Curses! Foiled again!

We picked up a ceiling fan Friday night to put in the family room, replacing the horrid flourescent lamp that was in there originally. Today I removed the old lamp and cut the wires so I could pull it down entirely. The plan was to just splice in the fan, mount it, and away we go. That was the plan, anyway. The reality is harsh.

The lamp housing contained a lot of crud which had flaked off the ceiling. The wiring is old. The insulation is brittle, cracked and was literally falling apart when my fingers touched it. Can you say "severe fire hazard", boys and girls? Enjoy these fine photos.

I've decided we need to bring an electrician in to pull new wire - this isn't something I want to tackle. If the wiring was more accessible, no problem, but it's up inside the ceiling and I've never fished wire before. Leave it to a pro.