YOU BET YOUR BULBS!

Congratulations! You have just won an allegedly fabulous set of festive Christmas bulbs! Not those wimpy, low watt eco-bulbs either - these are the real thing. Bright, shiny bulbs that light up even in the daytime. The kind that make your power meter spin like a Christmas top! The kind that can inflict third degree burns! You know the ones I mean - the ones that leave no doubt that Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, not penny pinching and thrift. Be thrifty the other eleven months of the year... like me.

And just what is the deal with those new age Christmas lights anyway? Dark, soul-sucking black holes of money saving anti-matter. If people buy them for the energy savings, then maybe they could save even more by turning them off completely. What is wrong with a few strings of brightly lit red, green, yellow and blue bulbs? And the brighter the better - if you want to save the planet go hug a tree, preferably a Christmas tree.

When it comes to Christmas lights I am a purist - as far as I am concerned Santa's suit is still RED, holly and ivy are still GREEN, candle light is still YELLOW and the last time I was in the mall, Elvis was still having a BLUE Christmas. So now that you have put up with my Christmas rant it is time to play YOU BET YOUR BULBS! 

Of course no one actually keeps the bulbs they win - they merely qualify you to play the game. The rules are simple - the first six contestants to visit the Y.B.Y.B. website (click here) and find the hidden bulb that is a link to a special email address can enter for a chance to BET YOUR BULBS! Just click on the secret bulb (hint - it is red) and email your guess at the mystery number between 1 and 100. Don't forget to type "You Bet Your Bulbs" in the subject line or you will be disqualified. The person closest to the mystery number could win a cash prize of up to $100.00. As a finalist, you will be asked a skill testing question and then your name will be entered in the big cash drum. If your name is selected, my lovely assistant Vanna will then spin the big cash wheel revealing your wonderful prize. The winner will receive an email from You Bet Your Bulbs so be sure to check your inbox often.

Confused? Don't be - it's all part of the fun. Somebody has to win and it might as well be you. So what are you waiting for - today might be your lucky day. Merry Christmas and thanks for playing YOU BET YOUR BULBS!

PS This is not my annual Christmas story either - still working on that...