Let Me Tell a Short Tale of Determination

Dave Hoskins

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5,252
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Parker County, Texas
Due to the fine weather conditions (cold), not all things are going to work as they should. Sometimes things expectantly break. One of the couplings on my water well head going to the pressure tank did that yesterday afternoon. AAARRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, knowing I didn't have all the tools necessary to do the job properly, I got on the phone and finally got a plumber out to me. As some know you have country plumbers and city plumbers. Country plumbers carry fittings and so one for something bigger than 3/4" pipe. City plumbers generally don't. We worked and argued with one galvanized union until we were probably literally blue in the face. Finally it broke loose and we were able to take the final steps on completion. The task was finally done around 10 pm. Some of the plumbing repair was also pvc. So, guess what? You can't put pressure on new pvc fittings if the cement is put on in temps below 30 for several hours. Gots to cure, ya know? Won't cure at 20. So, it is finally warming up out there some and soon I will be able to turn the well back on and all should be well. Excuse the pun such as it was. I feel like I am just now really thawing out.:eek:
 
Working on plumbing isnt fun in general, but working on it in the cold probably beats out doing car repairs in the snow. ;)

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Ant plumbing activity for me is an adventure. I simply put myself in the state of mind that if I am going to do ANY plumbing project, I will go to the store at least 3 times. That way on the third trip I am not getting steamed.
 
Plumbing isn't an adventure. It is downright hateful. I take copious pictures with my phone, many measurements any way I can, buy multiples of parts for various contingencies, make at least three trips to the store, and finally a trip to return all the unneeded items. AND at the store I get treated to the 'dumb broad' routine by a pimply faced kid who just learned what the "H" and "C" mean. It is areal treat to meet a clerk who as a plumber and says, "All you need is..." or "An easier way would be..." and they're usually right. They even thank me for all the pictures.

Sorry for the rant, but this one really pushes buttons for me.
 
Plumbing generates more bad words per minute than any other home improvement project. At least that's my experience, lol.
 
Luckily there were no trips to the store. It was just so danged cold and windy nothing wanted to work right. But Carol, I know what you are saying and that's not right. I got one of those yungin's real good awhile back, though. He asked me what I needed, I told him, and he started walking off with his hands in his pockets. He realized I wasn't following him and came back and I told him I wanted to be helped by someone on the clock. I told him he couldn't be working because he had put his primary tools away. Two other store employees were watching by this time. I told him that I learned a long time ago that if you put your hands in your pocket that you are through working for the day and that's that. I told him he'd never have the real respect of his peers or elders by walking around like that. He smiled, took his hands out of his pockets and said "Let me show you where you want to go". I told him to lead on then. Next time I saw him his hands were not in his pockets. But, plumbing especially in the cold can be an evil thang! But, it is done and done is done.
 
Plumbing isn't an adventure. It is downright hateful. I take copious pictures with my phone, many measurements any way I can, buy multiples of parts for various contingencies, make at least three trips to the store, and finally a trip to return all the unneeded items. AND at the store I get treated to the 'dumb broad' routine by a pimply faced kid who just learned what the "H" and "C" mean. It is areal treat to meet a clerk who as a plumber and says, "All you need is..." or "An easier way would be..." and they're usually right. They even thank me for all the pictures.

Sorry for the rant, but this one really pushes buttons for me.

Part of your "rant" is why I no longer attempt any plumbing.... I've crawled under my house to fix a busted connection for the last time... it's more expensive, but much less stressful if I just call in a local plumber.... fortunately in my area, they're not exorbitantly expensive. Besides, I'm getting too old for all that.

And my plumber can fix something in 15 minutes that would take me 3 or 4 hours.
 
Luckily there were no trips to the store. It was just so danged cold and windy nothing wanted to work right. But Carol, I know what you are saying and that's not right. I got one of those yungin's real good awhile back, though. He asked me what I needed, I told him, and he started walking off with his hands in his pockets. He realized I wasn't following him and came back and I told him I wanted to be helped by someone on the clock. I told him he couldn't be working because he had put his primary tools away. Two other store employees were watching by this time. I told him that I learned a long time ago that if you put your hands in your pocket that you are through working for the day and that's that. I told him he'd never have the real respect of his peers or elders by walking around like that. He smiled, took his hands out of his pockets and said "Let me show you where you want to go". I told him to lead on then. Next time I saw him his hands were not in his pockets. But, plumbing especially in the cold can be an evil thang! But, it is done and done is done.


Dave,
You're an old time Marine (not calling you old).... what would your DI say if he caught with your hands in your pockets???

I'm old time navy and I still remember about boot camp and keeping your hands out of the pockets.
 
Plumbing is fun. You get to go-to store lots of times. Learn all kind of new goodies. Learn all kind of new language. Then there's the cold. Had well go out several years. Plumber came right away, pulled pump tested ok, electrical OK. Reinstalled didn't work. Repulled, figured pump bad, replaced. Didn't work. Checked depth of water. Pump set to high so set lower level, worked OK. Also this in January of course. Now the worry is when does it happen again in dead of winter.
Such is life. To old for these aggravations.
David
 
Plumbing and electrical.
Both the same.
I can do them and I cannot afford to have them "done".
I don't hate them, but I don't think of them as fun either.
I have a pile of both that needs to be done and done soon.
Not looking forward to any of it.
 
One thing for sure, Chuck. What one of my DI's would say is not publishable here. Besides the fact that your arms might feel a bit disjointed by the time he was done with ya. And, your brain a bit disjointed as well.
 
I don't mind plumbing much. Been re-doing as much as practical with PEX. That stuff is nice. Freezing doesn't bother it usually. On the other hand when plumbing goes bad, like the pin hole leak in first generation PVC under our vanity it can cause a lot of damage. Today I got a call the scared me plenty. We had an oil leak at one of our facilities. It was human caused and I wasn't notified by my employee. The oil leaked under a wall into an adjoining space and I had a rather tense phone call from a very irate person. I did my best to reassure them that we will do everything to make it right. Now I have to worry about the phone call to my insurance agent and hope my rates don't go up. I expect the damages will be in the $1000's I'm just hoping to keep the lawyers out of the picture.
 
I did a short stent as an apprentice Boiler maker from 8/75 to 12/75 I hated every day. Except the drinking after work.
Glad you got her done. Doesn't sound like to much aggravation.
 
I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I'd rather do plumbing and electrical than work on a car. Electrical is sort of fun, I'm not real fond of plumbing, but automotive repairs and I just don't get along well at all.

First time I ever cursed in front of my mom was the day I was working on my Mustang and she came out to ask how things were going. I turned from under the hood, threw my screwdriver to the ground (sticking it into the lawn) and said something to the effect of "Terrible...what I haven't messed up I've pooped on." :tantrum: (Except I didn't say either "messed" or "pooped". ;)) Her eyes got real wide for a second, then she turned around and silently walked back into the house. :whistling:
 
I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I'd rather do plumbing and electrical than work on a car. Electrical is sort of fun, I'm not real fond of plumbing, but automotive repairs and I just don't get along well at all.

First time I ever cursed in front of my mom was the day I was working on my Mustang and she came out to ask how things were going. I turned from under the hood, threw my screwdriver to the ground (sticking it into the lawn) and said something to the effect of "Terrible...what I haven't messed up I've pooped on." :tantrum: (Except I didn't say either "messed" or "pooped". ;)) Her eyes got real wide for a second, then she turned around and silently walked back into the house. :whistling:

I don't do any automotive repair work, except maybe change a tire, primary reason is "I don't know POOP about it." :D:D

I don't do electrical work because one of the few times I did, I wound up with my hair curled and some S*B hit me in the elbows with a baseball bat... blew out every circuit in the radio room and sat in the dark until the end of my shift because the chief wouldn't get out of bed at 0300 and bring me the keys to the electrical room so I could reset all the breakers. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Every time I try plumbing, I wind up wet, muddy, frustrated and speaking a foreign vulgar language from the country of Profane. :(:(
 
I honestly don't mind plumbing or electrical work. Was taught how to do a lot of it when I was a kid by my grandfather and stepdad. I had a plumber out on this go round because I didn't have 3' pipe wrenches to break that big galvanized union loose, and that's what was needed. And, with the weather being so cold and wet it was two man job regardless. And, it had to get done. I never have been a big mechanic fan. Knew how to do some stuff on the older cars and trucks, but after all the computers took over, they lost me. You don't have mechanics anymore, you have technicians. Oh, well. The "Good Ol' Days" weren't always all that good so I'm not going to say I miss them. :rofl:
 
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