The Night the Lights Went Out

About a week ago, I flipped the switch in my bedroom to put on the light (which is part of a ceiling fan) and the lights did not go on.  It's not the bulbs, it's the switch.  So the switch has to be changed.

I knew absolutely NOTHING about changing a switch.  Before Bobby died, this would have been a complete non-issue.  Remedying this problem would have been so easy.  I would have told him the lights weren't going on, he would have mumbled something under his breath, went to the garage, got a new switch and changed it.  Fifteen minutes - tops - it would have been done and I wouldn't even be thinking about it anymore.

Now?  It's a huge issue!  And it made me angry.  I wasn't supposed to have to worry about stuff like this.  This was something that Bobby was supposed to do.  But now it was my problem, and  I had to make a choice - hire someone to change it or change it myself.  If I hire someone, that will entail getting a recommendation from someone, then calling, and trying to find a time when they will come out to do such a small job.  It's crazy, because whenever I've called anyone to do a small job, they never show up.  Apparently, it's not worth their time or effort to come out to fix something so small.  Then, assuming I do find someone willing to make an appointment to do it, I'll probably end up having to take at least a half-day off from work to wait for them to show up, and they'll charge me an arm and a leg.

There is also the issue of the broken switch being located in my bedroom.  I'm not comfortable with strangers being in my bedroom - not comfortable at all.  It drove me crazy when Bobby was sick and people were traipsing in and out of my bedroom all day and all night like it was Grand Central Station.  My bedroom is my private space as far as I'm concerned.

The other choice is pretty scary because working with electricity can be dangerous.  I could change it myself, which will mean looking up on YouTube how to change a light switch, then watching the video as I change it.  The only thing I know for sure is that I'll have to shut off the electricity before I attempt this.

The whole situation so annoying, and also a huge reminder, of how my life has changed.  What would have been a complete non-issue before Bobby died has turned into a big ordeal.

So I made the choice to do it myself.  I went to Home Depot and got a new switch.  I bought the most expensive one, simply because I figure electricity is not something to be messed around with.  It was $2.99 versus 69 cents, so I figured I would splurge.  I watched the video on YouTube, and changed it.  It works!  This is huge for me, since changing a switch is not something I would have ever thought I'd ever have to do.