cabuki.com
The Sun is announced. Don’t forget to bring your balls.

When you work with electricity, the number one rule is to make sure the electricity is switched off at the circuit breaker, not just the switch.

I did not heed this rule. In preparation for the upcoming move, I had to take the lights off the ceiling throughout the apartment so the contractor could install them in the house. I thought I had flipped the breaker for the hallway when I turned off the power to the green room. I found out the hard way that I had not.

At first, it felt like Christine had crept up from behind and grabbed me to scare me. Then, the shock registered and the screwdriver I was using fell out of my hand. My hand stung for a couple minutes, but nothing major happened. It could have been much worse. Obviously, death was possible. But I was standing on a step stool near the top of the stairs. That would have made the upcoming move fun.

So, the lesson from this is: Don’t be lazy. If you’re not sure the breaker has been switched off, go check.