A couple of things have died this week.

First I realised the light in my microwave wasn't working, making me nervous about the prospect of boiling milk in it, which I do sometimes when I'm preparing coffee (I peer through the window to stop it as soon as I see it frothing up to the brim).

(there's no light on while the mug rotates...)

I've already administered repairs on my "trusty" Hinari Lifestyle this year when it stopped stopping throughout its cooking cycle, or it would stop and not go again. I deduced then that it was a relay, which I managed to replace, although it still misbehaves on the odd occasion, such as if I ever move the appliance, so I'm not entirely certain it was that, but instead, perhaps something to do with the 'other' dial.

Anyway, I've ordered a replacement bulb, having confirmed the present one is blown, even though I have a whole other microwave waiting in the wings [on top of a cupboard] which I acquired earlier this year with a FREE sign on it, but it's only 500W.

Next up, my jigsaw packed up just as I was getting into sawing some firewood (since the sun had finally made an appearance and the rain had buggered off).

It kind of stalled mid-plank (actually I was trying to saw two together). I tested it inside and my PowerOak showed it pulling +1500W when it's supposed to be 500W. I also saw it sparking within, so I'm suspecting the motor bushes have worn out. There are some on ebay for £4 (the same it cost for the microwave bulb), or another second-hand jigsaw (which is all this one was), for around £10... but again, I had another one waiting in the wings, this time new in box from earlier this year when a client offered me "whatever I wanted" from her late husband's garage. I say it was new, but it had been wrapped up for so long the 'rubber' strip on the handle had become all tacky with age (some rubberised surfaces suffer with this, sometimes some scrubbing with WD40 or washing up liquid sorts it out, test and try at your peril), so I had to wear my gardening gloves in order to more comfortably pursue with the wood sawing.

I've left the faulty B&D alone for now, but I think I might just dismantle it at some point and if it looks to be straightforward to replace the bushes I might just do that, and relegate that one to the wings for when this replacement, no-brand one packs up, which it inevitably will, everything does eventually, and I begrudge just throwing things out. I'm now wondering what I actually did with the last jigsaw I had that died, because it was still working but the metal guide plate (base) had broken free from the casing... I probably chucked it. Shucks...