I have a Chevy Silverado, year 2000. My mechanic gushes about these pickups, they are the best designed ones around from 2000 to about 2006, he says. Need to change a bulb? Then unscrew a couple of screws at the tailgate area, swing the lens on its hinge, twist out the old bulb and twist in the new one. I use a clean dish towel to handle bulbs. The front bulbs are even easier. Two long pins hold the housing in place. Pull them out, lift up the housing for the front bulbs, do the same dish towel maneuver, and you're set.

But I need to do some appliance research. I have a side-by-side fridge/freezer with a defrost function on the fritz (it's all components, I need to see which one needs to be replaced and order it). But the washer may be a bit harder. Darned things stopped working on "spin" last night after making a lot of clunking noise. It's another box with a few components, and I've seen people fix them, but do I want to wade into that one? I'll research it first. I know a guy who might do it for a few bucks and a good dinner. An "off the books" repair.

I have the list of parts for the freezer--don't trouble yourself to offer to look them up, anyone! But I do have one question maybe someone here can answer. How in hell do these two appliances know that I'm due this week to receive my income tax refund? Why is it something always breaks right when you'd really like to pay off something else? It's uncanny.

SRS