handy(capped).

Remember this? It was a great solution for picking up the channels we weren't quite getting when the antenna was positioned lower on the TV stand. For the first time in two months, we could watch NBC.

Well, it's a great solution as long as you remember to not turn on the lamp ....

First Miles started acting weird and kept looking up at it. We didn't notice. I got up to get a drink and I said, "Nate, it smells like something is burning." It smelled like plastic. I checked the stove and my flat iron and then I finally noticed it. The lamp was on and the antenna was melting!

It smelled bad! We took it outside and surveyed the damaged. Surprisingly, the antenna still works. None of the wires inside were melted. And here's the top of the lamp ... the light bulb was coated in a thick layer of black plastic. I took the light bulb out and fortunately the lamp was not damaged either. So we really just lost the value of a light bulb.

Whew, I'm glad it didn't catch on fire. we would have had some real damage then. I guess this is our sign that we just need to get a bigger antenna and properly install it somewhere else. Lesson learned: Simple solutions are not always the best solutions.