After Sam finished fixing problems that came with the Lion upgrade, he suggested that we tackle the garage door. We have an automatic door opener that works when it wants to.

And it doesn’t want to very often.

It’s been a great chance to brainstorm solutions. We’ve watched videos on YouTube. We’ve called Uncle Matt. We’ve taken turns trying things and watching the trouble spots to come up with ideas.

And because it’s primarily a mechanical system, it seems that each thing we try brings a small reward, whether it’s knocking down wasp nests to remove a blocked pathway or lubricating parts to lessen the drag on the motor. Each step brings progress.

Sam has decided that we still have some kind of electrical problem, though. He says because we have to hold the button down for it to open there must be some kind of wear in the wires. I told him I’d like to replace the sensors — they look like they’ve just about had the life kicked out of them, they’ve been bumped and bustled so much — and he’s agreed.

And if that doesn’t do the trick, he’s going after the wiring.