Technically challenged moment

You know how it goes. When stuff breaks? It's always at the most inopportune moment.

Yes. Something happened Tuesday morning before my sister came.

Bear: Mom! The light in the laundry room is going on and off by ITSELF!

He was pretty anxious, so I ran to see what was going on. And the light was flickering. 2-second analysis? One of the bulbs had blown. It was one of those ceiling flourescent fixtures.

Me: Babe? The light in the laundry room is out.
Hubs: Okay. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it.

Does that answer sound familiar to you? Oh...that phrase. It kills me every time I hear it.

Tuesday? Comes and goes.

Wednesday? Comes and goes.

Thursday? Comes and goes.

Friday? Comes and goes.

On Saturday morning, I ran out by myself to get some cash and gas. I stopped by the Ace Hardware and picked up a 2-pack of bulbs.

Me: Babe? Bring the A-frame into the house, would you?
Hubs: Why? What's up?
Me: Uh. I bought the bulbs we needed for the laundry room.
Hubs: Oh yeah! I forgot about that.
Me: Okay...

So he brings the A-frame into the house. We have a 10-foot ceiling in the laundry room. And our laundry room? It doesn't have a window. And it's at the end of a dark hallway. So I had to bring a flashlight into the room. Yeah. Not an ideal situation.

The Hubs climbs up the ladder and checks things out. He looks this way and that. Pokes at the light fixture.

Hubs: Can you get a Philips and a flathead screwdriver?
Me: What? Why?
Hubs: Because I'm going to have to take off this end piece to get the bulb out. [He is pointing at the end of the fixture]
Me: Why don't we take a look at the fixture in the garage so you can actually take a better look at it?
Hubs: Okay.

So he brings the ladder into the garage. It's only about 10 feet from the laundry room to the garage light fixture. It's not like he had to drag the ladder a whole long way. He then climbs up the ladder and checks things out there.

Hubs: Yup. Looks like I'm going to have to take that end piece off.
Me: Wait. No. That's not right.
Hubs: Babe. There is no other way.
Me: Let me get up there and look first.
Hubs: Okay, but I'm telling you there's no other way.

He climbs down and I climb up. I fidget with the thin plastic cover. And I pull it off. He looks at me dumbfounded.

Hubs: How'd you do that?
Me: It's a thin piece of flexible plastic. It's supposed to come off.
Hubs: It is?
Me: Yes honey. Look how the bulb is attached to that end piece that you wanted to remove. The end metal pieces are what hold the bulbs.
Hubs: Oh. Okay.

So he goes back into the laundry room and successfully changes out both bulbs.

I guess the Hubs was never bored enough at school to watch the janitors change out bulbs. Or to notice the broken light fixtures that didn't have the thin frosty plastic over the fixture.

ARGH!

So for those of you who didn't already know? Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. That is the most mind-boggling phrase I hear. Because I end up having to getting things started and having to monitor whatever he says he'll take care of. At least I'm teaching him some useful skill though, eh?

[sigh]

But no matter how much I get frustrated, I love him to the very tips of my toes. I do.