Our automatic garage door decided to crap out on us last night, with one car stuck inside the garage. We tried everything to get it open, with no luck. The two giant tension springs had snapped. We got ahold of someone last night and they were here by 8:30am this morning. The whole door and rail system has to be replaced to the tune of $2000.00. The new door has to be special ordered because our garage is not standard size (of course.) The Repair person clamped the springs and reconnected the motor so we can get the door open and closed for 3 weeks until the door arrives, but he suggested we open the door as little as possible, so we’re going to keep one car in the driveway at all times, just in case.
By the time he finished, it was too late to bother going into work, so we took advantage of a free afternoon and nice weather to drive to some shopping outlets at nearby Lee, MA.
While mostly clothes shops, they recently opened a Ten Thousand Villages in the Outlets, which is one of our favorite stores, and we picked up a few new giraffe items:
2 sets of Giraffe chop sticks
and a Giraffe Wind Chime
Despite the painful cost of the repair, it was a nice surprise day off and much needed mental break from work, which has been hell this week.
And new Giraffe stuff always makes me happy.
🙂
Idle Eyes and a Dormy 
I like the chopsticks; I can use chopsticks!
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I have (had?) a package of disposable chopsticks. Looked for them this evening and can’t find them. They’re not in the drawer I thought I put them in, or the next one, or even the next one that only holds coffee and travel-mug-lids. I found the bendy straws, and the bamboo skewers, but alas, no chopsticks. I’m verklempt.
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$$$Ouch$$$ Good luck with that door. Hopefully the install will be better than the kitchen remodel vis a vis time and money.
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Sometimes things happen for a reason….the universe knew you needed a day off. Glad you had some fun in the afternoon and added to your giraffe collection. Hope tomorrow goes well and then it is the WEEKEND!!!!
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Sorry about the unexpected garage door repair. At least you got some time off from work and a little retail therapy!
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When did garage doors and tracks get so damned expensive? Wow. When we build our place it will have a garage – barn style doors that open outward. Why? Simple hinge mechanism. I can even put hydraulic actuators on them if I went them to open at the press of a button.
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I love the wind chime. I miss having one of those hanging on the patio. I’m not allowed to have one anymore.
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The therapy appears to have worked. Look what you have now: a new herd of giraffes! Naked hugs!
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