Housekeeping: Labor Day, With or Without U

by Tim Healey

August 31st, 2018 2:47 PM

housekeeping labor day with or without u

However you spell it, Labor or Labour, Monday is an American holiday. Labor Day exists to honor (honour?) hard-working regular schlubs like you or I, since a random day off in the waning days of summer is apparently the best way for our government to pay homage to those of us who work for a living.

You can thank the Labor movement of the 1880s for getting it started, and President Grover Cleveland for making it a federal holiday in 1894.

So we’re going to have a light weekend and be off Monday, since we’re working stiffs just like you. Labor Day has become a weekend for shopping (especially for cars), concerts, street fests, college football, baseball, and BBQs — what are your plans? Me, I am going to watch Notre Dame-Michigan (not in person, sadly), and maybe go to a concert or visit family. Commenters, what are your plans?

Take the day off, drive safe (no drinking and driving, people), and we’re back at it Tuesday with a Kia Forte review and the rest of our usual tomfoolery.

[Image: Leigh Prather/Shutterstock]

#Housekeeping #LaborDay

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10 of 37 comments

S197GT on Sep 01, 2018

I'll be riding motorcycles. Electric and gas. After selling my Mustang GT and buying... a Fusion... something was definitely missing. In two weeks I went from not even really thinking about motorcycles (other than maybe a Honda Grom or Monkey to play around on) to buying a 2018 Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black!! And I love it. Yeah, the purists say you don't buy a bobber, you build one. But this thing is everything I want in a bike. Style, speed (1200cc 80 hp/tq), technology (ABS, LEDs, rider modes), and relative comfort. Will also be riding some paved trails with my son on his Razor RSF350 and I'll be on my Razor MX650. He is 7 and starting to really enjoy riding on two-wheels; though it took a lot of motivating...

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Notapreppie on Sep 01, 2018

Start teaching myself how to rebuild a transmission by... rebuilding a transmission. This should be entertaining for others to watch, if nothing else.

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- JohnTaurus on Sep 01, 2018
  
  Good luck man, I've found that the best way to learn is just to jump in and do it. I haven't gotten so far as rebuilding an engine or trans, but I've learned a lot and taken on some big repairs I never thought I could do before.
  
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- Lie2me on Sep 01, 2018
  
  I hope it's not your only car
  
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- JohnTaurus on Sep 02, 2018
  
  Keep us posted, I'm interested to know how it turns out.
  
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- Tankinbeans on Sep 03, 2018
  
  The closest I've ever come to that was replacing the clutch in the car my brother was driving at the time. That was enough of a pain in the tookus. May your project be more longlasting than mine. My brother junked the car two days after he got it back due tonother issues. His complete inability to follow routone maintenance caused the durn thing, 94 Corolla, to sludge up and lose power.
  
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JohnTaurus on Sep 01, 2018

I'm at the camp with my cousin and his family. Its all we could think about at work last week lol. No fishing this weekend, just a little Crown Apple, Sprite, campfire and having a good time. Going to fry some fish later we caught last trip, looking forward to that. Probably going to buy a 1984 Ford Escort tomorrow. Just a cheap beater for weekends like this, and when I take the Taurus off line for things like redoing the interior, etc. Its annoying to be half way through a major project and have to stop and put it back together or drive it half torn apart. Having the Escort around should give me some relief, as in not having to rush the job, borrow a car, or simply doing without.

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- IanGTCS on Sep 02, 2018
  
  I'm amazed there are any escorts (and any other 80's economy cars) that old alive anywhere, even in areas that don't get the rust that I'm used to. I'd also like to take something of that era out for a spin, just to see how much small and cheap cars have improved over the years.
  
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- JohnTaurus on Sep 02, 2018
  
  @IanGTCS We had a 1985.5 growing up, my first car was a very well worn 1987 GT, and my girlfriend in High School had a 1989 LX 5 door. So, its a bit of nostalgia mixed with just wanting/needing a beater. I was amazed to find it down here in the South myself. Cars tend to get used up and scrapped around here. Even my 1995 Taurus is fairly rare in this area. Not much exists down here that is that old. Totally different from my old stomping ground of the Pacific Northwest, a 1984, 1994, etc is just as common as a 2004 or 2014.
  
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Raph on Sep 01, 2018

Hah been celebrating labor day with a two week vacation already! I didn't even plan to extend my vacation by a day with the holiday but it worked out that way. Mostly a staycation but it gave me time to address some needed yard work and work around the house.

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