Today is Positive Thinking Day...I think.

I did 30 miles in the hills this morning and was surprised to get home and see that I averaged 17.5 mph. That's too fast for a Monday ride and my body has reminded me of it all day. I wanted to push it, just not that much.

The reason for extra effort this morning is that I won't be able to ride tomorrow. I have a breakfast meeting at 7 and I'll go from there to a job in central Phoenix that will take the better part of the day. And I'm not looking forward to it.

I have to repair a kitchen faucet, which should be no big deal except that it's a Delta. They make great faucets unless you have to work on them, and then they're almost always a headache.

There's a gate out back that closes against a block wall. The latch half is welded to the metal frame of the gate and the rod part was homemade-welded to a piece of angle iron that was bolted to the corner of a cinder block wall. The cinder block broke apart over years of use and the rod portion came off. So step one is to reattach it on the next block down. Because the latch portion is welded to the gate I'll use self-tapping metal screws to attach a new one lower on the gate frame to line up with the relocated rod portion. If all of that sounds like at least a dozen opportunities for Mr. Murphy to join the effort you're right.

I'm installing a bracket mount for a flat screen TV in one of the bedrooms. That shouldn't be tricky. But from there I go out to the covered patio to install a bracket to hang a 54" flat screen from the drywall patio ceiling...yes, outside. The joists are 24" on center so I'll have to make some bracing to span two joists and hang the bracket from the bracing. I also have to install a special shelf system to the stucco side of the house to hold the cable box and DVR.

Tomorrow's going to be a long day.
And should I tell him about what the desert dust will do to his $$$ TV hanging from the patio ceiling? Or is that meddling?

Every day or two I go through listings under the "Furniture by Owner" section on Craig's List. I'm amused by some of the spelling in ads.
Chase Lounge
Mattrice
But my favorite: Chair with Automen

Did you read what they're going to do in Cuba? The govt. will lay off 500,000 state employees to reduce the size of the govt. payroll and stimulate the private sector. Those laid off will receive 70% of their current salary for three months, by which time they're expected to have found their own means of income.

Yes, I know Cuba has a very unique situation. Only 591,000 work in the "private sector," and over 5 million work for the state. Still, it seems like an idea worth considering here. What would happen if somebody in D.C. with the requisite authority decreed that just 5% of govt. employees were going to be laid off?

OK, I gotta get things together and loaded into the Sorrento for tomorrow's work.
Fun, fun.