I am the plumber in our lives or at least I used to be. It started with a part time job selling plumbing supplies at a long defunct company called Rickles. Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't install a water heater but if you need to replace your toilet or the guts in same or your faucet- I'm your man and I enjoyed doing it. Well, at least I used to be. allow me to explain.
My dad was a very handy guy and I can't ever remember a tradesman coming to our home. He did everything. I'm sure the fact that stretching a buck when you had a blue collar job wage was paramount. Over the years I've noticed if you came from a family of doers you were likely to be a doer yourself. If you came from a family of callers as in call the plumber... well you get it. I think YouTube is changing all that. Picking up the phone can be expensive and spending money is contrary to my nature. No let me rephrase that spending money on something I can do myself is wasteful and therefore sinful. 'Yes you read right sinful - and ridiculous as it may seem it bothers me afterwards.
We are in the process of selling our investment townhouse; There are of course buyers and their oh-so-picky home inspector. Well he discovered that one of the showers was leaking through the single handle. I thought upon hearing it -Those darn tenants never say anything. Well of course it was a job for mighty he man Ray -right? After all wasn't it I that installed a split ring toilet flange in that very condo? Well I gathered up my tools; I must tell you I have an impressive collection of he man tools. I dragged the Mrs over there and I started to disassemble the beast. 5 minutes into the surgery I realized I never operated on a this type of equipment. Maybe I should have watched some you tube videos. Well in my 62.5 year old diminished testosterone state I did the unthinkable I said "we need to call a plumber". The Mrs put the final nail in the coffin of my embarrassment when she said "I didn't think you could do it". I tell you I felt that blade go in.
Plumbers in my neck of the woods are a bit independent. It took some doing but I was finally able to schedule a visit for a few days later. He came at the appointed time and was a nice guy. He was in the process of buying an investment property and peppered me with questions that I was happy to answer. I watched him repair the shower and learned there was a little retaining clip that he struggled to remove (you tube probably would have revealed this had I bother to do my research). When I saw that simple retaining clip of course I thought to myself - Ray you could have done that. Then something wonderful happened he extracted a device from his bag that was sort of a mini wheel puller. He used it to extract the offending stem. Ah Hah I immediately thought the problem wasn't that I lost my he man skills I simply lacked the right tool! How could the Mrs expect me to perform this miracle with the right equipment?
Bottom line an astounding $390 for ten minutes work. At least I can still hold my head up high. I think.
My dad was a very handy guy and I can't ever remember a tradesman coming to our home. He did everything. I'm sure the fact that stretching a buck when you had a blue collar job wage was paramount. Over the years I've noticed if you came from a family of doers you were likely to be a doer yourself. If you came from a family of callers as in call the plumber... well you get it. I think YouTube is changing all that. Picking up the phone can be expensive and spending money is contrary to my nature. No let me rephrase that spending money on something I can do myself is wasteful and therefore sinful. 'Yes you read right sinful - and ridiculous as it may seem it bothers me afterwards.
We are in the process of selling our investment townhouse; There are of course buyers and their oh-so-picky home inspector. Well he discovered that one of the showers was leaking through the single handle. I thought upon hearing it -Those darn tenants never say anything. Well of course it was a job for mighty he man Ray -right? After all wasn't it I that installed a split ring toilet flange in that very condo? Well I gathered up my tools; I must tell you I have an impressive collection of he man tools. I dragged the Mrs over there and I started to disassemble the beast. 5 minutes into the surgery I realized I never operated on a this type of equipment. Maybe I should have watched some you tube videos. Well in my 62.5 year old diminished testosterone state I did the unthinkable I said "we need to call a plumber". The Mrs put the final nail in the coffin of my embarrassment when she said "I didn't think you could do it". I tell you I felt that blade go in.
Plumbers in my neck of the woods are a bit independent. It took some doing but I was finally able to schedule a visit for a few days later. He came at the appointed time and was a nice guy. He was in the process of buying an investment property and peppered me with questions that I was happy to answer. I watched him repair the shower and learned there was a little retaining clip that he struggled to remove (you tube probably would have revealed this had I bother to do my research). When I saw that simple retaining clip of course I thought to myself - Ray you could have done that. Then something wonderful happened he extracted a device from his bag that was sort of a mini wheel puller. He used it to extract the offending stem. Ah Hah I immediately thought the problem wasn't that I lost my he man skills I simply lacked the right tool! How could the Mrs expect me to perform this miracle with the right equipment?
Bottom line an astounding $390 for ten minutes work. At least I can still hold my head up high. I think.
good for YOU! ... and, I'm " the plumber" too, so I understand. 
