I had plans for another weekend project mini-blitz. The list of small projects was long; my energy was high. I figured I could knock out 10 mini projects AND write a blog post in one day, because I'm a freaking DIY rock-star!

Yeah, right.

There's nothing like a double dose of failure to knock the wind out of your sails is there?

I started with the garage entry door. One of our two automatic door locks decided it wanted to stop working and would no longer unlock when the code was typed in. Sure, it made noise and wiggled, but it also marooned my butt in the garage. I was trapped in there like a chump and had to take the long way around, out through the roll up and back in through the front door.

I figured something had slipped inside and that a handy AZ DIY Guy attack with a screwdriver and some powdered graphite would get it working in short order. After all, I'd installed it only a couple years ago.

Hmmmmm...

Long story short, I screwed around with that damn lock for a couple hours. Every time I thought I figured it out, and pieced it back together, I wound up with a big fat zero. I did manage to get some sort of black greasy fingerprints all over the door.

Finally, I noticed a broken piece of retaining spring laying on the ground. It may be the problem or it may not. Something is broken and I couldn't fix it. I put it back together for now. I took the liberty of loosing two important screws along the way.

"Seriously, they were right here a second ago"

Score

House: 1  /   AZ DIY Guy: 0

I moved outside with the intent to use a new thingamajig to escalate the war on black algae that has completely overrun the swimming pool this summer. It's a neat tool that I think I remember seeing on Ask This Old House's "What is it?" segment a couple years ago. It holds a chlorine tablet so you can use it to scrape directly on the tenaciously evil invasive horror that is black algea.

It had mixed reviews, but what the hey, it's a TOOOOOOOOOL!

The Pentair Algea Gon Chlorine Tablet holder has apparently been discontinued, but I found it on Amazon.com

I popped in a chlorine tablet and attached it to the telescopic pool pole. 

I started scrubbing the walls. It worked really well. I could get much better leverage than laying on my belly scrubbing on the walls or pushing a tab around on the bottom with the wire brush. 

No, I am not harpoon fishing.

Of course, my stash of chlorine tabs seemed to be old, maybe with some moisture in them. I scrubbed for about thirty seconds and they broke into pieces, falling to the bottom. Crap.

Cool tool / Bad bucket of tablets. 

Score

House: 2  /   AZ DIY Guy 0

Sometimes, you just know when it's time to throw in the towel. I flopped on the couch and watched TV with the kids.

So much for installing two outlets, fixing a ceiling light circuit. adjusting the latch on the front security door, caulking and painting the last section of living room trim, texturing the bathroom wall repair, and killing the new weeds in the yard. 

There will be another day; I will be victorious.