Taking care of business

I am doing a flurry of home repair and improvement projects, mostly small things that have added up over time but a couple of big things too. The consulting work is a bit slow, and summer is a good time to attend to some of this stuff. On the docket:

• Replacing our carport posts
• Replacing facia board and gutters (aka the rat control project)
• Demolishing the nasty rat-infested shed and probably building a new one
• Taking a heap of stuff to the dump
• Hopefully fixing a variety of small plumbing mysteries (will the plumbing issues never end in this house?)
• Preventative maintenance on the refrigerator
  
• Having an arborist out to look at a couple of our trees
• Painting/finishing the new doors and windows installed over the winter
• Possibly replacing some iffy light fixtures

Much of this will be done by paying other people to do the work. Some of it is stuff we could do ourselves, but time has proven that we just aren't that likely to do so. Plus, since I mostly make my living off charitable foundations, I am expecting business to dry up next year due to the tanking stock market. Foundations have to grant/spend a portion of their money based on the value of their assets the prior tax year; thus, recessions tend to have a delayed effect. I figure I might as well get the homestead in order while the money is still flowing. Though if I'm not working much next year, I could do the work myself...