Repairing stuff for Habitat restore

I am doing volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity Durham I fix the stuff that gets donated to them so it can be resold. Below are some of the things I worked on

Princess Lamp

This was a nice lamp for girls. I had 4 princess characters that would spin and play music when the lamp was turned on or off. However the sides of the characters would hit each other when spinning. My hunch was that the gears were not aligned. I opened it up, reset the gears, and the closed it. My hunch was right. The characters spin with no problems. They are able to sell it. I got lucky on this one.

Carpet Steam Cleaner

This was in working condition. I plugged it in and tested it and it worked. The floor tool was missing. No repairs needed

Gas Powered Weed Trimmer

This is missing the trimmer part. I tried to start the motor but it wouldn't go. I am not ready to give up yet. I will try again next week

Vacuum Cleaner

This is almost new. The motor works. The only thing broken is a small plastic part that holds the handle to the main unit. I phoned the company that manufactures it and asked for a new part. They need the part number to do this. If I can find this then they will send me the part for free. Stay tuned.

Not all is trash

Not everything is trash. Yesterday I found a bicycle lying on the ground. A quick look showed that some repairs were needed. Today I looked closer and discovered that the rear axle was broken as well as the derailer, and hand brake. The bike was beyond repair. The rest was still good.

I hate to throw things out so I put an ad on Kijiji and listed it for free. The ad stated that the bike was suitable for parts. The tires, frame, seat, and handle bars were still good. Within one hour I had a call from someone who wanted it. He came and picked it up.

Over the years I have given many things away that I had found. The list includes - baby stroller, old dresser, basketball net with backboard. There is more but I can't remember. Another good site is craigslist I have learned to be patient with these sites. Sometimes it takes a month or more for some to respond. If you don't want to wait then try the local thrift store.

Academy Awards - what a bore

I am not sure if I am the only person on the planet who has little interested in the Academy awards. Give an award to one movie or person to say that it is better then everyone else is pointless. Movie making is an art and as such it is personal whether someone likes it or not. It is not a contest. Maybe I will rent a movie instead of watching some rich people applauding each other and saying how wonderful it is.