Among things that frustrate: A hangnail; a pen that doesn't write; sealing a check in an envelope and then remembering you forgot to sign it; remembering you left your wallet on the counter when you're a mile from home on a three-mile trip; and the bulb is broken off in the socket of your favorite reading night light.

We can't assist you in dealing with most of the aggravations above, but we can help with the light-bulb problem. Getting one out that's broken off at the base doesn't have to be a big production.

A natural instinct is to use force, but that approach usually doh made of the same material...brass. And brass is soft. Granted, the brass socket is slightly thicker...and therefore slightly stronger...than the bulb base, but not much.

First things first: Before attempting to remove the bulb base, unplug the lamp.

The potato trick is the one we like the best. Cut a potato in half and press it down over the socket. A slight amount of pressure is needed to cause the potato to inch its way into the inside of the socket and the bulb base. While applying downward pressure on the spud, turn it counterclockwise to unscrew the bulb base. An apple works as well, as does a green pear.

On rare occasions you might find that our potato trick won't do the job. When that happens, open your tool box. You'll need one, two or all of three tools:

*regular pliers

*needlenose pliers

*screwdriver

You can use the regular pair of pliers to create friction on the inside to the bulb base. Simply insert the jaws of the pliers into the socket and open them by spreading thes more harm than good. That's because the base of the bulb and the socket are both handles apart. At the same time, turn the pliers counterclockwise to loosen the base.

Needle-nose pliers come in handy when the base still has entrails. The narrow jaws can easily be fitted into the base and around the glass nodule that sits in the middle. Often, a slight counterclockwise nudge is all that it takes to loosen the base.

If all else fails, try the screwdriver. Here is where you could cause damage to your lamp if you aren't careful and gentle. Use a medium-sized screwdriver blade to slightly pry the base away from the socket. Do this slowly. You don't want to bend the socket excessively. All you need is enough room to get one of the jaws of the needle-nose pliers between the socket and base. An eighth- to a quarter-inch bite is all you should need. Hold the pliers tightly and turn counterclockwise.

Make sure that changing bulbs next time doesn't become the major production that we've just described. Use a little steel wool to make sure that everything works smoothly.

Using a ball of 0000 steel wool, rub the inside of the lamp socket to eliminate dirt, oxidation, corrosion and any small burrs. The prepared socket should be clean, shiny and free of burrs, bumps or tears. Do the same to the bulb base. Be sure that it is clean and free of dirt and debris. Skin oil is transferred to objects by simply touching them. So, clean the base of the bulb and screw it into the lamp socket without touching either.

Tip: We always wipe down the bulbs we install with a soft, clean cloth. This ensures that oil from our skin is not left on the bulb's glass envelope. Believe it or not, skin oil on an incandescent bulb can cause it to prematurely fail. On projects where we are changing many bulbs we find it useful to wear cotton gloves.

When you install a light bulb, do so gently. Light bulbs are fragile and a soft touch is all that is needed to properly seat the bulb into its base.