AT some point finishing some of the work of clearing out shit has to translate to a feeling of relief, right?

Probably. I know my dad finally got there with clearing out his brother's stuff. Everyone is different, but he was in a similar state to where you are now with it. Once he gave the landlord the keys back and could tell himself he never had to go back to that apartment, that went a long way.

Wow, shrift, how exciting!

I don't like flea's house thing! It does not sound like good juju to buy a house in poor repair. I just got done sending an email to my sellers to figure out some weird issues (why would an HVAC grille seem to screw from the attic?), so they're not all bad!

-t, sounds like your fixture is wired in series, two tubes to a ballast. [link]

I don't think I can help with blown fuse without more information.

I don't think I can help with blown fuse without more information.

The plot thickens! My sister brought my dad over with his voltmeter (he lives in assisted living! Why does he still have a voltmeter!) and we tested the fuse box, and-- it's dead. There's another fuse box somewhere, but god knows where. Probably in the crawlspace. Damn it. I don't know where else it could be...

Consuela, do you have overhead or underground lines? If you know where service comes into the house you might be able to trace it that way.

Overhead. I'll look tomorrow.

If any LAista wants to join me, let me know and I'll get more groceries if you'll bring Ziplocs for yourself and split some of the grocery bill.

That sounds awesome, if I were an LAista!

Instead, I am in Charles De Gaulle airport for the next six hours. With a headache and very little sleep. That may have been business class but damn it was uncomfortable. Hoping to just make it to my hotel tonight, fall into bed, and get a good night's sleep and be not so jet lagged. I hope. I'm annoyed to have a five hour layover, but glad I'm not racing for the plane that is taking odd in just a few minutes, especially since mine was about half an hour delayed.

Having a headache does rather put the kibosh on my options of internet vs read my kindle though. Napping would be good but there's nowhere to spread out, sadly.

Thanks, aurelia! Slightly less mysterious. I'm guessing the ballasts are wired in aparLlel to each other, but the two slots in each ballast are in series. I still don't really get why mixing the types of bulbs works when having two narrower tubes in the same ballast doesn't, but I can accept it without understanding why.

Go away, headache bothering meara. I hope your trip gets better right quick!

Where are you going again, meara?

I'm going to Prague, Dresden, Wroclaw, and Krakow.

Am hoping I'll fall into bed at the hotel when I get there (in six-ish hours?) and wake up in the morning ready to tourist like a maniac. Luckily even if I don't, no one is expecting me until my brother arrived Wednesday night.