Day Two

So the furnace issue was simple. It's an oil burner and we simply ran out. Called our supplier and they delivered some a couple of hour later. That was easy. Shame on me for not paying attention to it. On the other hand, one doesn't inadvertantly run out of firewood. Your hands are in the wood pile on a regular basis, bringing it in to burn. From Fall to Spring you watch the pile disappear, block by block, cord by cord, it dwindles down. Burning wood isn't for everyone, but I find it satisfying on several levels. First, and most obvious is I would rather burn wood than give my money to Mobil / Exxon. Next is the aesthetic part of it. It adds some ambieance to your surroundings. Handling the wood, though, is part of it that some folks don't like. I find it oddly satisfying. It's almost like sculpture. Turning a disorganised pile of split wood into a neat, geometric pattern of cords. There is more to it than first meets the eye. There's a creative aspect whereby various shapes and sizes of the wood are placed adjacent to each other so as to create a stack that is stable and free standing. Another aspect I truly love is the exercise derived from handling the wood.
Now the brake job. I replaced the pads on that van a year ago. I couldn't understand how they could have worn out so fast. Fortunately for me I bought pads at Auto Zone that are gauranteed for life. Remove the old ones, take them to the store and they give you the new ones FREE!. And they do it with a smile. My original price was just under $25.00. Anyway, I pulled off the front wheels and discovered that only one of the four pads was worn. And that one was worn completely, starting to chew up the rotor. It turns out that the brake caliper was not working properly so it wore out just the one pad. I worked the caliper piston back and forth and may have it working properly now. However, I think I should replace the caliper with a new one. That's a job for another day.
Now, the morning is quickly evaporating and there is so much more to do. Paint the bathroom in the rental that became vacant. Go to the job fair at the NY State Office Building in Watertown, NY. What I WANT to do is practice my guitar for a few hours. That isn't happening. Maybe this evening.