"And the Ass said Unto the Amber"

We've spent some time cleaning and fixing this apartment. It was pretty dirty, and we've asked for some compensation for this work. Today I spent SEK 24:- on a new switch for the light over the sink in the kitchen. It was busted, and stuck in the off position. I tried to fix it, but it lasted just for one flick, and remained on. Then it got hot, so I unhooked it... Oh well, so today I went to Clas Ohlson to buy a new one. I'm an electrical engineer, you'd think I could fix this. I'm also a bit lazy, and didn't bother to provide any of the required barriers (isolation hands/hot wires or cut the power). This is of course stupid, but while observing the "one hand in pocket"-rule, I figured I'd make it through alive.

But, as my supervisor/boss/merciful_helper at CERN, Robin Martini said: "Never assume ANYTHING!", and as John poetically added: "You'll make an ASS out of U and ME". Usually, I only follow this advice when the risk of assuming the the wrong thing is high, or the consequences of assuming wrong is high, in a sort of

[chance that I'll assume something]=[likelihood of being right]*[1/degree of possible cataclysm]

So I figured I'd buy the switch at Clas Ohlson that looked just like the old one. I'd only loose SEK 24:- if I were wrong. Coming back to the ESSThouse* I connected the wires and jammed the switch towards the opening. Of course - it didn't fit. I'm pretty sure it's suposed to be the same dimensions, but it just wouldn't go in. Under the doctrine that what doesn't work with force, will certainly work with more force, I put some more thrust into the whole action. This is where push comes to shove, shove ends up in a big poof, when I manage to short circuit the pins in the steel cover. Luckily the short circuit didn't go through me - but the only thing running on electrical power (Hanneke's computer) stopped charging. This was a bit scary, but at the same time helpful, and I could now work more assured that I wasn't going to kill myself, and after a little help from a table knife (to complement my swiss army knife - still no other tools) I managed to make the whole big enough for the swtich! Wonderful. So now there's a working swtich, and the kitchen, and the apartment is in general probably nicer than it's been in years! But today's lesson still remains the same - the same as ever:

Never assume anything! You'll make an ASS out of U and ME!

The old switch and the busted fuse.

The new switch in all its glory.

* Where we ESST people live.