I've been out of the writing routine this summer, so two posts in two days may overwhelm my 10s of readers....but like exercise, once I start writing, it gets easier.....
After decades of This Old House viewing and after embracing Chip and Joanna Gaines ship-lapped miracles in Texas, I know you can take an old house and make it "new" again. I also know that sometimes, when you open a wall/floor/vent/drain......you might find that parts of the house were held together with old gum/baseball cards/rusted bolts......
So it was when the plumbers came to repair a leaky toilet tank.....I was optimistic it was not a huge job....and it wasn't...but the partner asked casually, "Is there any other job you need us to look at?"
I hesitated, fully aware of the Pandora Box I might be opening. Yet they seemed nice enough and had come out as soon as I called in about my emergency leak! So, I mentioned the tub drain that was SLOWWWW at best even with regular visits from the likes of Draino. And, I mentioned the kitchen sink that was also SLOWWWW at best even with regular visits from the gallon jug of Draino.
And they moved in....so it seemed....for two hours they kept bringing in supplies.....I was thinking I would need to serve up a meal! They went up and down the stairs....."Check this out, Mam. It looks like someone put screws in to hold this pipe together.....It's really soft....that's not good..."
I knew it wasn't good because I recognized the handiwork of a former owner who also used screws to hold the heating pipe together. Holes filled with screws and bolts eventually blow...
I knew it wasn't good because I recognized the tone and hidden grin. My dentist has the same look when he looks at a broken crown and says, "That's really soft. That's not good."
I suspect at lease one of the trips to the truck was to ask his secretary/partner to order a new Beemer or to book the trip to Aruba. He might have also called my dentist to share the good news.....
Then, he presented me with a bill and the "news" that we would need another appointment to finish the job. It was clearly reminiscent of the dentist office...and their hourly rate is about the same....
After decades of This Old House viewing and after embracing Chip and Joanna Gaines ship-lapped miracles in Texas, I know you can take an old house and make it "new" again. I also know that sometimes, when you open a wall/floor/vent/drain......you might find that parts of the house were held together with old gum/baseball cards/rusted bolts......
So it was when the plumbers came to repair a leaky toilet tank.....I was optimistic it was not a huge job....and it wasn't...but the partner asked casually, "Is there any other job you need us to look at?"
I hesitated, fully aware of the Pandora Box I might be opening. Yet they seemed nice enough and had come out as soon as I called in about my emergency leak! So, I mentioned the tub drain that was SLOWWWW at best even with regular visits from the likes of Draino. And, I mentioned the kitchen sink that was also SLOWWWW at best even with regular visits from the gallon jug of Draino.
And they moved in....so it seemed....for two hours they kept bringing in supplies.....I was thinking I would need to serve up a meal! They went up and down the stairs....."Check this out, Mam. It looks like someone put screws in to hold this pipe together.....It's really soft....that's not good..."
I knew it wasn't good because I recognized the handiwork of a former owner who also used screws to hold the heating pipe together. Holes filled with screws and bolts eventually blow...
I knew it wasn't good because I recognized the tone and hidden grin. My dentist has the same look when he looks at a broken crown and says, "That's really soft. That's not good."
I suspect at lease one of the trips to the truck was to ask his secretary/partner to order a new Beemer or to book the trip to Aruba. He might have also called my dentist to share the good news.....
Then, he presented me with a bill and the "news" that we would need another appointment to finish the job. It was clearly reminiscent of the dentist office...and their hourly rate is about the same....
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