Freak out time begins

[Sloanhaus]

Don't know about you guys, but this is the time of year where I lay in bed at night trying to go to sleep, but all I am able to do is think of what my display is going to look like. 23 Lynx expresses in this years show and 10 wallwashing lights. I also have a dmx snow machine. Thanks to everyone for all there help this year, and thanks to my small fan for blowing all that smoke plume away from me. Now I just need a good doctor to look at my back from bending over and soldiering all those joints. I wonder how many joints I have actually soldiered?

Anyways, good luck to everyone as we begin putting up our displays next week.

Brad Sloan

[Greg]

Hey Brad,

Don't see the doctor until after the display is up... You probably can guess what he will say and there isn't any sense in going to the doctor if you're not prepared to do what he tells you to is there?   

Greg

[ThaiWay]

I hear ya Brad...

Wow... snow too!  I priced a Fog Machine last week while shopping, and it looks like I'll just keep wishin' and hopin' this year.

John

[blearning]

Agreed Sloanhaus,

It is going to be an exciting year, after Sunday morning all the stops are off.

I was thinking the same thing about the soldering we did here as well and making cord ends and mounting stuff in boxes.  Here we went through 45 enclosures, not including the dongle cases.

I haven't been sleeping all that well either but I have something I use to go to sleep. 

I call it Christmas tea.  Only because I use to use it on the kids on Christmas night to get them to go to sleep.  It will make you sleep like a little baby. 

Take a cup of Iceberg Lettuce and 1 cup of water, steep the lettuce in boiling water for a minute or 2.  The water will be a little green and the lettuce clear.  we are going to use the water not the lettuce so save the water off.

It wont taste all that well but you can sweeten it or be a man and just take it straight. *SMILE*

Get ready for bed, Get your jammies on and drink anywhere from a couple of tablespoons to a 1/4 cup. Lay down and close your eyes. 

You will sleep very well and wake refreshed and ready to take on the world.

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[magic8192]

I can only imagine how you guys are freaking out!!  I only have 10 controllers and I am losing sleep. 

[blearning]

I can only imagine how you guys are freaking out!!  I only have 10 controllers and I am losing sleep. 

Not so much freaking out ... more like nervous .. like a cat in a dog pound, or maybe a deer in the headlights kind of thing.   *SMILE*

I am not (insert twitching) frea freak frea freaking out yet. 

[jnealand]

Brad, I seem to recall that there was another small addition coming to your house soon.  Any news?

[Sloanhaus]

Yes, we had our little boy Collin on the 13th and all is well... All that does is make me have to do all the xmas light stuff late in the evening. As far as the freaking out, we run our opening night as a show, where 60 kids from a shelter come to see the show. Last year we had close to 400 people on opening night and I had a controller go down,,, nobody else noticed it but you know I did. This year we are going to have security come as we are expecting close to 600. We raised 2300.00 on opening night last year.

Opening night is cool because we do it in play format, where a little girl narrates the show and asks for different things. This year she will be asking for a white christmas and we will run that part like this

Little girl: Mr Brad, I really want a white christmas this year
Me: Ok here you go,,, I will light up the house and start the song white xmas
Little girl: stop the music, stop the music.... Mr Brad, I want a real white xmas
Me: OK, how about this,,, Key 5 500 gram white fireworks
Little Girl: Mr Brad, that was just loud and abnoxous, you know what I mean
Me: Not sure I do, but how about this... I than light up 5 surrounding houses thanks to the Lynx wireless and start white xmas
Little Girl: Stop the music again, stop the music... What on earth have you done, wasnt it enough to take over your house with lights, now you are taking over other peoples?
Me: Well my wife told me I couldnt put any more lights on my house, so I decided to expand my empire of lights and put them on others... not sure how she is going to take this, but I did follow instructions
Little Girl: Well there goes the neighborhood... But you are not getting off that easy... I really want a white christmas
Me: alright, let me try one more time... key the snow

The whole show has these little areas, and I think it is entertaining, and brings a new flare to a christmas show. The only problem with having an open night like this is that there is no room for error... So I think I bring on a little more stress than everyone else,,, but to see the smiles on those kids faces, makes it all worth it.

I hope that everyone uses there displays this year to help someone out. With the economy in the dumps, we are the Santa Clauses of our society,,, and we have the opportunity to change the way someone feels, even if it is for just one night... Merry Xmas to all.

[jnealand]

Congrats on the baby and even more congrats for putting on a big show for kids.  The kids love the show even if it is not quite perfect so don't get stressed out.  Now if I could just stop getting stressed out.  Wish I could be there.

Jim

[REM]

Yeah, congrats on the new addition Brad.  And kudos to you for giving those kids a night to remember.  People like you make the world a better place!

--Ron

[blearning]

Congrats Brad,

yes I have seen those little faces, and that is why I try harder every year.  To share even a second of a smile is worth more then money and work it is.

Merry Christmas to you and yours as well.