I went on vacation for a week, and turned the central air off while I was away. I got back into town Friday around 2 and it was 95 degrees out. Turned to air on, and about half hour later realized it wasn't getting any cooler. The compressor outside won't turn on. No one will service me until Monday afternoon! I wish I had some tips that I could troubleshoot myself... And it's not the fuse...

There are a number of things it could be - but little you could check safely if you are unfamiliar with basic electric theory. You say the "fuse" is okay - are you referring to the breaker or actual fuses? There may be separate fuses to the blower and the compressor. Find the compressor service disconnect - usually located near the compressor - some of them contain 2 fuses that might be your problem. If you are lucky, it might be one of them. Even if this is a fix, be sure to get a technician check your system thoroughly ASAP to rule out underlying problems (low freon, etc.) that might have caused the fuse to blow in the first place...