Vaulted Ceilings

[RSteve]

When I built my house in 1983, I really liked the vaulted ceiling with the 22 foot peak in my living room. I have a hanging light fixture in the middle of the ceiling that is more decorative that lumen producing. It's there just to provide some light at night when no one is home. It hasn't functioned in years because the fixture has to be opened to change the bulb and that has to be done on a ten foot ladder. Last week, I had a hard wired smoke/CO2 alarm die, so I called an electrician to replace it. It's wired in a manner that if one alarm goes off, all four in the house go off and they are loud with a voice telling all occupants to evacuate immediately. I wasn't going to attempt to replace it myself. Before the electrician came I bought an LED bulb that "with normal use" has a 22.5 year life expectancy. When the electrician was here, I asked him to install the new bulb in the light fixture in the living room, which took him less than a couple of minutes. After he left, I thought to myself, "Are these what they call the Golden Years, when you have to call an electrician to change a light bulb?"

 

[ftrplt]

Better than you falling off that ladder and bustin' your a$$$$!!!

 

[Zeno Marx]

Ah, the ol' lighting maintenance that nobody seems to take into account when buying lighting. I know an older couple, with their boredom and watching too many house flipping programs, bought mood lighting for their entire front of their home. Were excited to have found it on clearance. The first thing I noticed was the funny lightbulbs. They did a lot of complaining when they found out replacement bulbs were $20 or $25 each. I can't remember, but it was enough for them to make an issue out of it. Uh, you didn't think about that before you bought the system?

When I painted houses, I was asked many times to replace lightbulbs while I was up on ladders. We always did it, because you really can't say no to an imposing customer. We're here to paint the house, not to do chores and do house maintenance for you. I don't care if you think you're paying a lot of money just for paint. There's no clause somewhere in the agreement that it means we are also there to do chores for you.

 

[urbino]

"How many pipe smokers does it take to change a light bulb?"

 

[Corncobcon]

It pisses me off when I can't do what I used to do just 5 years ago. Can't climb a ladder anymore. Can't do this, can't do that. It
sucks getting old.

 

[Blackhorse]

It pisses me off when I can't do what I used to do just 5 years ago. Can't climb a ladder anymore. Can't do this, can't do that. It
sucks getting old.

At least you’re not the only one it’s happening to.

 

[DWSmith]

It pisses me off when I can't do what I used to do just 5 years ago. Can't climb a ladder anymore. Can't do this, can't do that. It
sucks getting old.

I hear ya'! I struggle to take a decent walk. I can climb a ladder but it's tough. Glad I have tractors. They give me some mobility while I'm doing certain chores. Makes me feel somewhat normal again.

As my uncle used to say, "Getting old isn't for sissies."

 

[urbino]

I always say getting old is not for the young.

 

[Ranger107]

Old in body, young at heart is not the best combination. Wife keeps telling me I'm too old to keep playing at being a cowboy. She may be right, lol.

 

[RSteve]

Bill for the electrician came today. Change two light bulbs and one smoke/co2 detector. In my house 12 minutes $250. Told my older daughter. "Dad, you had done what you needed, didn't get on a ladder, good value for your buck."

 

[RSteve]

Forgive me if I've related this before. A woman friend's father insisted that all his children be trained in a manual trade before going to college. His philosophy was that you can wipe your butt with a college degree but with a manual skill you'll never be out of work. My friend went to Dunwoody Institute and studied to be an electrician before going to college. She is a licensed electrician. She went to college and graduate school, but maintained her license throughout the years. She got caught in a reduction in force and terminated from an executive job. She placed an ad in a couple of local shopper newspapers: Licensed woman electrician for your small jobs and will refer you to a large reputable electrician for the larger ones. She told me that ten hour days weren't enough to handle all the frightened little old lady calls. Mostly light bulbs and broken switches. She said she was very clear to all her little old lady customers, $100 trip charge plus the charge for work done.
After a couple of months, she went back to the corporate world and much less money. I asked her why.. "Steve, when a customer's door opens, you don't know if it's a kindly person or someone totally crazy."

 

[urbino]

All the building trades have serious labor shortages, going back to way before COVID. All the guys getting close to retirement don't have anybody to teach their skills, and they can't get to all the work. It's a problem.

 

[Ranger107]

Fortunately I can still get on a ladder just have to be careful. House has 12 to 17 ft ceilings. Gonna have to get a lot worse before I pay someone $200 to change light bulbs.