I don't remember it being this much work..

[roknjohn]

Well, after taking a week off and renting a man lift for 2 days, I'm still not close to just putting last year's show up. I've got to find a better system for the roof line. It took two days just to put up 30 sets of icicles and 15 super strings.

Oh well, anybody wanna hear me whine some more?

[WilliamS]

Im actually less sore this year around. Last year I was up and down the ladder what seemed hundreds of times. Bent over fixtures adding lights, zip ties everywhere, wires, spt wire and the list goes on. This year it took me 3 days and on day 1 it was all up. Day 2 and 3 were just clean up days. Having worked on the props in June helped a ton.

I do feel your pain though and I didnt have a lift. Next year Im going to splurge for one.

[jim6918]

I am having such a hard time this year that I am seriously considering putting the whole LOR thing to bed forever. It seems like it took twice as long as other years to get the same basic display up. and I even had to hire a neighbor's grandson to help.

I had to restring 24 mini trees starting in July and I suppose it's possible that it's that extra patch of work that has worn me out.

Plus, I am packing around too much weight and I am not getting any younger. It sure seems like my knees hurt a lot more than in the past. I sure enxy you guys whose whole family pitches in to put up your display.

[ClydeL]

I have to say after 5 years, it's gotten bigger and easier. Each year I make something more setup/take-down friendly... Rooflines are now set into boxes. I cut and painted 1/2PVC to fit my window frames, now it only takes 15 minutes to put the upstairs light on the house. All trees were re-wrapped this year (thanks to help from some co-workers childern and their friends) with LED's. If I add NOTHING to the display next year, it will be a quick (me only ) setup of ~ 5 days. But I know better, haha I've got 7 more controllers to build and add... so my setup will be even more next year.

[LORi P]

....... I've got to find a better system for the roof line. It took two days just to put up 30 sets of icicles and 15 super strings......

This is how I do my roof:

http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/21075-adding-rgbw-c9s-to-my-roof-group-or-stagger-the-bulbs/#entry201747

[Stingray]

It is only work if you don't want to do it.

[George Simmons]

I started setup in early October and if Sharon hadn't been such a big help this year it might not have gotten done in time.

I told her that next year I was starting on Sept 15th, and instead of giving me one of those looks, she simply nodded in agreement.

[PaulXmas]

I am starting earlier next year and will do very little for Halloween.

It was a cold and snowy Nov this year.

Working with gloves and heavy coat makes it hard and slowed me down.

Aug Sept 2013 I start.

[thevikester]

I had 2 surgeries on my knees within a month...the last being Mid October...I told my wife I wasn't doing it this year...she said, what about the kids, the families, the tradition...I said, I can't make it up and down the ladder that many times, I can't be on the roof, etc...she said, I will round up people to help...(novel idea) to which I said, its my deal, and I don't want any help....until I had the bad dream with cars with kids stopping by, saying "Hey Mister...where are the lights...the singing light"? Thats all it took woke up the day after Halloween and told my wife to round up some help.

We catered in food for the weekend help, had 10 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. Paid maybe 200 for the food and drink, and a good chunk of the display was taken care of, to include cutting SPT to length, putting on sockets, putting up Mega tree with 96 strands, etc...People loved helping and said, this should be an annual thing. Which, pride aside,I'm all for it! We are also having a take down, organizing party in January...have to love medical sympathy!