the conversation doesn't seem to go any further. Imagine that!!!  Oh and one more thing. I added a gadet on my desktop to show me how many days before Christmas. Just adds a bit of pressure on my part!!! ------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/">
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Posted By: autotime
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2009 at 8:24am
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I got same reaction here at lowes and home depot. but i went to michaels craft store and they are already putting xmas stuff out, must mean its getting close. i went to kenny chesney concert this weekend, had a pretty good light show my son turned to me and said out of the blue dad you should do that for christmas light show, maybe hes getting the bug, hmmmm. ------------- |
Posted By: Jonathan
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2009 at 9:55am
My family recently went to Las Vegas where they saw the Bellagio water / light show. After one of the songs was over, I'm told my 7 year old nephew announced matter of factly that, "Uncle Jon's show is better." (I do a water / lights show for July 4th; the videos of the show are now up at http://www.youtube.com/jonathand1027 - www.youtube.com/jonathand1027 btw.) I almost feel sorry for my brother. I'm giving my nephew the bug early.  ------------- ~Jonathan |
Posted By: BigDPS
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2009 at 11:30am
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I really like these water fountains and the lights. What do you use to shoot the water up? I guess I have the bug as well. 2 weeks ago, I was at a fireworks competition where they use music and sequence the fireworks to the beats of the songs. Here I am watching with amazement while thinking :This could be something to do with my controllers. Have fireworks go off with the music. I'd have to delay the songs and the sequences to allow the fireworks to pop at the right time with the song..... Yup, once you start sequencing, you want to sequence everything. You hear a song on radio and you think, yup, that is a good tune to sequence too...Sheeesh! ------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/">
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Posted By: Jonathan
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2009 at 10:46pm
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I already figured out how to use fireworks with a DCx16. Unfortunately, shooting fireworks in my city get you an extremely large $5K fine so I decided that as cool as that would be when the "bombs were bursting in air" that it wasn't worth it. (Besides, my contact with all the stuff I needed didn't follow through.) Glad you liked it. The youtube crowd is quickly turning my Michael Jackson tribute into cult status. The geysers are simply plastic sprinkler heads with the directional top taken off and normal 3/4" rainbird sprinkler actuators turn it on and off. Just about any sprinkler head will do so long as the top is removed. Somewhere on my youtube page is the how to video from last year where I do a slightly better job explaining how I made it work. ------------- ~Jonathan |
Posted By: BigDPS
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2009 at 7:13pm
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Well it was over 90 degrees in the sun out and we were in the yard, my wife and I, spotting where the display was going to go. We measured and moved stuff wondering how it will work out. The neighbors were looking at us in a funny way some even peaking out their window while slightly moving a curtain aside.... We had 1 arch done and we had to take it apart. It was just going to be WAY too heavy. I was very discouraged. My wife said there was something positive about it: we were going to spend more time together redoing the arches. The look she was giving me while smiling, just melted my heart.  You know what they say "Families that build sequenced Christmas displays, stay together". OK. I made this one up but I truly believe it. When I get carried away, she's my conscience bringing me back to reality. If I didn't have her, I'd probably have the Eiffel tower in my yard as the center pole for my mega tree. 
------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/">
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Posted By: deweycooter
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2009 at 10:04pm
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We had our first informal neighborhood meeting for this year's display. We had 6 houses linked together last year and will probably add 3-5 this year. It's probably the best thing I could have done since I gave everyone handouts on how things work, what the new people should expect to spend, and a rough outline of when things would happen. I have a feeling that the workload on my end may have eased. I think I'll get some help on the sequencing side and a lot of help on the setup. ------------- http://www.deweycooter.com/wiki/index.php/Aurora - Aurora Lights Wiki http://www.aurorashow.com/"> 
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Posted By: BigDPS
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2009 at 11:53am
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To do the setup, since I have a very bad back, I have what I call, a Rent-a-Kid. I have this 14 year old kid that's always willing to help me so I "rent" him from his parents on a friday night then return him home on sunday. He thinks this is the best thing that he can do. It keeps him away from his little brother and calls our house, the land of gadgetry. We have pinball machine (homemade), arcade cabinet(homemade) real looking theatre (where we show last years display with 7.1 surround sound ) while eating popcorn from a real popping machine. Lots of fun. He's already looking forward to help setup in november.
------------- http://www.aurorashow.com/">
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