Recessed Lighting Is Not My Friend

Things are just never as easy as they seem. I have recessed lighting throughout my home. It's been great in closets (no spare bulb hanging by itself with just a string or metal pull to keep it company)and in the kitchen. And for the first time since I moved in - a bulb blew. I thought that it would be a quick and easy fix. Climb onto the counter and change the bulb. NO. The bulb was so tight in the housing that I couldn't get my fingers around it. Then I thought that perhaps there was a hinge and I could pull it down. I saw the dust coming from the trim, and nothing, nothing bulged. And when it did, it seemed as if the housing was actually going to break. I stopped pulling. I hate to break things...anything. Okay. I climbed onto the counter top and tugged at the trim again and...nothing. Just more dust to clean up and a defeated ego.
I was just disgusted. To make myself feel better, I went to my local home improvement store and bought somethings to make life easier this spring. For some reason, I did not bring up the subject of changing a bulb in a recessed housing to any of the helpful home improvement store people. Stupid. But, I bought a wagon (for the garden)and felt pads for the bottom of my kitchen chairs. I thought for sure the felt pads would be my win. I was protecting my wood floors. I was improving my home!
I decided to do that little project correctly. I was not just going to slap the felt on the feet of the chairs...I was going to clean the feet of all debris. I got a bucket, warm soapy water and plopped each rubber foot into the bucket. Then I noticed the big black stain on the carpet. Oil from one of the chairs. Did my not facing the recessed lighting debacle lead me to wanting a win so badly, that I stained my beige carpeting with oil? I finished putting the felt on the chairs. Then I bought out another cleaner to work on the carpet. Defeated again. And still, my light bulb was not changed.
That night I hit the internet for hints. I learned how to install recessed lighting and the importance of not tugging at the housing - oops. So, I cleaned off the counter and climbed on top. Using a technique I can only describe as, pushing in and turning counter clockwise with only my finger tips, the bulb began to turn and eventually dropped into my hand. Success! With the bulb in hand, I went back to the home improvement store I visited earlier in the week and bought a replacement bulb. Happily, I now have a full lighting in the kitchen and a healthy respect for recessed lighting.