&*$#*

That is what Dean spent an hour saying while he tried to put up a new light fixture. We've been talking lately about not buying things manufactured outside the US. (this is very difficult to do, because it seems that the US doesn't produce much of it's own stuff, which would be why we have a high unemployment rate...but I digress.) So of course, this particular light fixture he was battling with was produced in one of the countries that start with a "C" and it's not Canada.

The reason we know where it was manufactured is because when Dean started having trouble, he checked the box. The screws that came with the thing stripped as soon as he touched them with the screwdriver. I swear, I saw them melt with my own eyes. Since I had to make a milk run I was also nominated to make a hardware store run as well. When I came back 45 minutes later Dean said, "Those don't look the same." HUH??? Yes they did! I handed him his glasses.

He stood at the top of the ladder, which was standing just above the stairs, to put the entryway light fixture up. The screws that I got, which were exactly the same as the ones that came with the thing, were too short to do what they were supposed to do. It was about this stage of the fixture replacement that Angela started reminding him, "Don't say bad words Dean." Which, of course, made him want to say more. It's also when he said, "This is why I don't do electrical." To which I reminded him he wasn't supposed to be doing it. His nephew was. "Yeah, well I can't wait on someone else and listen to you whine about this for another month!"

AAahhhh I get it. It's MY fault he has to do this, and my fault the screws suck too. I should have figured this out from the beginning. Silly me!

Eventually he was able to get the new fixture up. He's in the basement smoking an entire pack of cigarettes now. Do you suppose this would be a bad time for me to ask if he picked up his quit smoking pills yet?