Lights up, lights off

WE WISH YOU a very happy new year and nothing but perfect pitch as we roll into a new decade. Cori and I (HartLyss) will have a blast tonight at Revelry to usher in the new year, and the store will be closed tomorrow to celebrate college football comas and more Netflix binge-watching.

We took down the tree inside Second String Music this morning and packed all the Christmas stuff. Sheryl came up with a great idea to just leave the lights strung up near the ceiling. Initially, I resisted because nothing says Christmas is coming like struggling to hang lights while dangling above expensive guitars and fixtures. Besides, I get all the cuss words out of the way early so there is peace on earth the rest of the season.

I was standing outside this morning to wish our neighbor, Jeff Schuecking, a happy new year. When I mentioned the lights, he said, "Let's go in a take a look."

I unplugged the lights. "Perfect," Jeff said. "And when you have beer thirty you can turn 'em back on and really have some fun."

Jeff Schuecking is a genius. He is hereby nominated and approved to become a Second String Music Hall of Famer. He doesn't realize yet that he has to bring the beer to the next Happy Hour(s) as his initiation, but I'll break it to him gently.

So the lights will stay up but off. Happy Hour will be even better. And there will be a lot less cursing next year when the Christmas stuff gets put back up.