A Christmas gift from the universe

Modern Noodles sent me this story from the Chicago Tribune regarding what your Christmas lights say about you. I can't quite glean from the story exactly what my Christmas lights display says about me, but I'm going to go with the thing about being neighborly. Yeah, that it. I'm neighborly despite not knowing a single person who lives around me. The guy down the street? I guess he's just one of those packrat freaks.

And speaking of Christmas lights displays, judging for the complex's Christmas light contest was on Friday night while I was away in Chattanooga. I fretted about the state of my display several times during my trip since I wasn't there to do a last minute spot check -- would the duct tape hold? would the lights around the door frame fall once again? would the snowman be standing?

When I came home yesterday there were two things sitting on my mailbox: an oversized Hershey's bar with a card attached that said "thanks for participating" and a note from the powers that be dated Thursday that said entrants to the lights contest needed to have their displays lit by 5:30 p.m. on Friday to be judged.

When I entered the contest, I was told the top three winners would receive restaurant gift certificates, and all this time I've been certain I'd place in the top three because a quick glance around the complex revealed only about four contest-worthy displays (of which mine was superior, IMHO). I also received a long list of rules, none of which mentioned the 5:30 p.m. start time.

The "thanks for participating" note and candy bar tells me one thing: the timer on my lights, which clicks on when the sensor on it thinks it's officially dusk, hadn't activated by the time the judges got to my door.

I suppose that's what I get from the universe for worrying about something so trivial. Still, a big Hershey bar vs. a restaurant gift card? I'll call it a draw.