Usually procrastination pays off pretty well for me, but I wish I'd have tried adjusting the rear brakes on my truck sooner. I thought it was going to be a pain, probably requiring the removal of the wheels (and lemme tell you, removing and reinstalling 16 lug nuts is hard on the back), but I managed to do it during my lunch break today with plenty of time to spare. When I replaced the brakes, I adjusted them so the shoes were just barely dragging on the drums. But apparently after driving the truck, everything loosened up and the new brakes stopped worse than before I replaced them. All I did today was raise the rear-end, adjusted the brakes (through the small hole in the backing plate) until they dragged, then applied the parking brake several times, adjusted some more, braked some more, etc., until they became fully adjusted. Now it stops well, and I won't worry when I'm pulling the trailer next weekend.

I've still got to change the oil on the truck before we go camping. It costs $75 to get it done at an oil change place, or I can do it myself for around $35. I just need to find a 15-quart (or larger) oil drain pan--I don't think they sell them at either of the Marts around here, so I might have to bend over and buy one at a parts store.

The windshield wipers stopped working on my car last week, so that's one more necessary expenditure that I can't afford. I think the wiper motor has crapped out, and a new one is around $70. It's something I wish I could do without, but almost every day for the past few weeks it has either rained or threatened to rain, and I don't think I can hold off any longer.