Lightbulbing

  Here I am again, using a noun as a verb. Today I had to do lightbulbing. Having a big house is nice because I can ignore a few burned out bulbs, since I can just turn on another light. I don't like sitting in the dark, so I can't ignore too many of them. The bad thing is, eventually I have to go through the house and replace the bulbs. This is an easier chore for taller people. I had six out, so I figured it was time for Light Bulb Day.  

Step one for household repairs: Get out Blue Cross Card.  

First light bulb was the outside light for the dog run. I had replaced that one earlier in the summer, but had some trouble due to rusting. Yep, still rusted. I decided to tape it together until someone can show me how to replace the fixture. I decided maybe taping isn't that safe, so instead of using duct tape I used electrical tape. It sounded logical at the time.  

 Second light bulb was the patio light. At least there I could stand on a picnic table instead of on the edge of the door stoop (or whatever it is called?) and not have to lean over, pressed against the bricks, and stretch to get to it. It was too rusted to even get the screw out to get to the bulb without breaking something. OK, will need to replace that one too.  

Third one was in the kitchen cooking area. I was able to stand on a chair with a seat cushion and a very large, unstable phone book. Standing on my tiptoes I could just reach it.  

Fourth one was in the kitchen eating area. Same thing, except it came out broken. Oh uh, that has been a fear of mine. I remembered my former boss telling me that the piece can be removed using a potato. You just jamb the potato up there and turn it. There went my potato for dinner, but it worked. Thanks, Marianne! Of course, I couldn't reach with the potato, so I had to find the ladder. I had to keep stopping myself from turning on the lights to see the broken bulb better, so I found my flashlight.  

Ladder. Hm. Belongs in the garage. No ladder in garage. Did some idiot take it two flights down to the basement? Oh yeah, I used it when painting in the lower bedroom. Dragged the ladder up one flight of stairs, and did the potato trick. Moved on to bulb five so the potato juice could dry.  

Bulb five is upstairs another flight in the main bathroom. It's not the bulb close to the toilet so I had to drag a chair out of the middle bedroom to stand on. The bathroom has two recessed lights and six over the medicine cabinet, so I was able to turn on the six lights and see what I was doing. That light was in very tight, but it didn't break. The former bf remodeled that bathroom for me, and was not happy with me at the time. I keep expecting to find a booby trap in there, but not so far. Drag chair back.  

Bulb six, the last one, is over my bed. It holds two bulbs so I hadn't rushed to fix it. I was able to stand on the bed for that one. At least I didn't find any dead bees in there this time. I find it helpful that for almost all bulb changes there is a piece of furniture or something equivalent to stand on so I can replace them. Then I went back downstairs and replaced bulb four, the potato bulb.  

Now I am tired. I haven't put the ladder away yet. I know once I do, I will need it again. So it is staying in the middle of the kitchen for a few hours. I really should consider finishing painting the downstairs bedroom. It has been more than a year since I started it.  

Last step was to put away the Blue Cross card.