May the Fourth be with you!
The Kitties are Coming!
In other news: after a fruitless search by Handsome Son to match the busted valve cap, I called the plumber. Reluctant to incur a serious bill, but needs must.
And here's where the story improves. It's a family firm, been working with them since the present principal's dad founded it, they know me.
Some female relative takes the calls and I explained the situation to her, pointing out that a shutoff should last longer than three years. She agreed warmly!
The plumber I wanted got back to me in no time, and I put it to him that we were stuck unable to do laundry, and I needed him to put it right. Because three years was too soon.
He said he'd send another guy I'm not so keen on, good plumber but argumentative. I said oh, sadly, can't you come yourself? Will he know this is only three years, too soon?
He clearly knows he's being played but might have to answer to his mother for this, says well let's diagnose, and worst comes to worst just charge for the part.
Which came to pass. The guy who came was waiting for me when I got over there five minutes later. He first tried to install a blue cap instead of the red, because "that's the side that's supposed to be blue".
I pointed out that two blue caps were not useful, that his boss installed the red one, and that plumbers over the years have noted the builders installed the pipes in reverse. And that three years is too soon. Whereupon he grudgingly replaced the blue with a red cap.
And when I asked him what I owed, said $20. Total. A big improvement on the usual $130 to even attend. Literally just the cost of the shutoff replacement. Even if three years is too soon.
HS came home later, tested the machine for filling, texted me to say he had a load of laundry in process.
So we're now back to where we were before this happened and I can order the dryer.
Much better day! But I still maintain that three years is too soon. I will let go of this at some point, I expect.
