Fun with electricity.

Monday

I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner... while Dave headed to the back to "use the facility" as my grandma would say.

Dave: "Dammit! The bathroom light tripped the circuit breaker again. Stupid electricity. I'll have to investigate why later."

Me, not really paying attention: "Can you take the garbage out; it's REALLY stinky."

Tuesday

After work I walked around the house straightening up and noticed the master bathroom was out of TP. So I walked over to the guest bathroom to get some out of the closet, flipped the light switch and what the?? the electricity's still out.

Me: "DAVE! Didn't you fix this yesterday??"

Dave: "No. I told you I would have to investigate why the light keeps tripping the breaker. And I need daylight to do that. It will have to wait until I can get home from work early enough."

Me: "I don't remember that."

Then I noticed that the little button in the middle of the socket was popped out and the little light is red. (If you've ever used a powerful hairdryer, you know what I'm talking about.)
Ah ha! I know how to fix this. You just pop it back in! Simple. Why didn't Dave try that? Men. So lazy.

So I walked over and OUCH!!!!! got a shock while trying to push that stupid little button in. Ok. Well maybe Dave is onto something. (Dammit. I hate it when he's right.)

Wednesday

6pm. I am elbow deep in meatloaf mixture.

Dave: "Hey. Can you help me with the circuit breaker test? Now would be a great time. It's still light outside."

Me: "Ummmmm....... yeah ok. Let's do it. This can wait."

Dave: "Alright. I am going to the garage, I'll flip every circuit breaker in the house. Tell me when the little red light goes off. Now you'll have to yell really loud - but I'll leave the side door open so that will help."

So I position myself in the hallway, where I can see the red light, yet still be somewhat close to the open door. The next 20 minutes went something like this:

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

Now?

YYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Now?

Ok WAIT! THE RED LIGHT IS BACK ON NOW. IT WAS THAT LAST ONE.

Now?

WAIT!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? IT WAS THE SECOND TO LAST ONE!!

Now?

DAVE STOP FLIPPING THEM! YOU ALREADY PASSED THE ONE WE NEED!!!

Now?

(I ran through the house to the garage.) "Hey! Didn't you hear me yelling?"

"No."
"Yeah you found it. You already flipped it."

Dave, staring at the board: "Shoot. Which one was it?"

Me: "Uhhh.... I don't remember."

Dave: "Ok let's try this again. I'll work backwards. This time really YELL when I hit it. I couldn't hear you at all last time."

I stalked off grumbling about hearing aids and someone in the relationship getting old; made it back to my post in the hallway; and we started all over again.

Now?

No.

Now?

No.

Now?

(at the top of my lungs) YES! THAT WAS IT! YES YES YES! CAN YOU HEAR ME? STOP RIGHT THERE! STOP! STOOOPPPP!!!!!

I then ran out to the garage at top speed to make sure he heard me. "That was it. That was the one. Did you hear me?"

Dave: "No."

(Huge dramatic sigh.) This is ridiculous, I thought. He is never going to hear me. There's got to be a better way.

And just like that! - I realized there is in fact a better way! CELL PHONES! (Duh.)

I had one, he had one; he stood outside, I stood inside; we called each other and went through this flipping process 1 more time. And when he hit the right switch I was able to say, "That's the one," using our inside voices, as my Kindergarten teacher would say.

So as the old joke goes..... How many college graduates does it take to turn on a light bulb?


Well... Apparently two. And two cell phones.