We finally achieve middle class status.....

We have an aluminum garage door and an automatic garage door opener for it.  For real. 

This year's home improvement project.  Our old garage door was made of wood and was HEAVY.  Vicky, who is very strong, could open it, but with her replacement disk it isn't wise for her to lift something like this.  It necessitated pulling up on it and then I had to get it on my shoulder to push up.  It was time for a replacement, obviously.

Oddly, we'll still not use the garage for our car very often.  Our 12-year-old Prius has already spent 10 years of its life outdoors, so the paint is shot.  And it has damage to the front bumper.  And chipped paint everywhere from bicycles.  The good old reliable thing still chugs along fine, though, still getting mileage in the high 40s.  Should last another 10 years. 

Many people on Whidbey Island have a nice car and a beater pickup.  We have a nice pickup and a beater car. 

And the pickup wouldn't fit in the garage, not with the lawnmowers and tools. 

But, it's nice to have a garage door that opens....even if you don't really have a garage.