10:00 p.m. | 2005-06-16 The Third Time Is A Charm. Or A Curse? A Sign Maybe? I�m strangely fascinated by numbers. In a superstitious kind of way. When numbers add up in an odd way, I am sure � downright sure � that means something. Something other than coincidence, of course. Yet, I also believe it�s coincidental. Quite a quandary there. Lets just say that I note it for the record. Just in case. Parenting via fear produces such paradoxical results. Mix a science gene with a superstitious gene and it results in chronically confounded child. Such as I am. Anyway, in recent weeks, I noticed that the main outside stairway light had burned out. That would be the main light that deters the homeless from sleeping under the stairs that all residents walk up and down every day. I notified the NewManager. NewManager is responsive, I must say. Just a couple of weeks prior, he handled my interior lighting issue. Shortly after the main light went out, another of my lights blew. The one in my entry way. I again notified the manager. I learned then that he�d injured an arm because he fell off a ladder. Because of that, I told him not to worry about my internal entry way light until his injury was healed. Of course, within a couple of days, two more outside lights went out. Now the whole stairway is dark and the homeless are now starting to hang out there. Generally speaking, I�m quite compassionate about the homeless and understand their plight. However, specifically speaking, I really don�t want them living under the stairs. But I didn�t tell the manager about the other lights because I knew he had some sort of injury. Well, until tonight when I stopped by the office to pick up a package. I told him all about these other lights then. That�s when I learned that he�d shattered his elbow while trying to replace the main outside light. Apparently the ladder collapsed and since he�d broken his wrist twice before, he attempted to protect his wrist which resulted in the shattering of his elbow. He�s already undergone one surgery and now has lots of metal holding his arm together. His good arm. He told me he�s going to call his son to take of all the outside lights because he doesn�t want homeless folks living under the stairwell either. That�s great. We�re on the same page and whatnot. It�ll get done. That�s cool. Issue resolved so to speak. So, I won�t call him right away to tell him what happened tonight. If you�re a regular reader, you know that my livingroom ceiling fixture has fallen down twice already. The first time, I was walking through the room and it fell down after I had walked under it. The second time, I was sitting on the couch and the general physics of the incident caused it to land several feet away from me. Tonight? Different story. I was just about to get up and had bent over to move my footstool when I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. That was followed by a very loud noise as the ceiling fixture fell to the floor a mere inch from my head. It shattered this time. Glass is everywhere. Well, everywhere that I walk anyway. And, it�s very heavy glass. Doesn�t shatter easily. Well, until it has fallen 10� or so three times. So, what does all this mean? Lights all burning out at the same time that my central light fixture seems determined to get my attention? Science wise? All coincidental. And the fact that my light fixture has fallen down three times reinforces my thought that the main problem is the bolt thing that keeps it up there. Well, and the fact that I have folks living above me who constantly walk along that beam or whatever holds up my ceiling. Superstitiously? My fixture is eventually going to kill me unless I �see the light�. Whatever �light� that might be. It does disturb me that it�s progressively fallen closer to my noggin as opposed to increasingly farther away from my rather small head. Not surprisingly, I don�t think I�ll get this fixed anytime soon. I mean, I still have light � it was just the fixture part that fell. The part that holds the bulbs? Seriously fastened to the ceiling. I�m thinking I don�t really need the fancy-schmancy light fixture cover. I�m also hoping all these light fixtures aren�t involved in some sort of conspiracy because if the ceiling fan above my bed is part of the �crew�? That could be really, really painful. your thoughts? seed flower