WHEN THINGS GO REALLY WELL

First off, my carpal tunnel is better though not cured.  My back is much better. I'm at the keyboard again and happy to be here.

In 2013 I had to take my little Toyota pick up truck to a mechanic to have a head light installed.  No problem but in tiny town Arkansas, the dealers at Ford and Dodge didn't want to work on a foreign car period but they both recommended an independent mechanic. So I gave him a shot.

For some unknown reason, he was on a rant that day in 2013 and pushed all  my liberal buttons.  Here was that occasion when he chose to slam Obama, foreigners, and attempts at gun control.  I kept my mouth shut and was satisfied with his work if not his rhetoric.

Eight years later, I needed some work done again on my little pick up so I made an appointment with him once more.  He is still my only choice in tiny town.  This day however, he was not upset about any current news and we had a normal conversation.  His little dog entertained me  while I waited.  I was astonished to see the little dog had no tail. He didn't even have a place to put one. 

I asked Mike (not his name) about it and he said the little fellow had been abandoned and that most likely the previous owners had tried to bob his tail themselves. When they realized they had screwed up, they just dumped him on the side of the road.  Mike took him in, had him vet checked and the dog was now a fixture in his shop.  Ok, that is my kind of person.  

We talked animal cruelty for a while and I realized we were totally on the same page there. It dawned on me that while we were miles apart politically, on some very important matters, we were completely in sync. You know what, we could be friends if we don't stray into politics. I'm game.

Ok, vehicle fixed and then my tub went wonky.  The handles got so hard to turn, my 80 year old carpal tunnel wrists could no longer coax water out of the faucets.  Oh dear I thought. Here comes a huge plumbing bill. 

The man I called last time had passed away.  The plumber I love (Steve--not his name) had done work for me on two occasions but he only does outside work, so I called the next guy in the phone book. He was going out of town for a week but recommended Steve saying he had done some inside work for him.  

I was running out of options so I called Steve hoping I could talk him into coming inside the house.  He promised to be here that day and was here in just a few hours.  He had to rebuild my faucets but when he left, I could turn them with two fingers.  And hold on folks, he only charged $25.  Any other plumber would have charged more than twice that just to pull up in my drive way.  Yes, I have him on speed dial.

So actually I had two service calls in one week that I dreaded but went exceedingly well. Think I may be on a roll.  Let's see, my back is pain free, my vehicle was fixed without hassle, and my plumbing turned out to be a cheap fix --yep, good things also come in threes. 

Ever dread an encounter only to have it work out smoothly, cheaply and satisfyingly?  Makes you smile doesn't it?