Oh Freaking Christmas Tree!

The holidays are suppose to be filled with joy, right?  I'm one giant bah-humbug right now!!  This dang tree is going to be the death of me.  After going to 3 stores including the original one I purchased the tree from, Sears, I thought I had finally found the right replacement bulb for my tree.  Took every single burned out bulb off the tree, ripped a nail down to the quick doing it, and what do you know.......the new lights don't fit!!!  I'm walking away from this project for tonight before I take hostages.  Aaron will have to help me when calmer  heads prevail tomorrow or after Thanksgiving.  So much for getting it all done.   Our time constraints are over now anyway.  

I guess my options are to cut the strand off the tree and try and string another set up just like the tree making company did or buy a new tree?  Man, my redneck, lights clipped on self-prelit tree has stood up a lot better than this one has.  And I didn't pay that much for it either!!