Those Inflatable Santas: Eyepoppers to Eyesores

NY Times ^ | December 22, 2006 | PAUL VITELLO

[HairOfTheDog]

That one does look like a murder scene.

I'm amazed, with the big wind storm we just had, that all those things didn't end up somewhere in the next state, but there they were, cheerfully waving in the aftermath! I think folk must have pulled them in for the storm and had already put them back out, but I can't say I know for sure.

[Cagey]

The kids in this guy's neighborhood must be depressed this time of year.

[ShadowDancer]

This is close to what it looks like:

[KosmicKitty]

Folks around here all have those wooden or wire reindeer in their front yard. One year, some pranksters went through the neighborhood and put them all in sexual positions

A secret desire that I have.

The big blow-up doll around these parts this year is Santa on a motorcycle wear shades.

[1rudeboy]

Yikes. Claymore?

[Mo1]

Oh I like that .. thanks for the idea

[ShadowDancer]

Had to come up with something when they learned that our chimney only led to the fiery furnace. Hahahaha

[Xenalyte]

I love white lights - especially the very small ones. It looks like stars cover the house!

A home a couple blocks away from us has all blue and green lights. It looks like they're trying to signal the UFO where to land.

I also gotta say I hate the inflatables. They're weird and noisy and not Christmassy.

[Sax]

There's a mall we shop in that has something similar to this thing here. I always tell my wife, that darn-it, she's gotta remind me to bring the camera next time so she can take a picture of me 'behind' the horse, who's wearing an even more pained expression than this one.

The pay off is the disgusted tsk-tsk look that I get, everytime.

[Cagey]

This year we added three of those pre-wired white Christmas trees to the front of the house as part of our display. Well, one was a seven footer with all white lights. The other two were five footers and for some reason had been wired with blue lights.

Home Depot got the blue ones back within an hour after sunset. I have no say in what color lights we use at Christmas. My wife takes the Henry Ford philosophy in reverse when it comes to Christmas lights.

[CharlesWayneCT]

No blow-up dolls for me. But I do use colored lights:

See more at Christmas Lights 2006, I blog about them at Deck the halls and gutters and trees etc.

[King of Florida]

I like that idea! Particularly the "special" key!

[King of Florida]

That guy needs to spend a lot less on inflatables and a lot more on lawn maintenance. And is that a Festivus pole I see? I thought they were supposed to be unadorned.

[Cagey]

And is that a Festivus pole I see?

That may explain the carnage. Festivus has it's "Feats of Strength" contest right after midnight.

[King of Florida]

That's why I like the white lights, too -- they have an ethereal quality. Goes well with the one figure we have in our front yard, a wire angel with white lights.

One of our neighbors has the old-fashioned colored bulb lights on his place -- my wife says his place looks like a 70s disco.

[King of Florida]

There's a joke about "Airing of Grievances" and inflatables in there somewhere.

[Muzzle_em]

Have you ever seen the "funny tourist photos" that have been emailed around from time to time? There are several that are similar to what you just described.

Go here
http://www.jibjab.com/jokebox/jokebox/jibjab/id/299895/jokeid/60523

[Muzzle_em]

I think the master key is believable.

[BenLurkin]

[linn37]

I like everything you have done except for that tree all the way to the right....;^)