the unbearable lightness of being

So this is what happened. bkwyrm mentioned wanting to get full spectrum lights to combat winter mood swings, which reminded me that I had burned out a light bulb and mentioned that new-fangled "full spectrum" thing to my mother, who remembers this from fish and reptiles entering our home.

This was my first mistake.

I bet you did not know there is a store in Austin called, prosaically enough, The Light Bulb Shop. I bet, however, that you can work out what is sold there. Oh yeah. Not just full-spectrum, but weird coiled-looking full-spectrum marked by similarity to watt output. And some--other things. Did you know these come in sizes?

I'll be frank; I had no clue that less than ten miles from my house, there is a store that sells nothing but lightbulbs and some of them are full-spectrum of various wattage that fit into one's ceiling fan. Who. Honestly. Saw. That. Coming? Also, they are expensive, as I got three, because, fine, I don't really know why but the ceiling fan takes three and you can't get just one bright new energy efficient coily-futureistic looking one and leave the other two dinosaurs of lightbulb technology there; that's not classy. Not that until now I have ever cared, but I'm also a fangirl, anal, and a completionist--can you see me leaving that store with only one for a three-light ceiling fan? Did not. Think. So. They gave me a coupon. Honestly? Didn't really help that much with the price. Maybe just covered the tax. They told me these would save me money, which made me laugh, because I have never paid that much for lightbulbs in my life. Honestly, I don't even know what happened between the time I walked in the store and the time I left clutching a biodegradable paper bag and a receipt. And coily-looking lightbulbs.

Let's pause here for a second. Here is what was actually supposed to happen on Saturday.

A.) Get Child Wii.
B.) Get Wii Accessories.

Accessories turned out to be a Wii Fit, since everyone and their new puppy talks about it like a religious experience and because I love walking around Best Buy saying "Where is the Wii? Where? The Wii? The Wii is where?"

Hours of entertainment. I just love saying Wii. And asking about anything I could add the adjective Wii to. Wii socks. Wii shirts. Wii cookies. Wiiiiiii fun.

Anyway. Back to the story. Everyone who has ever read here knows I get a shopping high when making large purchases and taking me to a store, a light bulb store, with a variety of lightbulbs is a bad idea and that is how I ended up with a TV two months ago (except that had nothing to do with lightbulbs; I really don't know what happened then). My family knows this.

However, the deed is done. I took them home (and was mocked for basically having no excuse whatsoever to call anyone for any reason a reckless spender again when I look at the receipt for my three freaking lightbulbs), got an oven mitt, went to my room, turned out the lights, and sincerely hoped for electrocution.

I didn't die, in case you were worried.

All three lights went in. Now, here is something I did not know about my room.

The walls are really dingy and my room is now really bright. Like, non-eyestrain bright. Almost daylight bright. Mood-enhacingly, vitamin D producing bright. Really. Damn. Bright. And I will say this; never realized how dark everything is until now. And it's really cool because somehow, I got used to a throw blanket that was a dingy shade of olive and is actually supposed to be electric lime.

New world order, folks. Also, apparently the city of Austin loves these bulbs. They won't give me anything, but they will virtually give me cookies for being environmentally sound.

That was my weekend.

Oh. I watched two seasons of The West Wing, because--well, there's no real reason we need to discuss that, is there? That was a lot of TV watching. Things I didn't realize:

Cuddy was a call girl and Commander Adama was a justice. God bless television. I had my lights on when I saw it for easy recognition. It was nice.

Comments

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I go out at lunch in winter especially and sit in the sun somewhere. It really is a good mood lifter, and easy way to do sudoku. *G*

[slvrbld747.livejournal.com]

Ooh, cold but fun. I wish that I was good with number puzzles. There's a reason people used to worship the sun, snorts, of course they didn't have holes in the ozone layer. -SB