I hate being outdone. I have strung a few Christmas lights on our house this year, but I continually hear ‘nice try … but your neighbor’s lights are better’. The fact is it is true they have way more and way better Christmas lights – but I cling to an argument about quality not quantity.

That said I always look for ways to compete, with out competing directly and head on. I have a plan for next year that I have borrowed from this gentleman’s story below.

“Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations.

The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year. The bad news is that I had to take them down after only two days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever.

But two things made me take it down. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost crashed when they drove by. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the ladder and almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn’t realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that.

My yard couldn’t take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.

I think I made him too real this time . But it was fun while it lasted.”