There is no escape from the darkness

My kitchen will never be lit again.  I stopped at a store on my way home from work tonight to buy light bulbs.  The grocery store did not have the special tube fluorescent 4-pin things I needed.  The hardware store had 2-pin tubes, but not 4-pin.  So I hiked down to Home Depot because Home Depot has everything, right?  Well, they had the 4-pins, of course.  But they didn't have 18W, so I got the wattage they did have because they have the same base, so they should work, right?

Wrong!  Because the 26W tubes have a notch on the base that's on the right side while the 18W tubes have the notch on the left side!  And apparently that notch is important because just cutting off the notch does not make the bulb work.  I might have screamed a little and threatened to throw things.  Then I opened a bottle of wine and hit the internet.  I could not find this particular light bulb on Home Depot's website.  Or Lowe's.  Or Amazon.  I had to go to the Light Bulb Market.  Where I could get free shipping if I bought over $100.  But I only need two $6 bulbs.  So I have to pay $9.50 in shipping.  And I should finally have light again in 2 business days and a week.

Do you suppose the previous owner who installed this light fixture had any idea how much trouble he would be causing me by picking this fixture that requires the world's most obscure light bulbs?


On the bright side, SO fixed the hall light, and since he's a foot taller than I am, there wasn't much precarious balancing required.  Maddie bounded down the stairs this morning in appreciation.