So Mrs Vagabond and I bought our flat, and proceeded to spend much of the first fortnight running about doing aeroplanes, eating takeaways, and planning what to do with each room.
One of my first jobs was to replace the horrible white plastic light switches everywhere.

I thought I'd takle the hallway first, and, armed with a brand new electrical screwdriver, a pencil and paper for drawing a map, and the enthusiasm of total inexperience, I marched up to my first switch. Wielding my screwdriver, I said "Right!" in a workman-like manner that I knew would make Mrs V all giggly, and moved towards my target.

"I'll, er ... I'll just switch off the electricity, shall I?" suggested Mrs V.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 11:49, 9 replies)

*sigh*
You just can't get the staff.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 12:22, closed)

I am to DIY what Stephen Hawkings is to skateboarding.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 12:32, closed)

Or DIY I'd imagine.

( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Sun 6 Mar 2011, 12:39, closed)

Pffft.
Yeah - OK - or to DIY.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 13:36, closed)

Oddly
I am to advanced cosmology what Stephen Hawkins is to DIY
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 17:39, closed)

Why did you need to draw a map?
Was your flat so incredibly large, that you were likely to get lost?
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Sun 6 Mar 2011, 18:49, closed)

Double light switches like the one I was doing contain at least 6 wires (p, n, e for each)
And I figured I'd need to be able to refer to them if I cocked the whole thing up and needed to put the old switch back on.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 7 Mar 2011, 9:19, closed)

Only noobs turn the power off to change out a lightswitch...
I was doing up the house, and got rather blase about the leccy, so I wouldn't bother turning it off for small jobs like that. Not surprisingly, I managed to create a rather startling flash/bang at one point.

Feeling rather foolish, I sat down with a cuppa, and flipped on DIY SOS. Where I witnessed the professional electrician doing exactly the same job, with exactly the same pyrotechnic result...!
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Mon 7 Mar 2011, 11:05, closed)

?
What's "doing aeroplanes"?
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 6:28, closed)