Monday, December 12, 2005

Where are the red spotlights?

Christmas lights on the house. Several seasons ago, I decided to flood the front of my house with floodlights. I bought the fixtures on stakes that press into the ground, and bought two spotlights. You guessed it. One red & one green. Over the years both the bulbs have blown, and I've simply purchased replacements. Never a problem until this year. My red blew - and there are no more red floodlights. Forget that during the year these bulbs sell for about five bucks, and in December they sell for twelve - there are simply no more red bulbs. Where have they gone? Has there been some sort of red glass shortage I wasn't aware of? Are people flooding their homes in red light exclusively? Red lights used alone make your home appear to be on fire. Only when used in conjunction with green bulbs do red spotlights work as decoration. I don't make this statement as a decorating amateur. I have 25 years of personal outdoor illumination experience, and nearly 50 years of closely examining light displays. Home centers don't have red bulbs, nor do the Hardware stores. Wal Mart is out and so is the grocery store. They ALL HAVE GREEN - just no reds. People - you're doin' it wrong. Red & Green. Red & Green. You have unwittingly caused a national shortage. How were the bulb manufacturers to know you'd mess this up. Ultimately they're responsible though because they didn't include instructions with the bulbs telling you to purchase equal amounts of red & green bulbs. Now, my house is bathed in green light - as if I were a fan of "The Grinch" or worse yet, "Kermit the Frog".

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