The lights are on...is anyone home?

For the record, I am stylistically challenged. I'd rather socialize or hang with the fam or relax or cook in the house, as opposed to decorate it (I'd actually just prefer to not be in the house, unless it's raining). SO, I was very excited when my clever friend Heidi found a photo of a cute chandelier for my dining room and then went ahead and ordered it for me. She had "her guy" come and hang it up while we were on vacation visiting my parents in Florida a few weeks ago. I was so excited when we came home and I saw my "grown-up" dining room. WHEEE! I ran to the basement to find some light bulbs. I screwed them all in, BY MYSELF, and flipped the switch. No light. I checked the fuse box. Everything looked fine to me...the thing just wasn't working. It did look nice though.

Heidi called me the next day. "Do you like your chandelier?"
"I do! It doesn't work though."
"Did you put light bulbs in it?"
"Ummm...YEAH?! It just doesn't work. Can you call your guy and have him come and fix it?"

Heidi's guy calls me an hour later. He's Peruvian. "Hallo Mees Yenny. Whassa matta wif you liite?"
"Hi! I don't know. It doesn't work."
"You put in a-liite buulb?"
"YES I PUT IN A LIGHT BULB! It doesn't work!"
"Okay. I send over electrician."

A few hours later, Mike called from the road to check in. He asked me how I liked my chandelier. By now I was afraid to say anything about if for fear that my bruised ego would be completely and inadvertently squashed by my beloved.
"It's nice."
"It's nice???! How much did we pay for that nice light?"
"No! It's beautiful. I love it."
"Did you turn it on?"
"I did."
"Well, how does it look?"
"It doesn't work."
"Well hon, that's because you've gotta put light bulbs in it!"

The electrician came over today, and I am happy to report to the world over that a broken dimmer switch was the cause of the problem. When we finally eat in the dining room, sometime in 2010, our meal will be beautifully illuminated, and hopefully shared with some of you!

Cheers!