Genuine Vacation Day: #1 of 4

 The days off from the long weekend are past, and now come the four days that are really days off from work.

I phoned Waste Management today because they service our neighborhood, and they have another service for picking up hazardous materials.  Since we have more than two dozen paint cans in the basement, this sounds ideal.  The web site claimed we are eligible, but the customer service rep said they only pick up in Lower Macungie township, and not where we live in Upper Macungie.  Do I want to fight this to the Supreme Court?  Nah.  

I also called Overhead Door because on one of the new openers, one of the two light sockets isn't working.  The woman on the other end of the line actually asked whether I'd put a working bulb in the socket.  After I reassured her, she said she'd put in a ticket.

But that doesn't affect the operation of the opener itself, and yesterday with Pat's help I programmed both cars using Homelink, so we can use their built-in remote buttons instead of the separate remotes.  

The big task this week, after the usual chores, is refreshing the Weber Genesis 1000 grill we bought in 1998.  Some parts are rusted, and the flame isn't coming up like it did for the past 21 years, so it was time to head to Google and YouTube.  Voices of experience say it can be done, and at much less cost than buying a new one.  I ordered some parts, and cleaned up some others.

Soap and water on some pieces, WD-40 and oven cleaner on others.  Scrub with steel wool, a wire brush, or both, and rinse with clear water.  That's good enough for me, although some men go farther...

Besides that, Pat cleaned up the house for the little black pooshka and got it all set for the coming cold weather.  Yesterday, we got some plastic drainpipe and just need to install it.  It's good to have a big chunk of time to accomplish all these jobs.  Retirement sounds tempting under those conditions, but what do I do in six months when the basement is cleaned out and all the photos are tagged?  (Plus, the pay isn't nearly as good as what I'm making now.)