My Crazy 4th of July Holiday

I hope all of my friends in the USA had a wonderful 4th of July. Although I was awake (for a minute or two) in time to get to the pool, I turned over and went back to sleep instead, giving myself a true day off. Our weather was a combination of drenching rains followed by sun-filled high humidity followed by more rain. In the middle of everything, around 11:30 am or so, I heard a soft "POP" from outside of the house. The result? ... the house went dark immediately. Apparently an electrical transformer had blown and the neighborhood was without power. Two-and-one-half hours later, it was fixed, but it was an interesting interruption. I wasn't sure exactly how a transformer worked, so I went hunting. Interested in a small article about them? Follow the link. 

This is NOT our repair (this particular transformer
repair was from San Jose, CA), but the concept
is the same. The repair person has to get up to
where the transformer is and repair or replace it. 

During the height of the morning 'rain-no rain-rain' times, DH and I took a quick trip to Home Depot for 12 40-pound bags of black dirt. We also ended up with two tie-on outdoor cushions for our patio set. Now sitting out at the table is much more comfortable, and what we found was much less expensive and more attractive than what I was finding on-line. Huzzah! 

The old grill served us well and we used it a lot. It had holes in the sides
from the heat of the coals, and rust creeping through the sides and the
lid. It was time for a replacement. 

Our big task for the day was to assemble the new Weber grill which we purchased late last year. The old grill has been in constant use since the early 1980's and we use it a lot. But, as you can tell from the photo, the sides have burned through completely and rust is attacking the lid. It was time for a new one. 

What a difference! The new grill is all neat and shiny. We have a
cover to protect it from the weather, and we'll store it in the shed
over the winter. If we take care of it, this grill might well
outlast us. 

DH probably could have assembled the new grill on his own - I only helped with the wheels - but whether I helped or not, we were successful and in late afternoon, after our power had been restored, we had burgers grilled on the new grill. They were wonderful. 

The burgers were really good, and it was a nice way to use our
new grill for the first time. We'll grill bratwurst on Sunday. 

So today I hop back into my normal schedule. Mid-week holidays are tough for me. I get into a mood where the day off feels like a Sunday, but today is Thursday, not Monday. Yesterday's dinner also led to a few pounds that must come off. It was fun, but I'm glad to be back into my normal schedule. Have a wonderful Thursday and enjoy the height of summer that we're currently in (or winter if you're one of my friends/readers from the other hemisphere). I'll be back tomorrow.