"In My Opinion . . ."
Aug. 6, 1999
It is probably no surprise to anyone that houses and their
contents are subject to the "Domino Effect." Still, it
never ceases to amaze me how predictably making one repair or
adjustment in the house will set off a chain of repair needs.
I truly thought the new dishwasher, toilet, and disposal would satisfy the household god of system failures, and with the addition of a hot tub service call I figured all bases were covered. How wrong I was. Two days ago a sudden drip appeared in the kitchen faucet. This is not a slow, occasional little drip. This sucker is a steady, water-wasting mother-of-a-drip. I think I'm capable of fixing it.
I might not be so lucky with the problem that popped up this morning. I washed a load of sheets, and when I returned to toss them into the dryer I was dismayed to find both of our laundry tubs filled to the brim with sudsy water, an apparent back-up from the drain. I naively waited two hours, hoping to see some sign of drainage, but as I look at those tubs right now, still brimming with water, I realize that I must call Roto-Rooter.
I have taken a poll of all these repair men who have come to work on my various problems. Each earns $75-$80 an hour, money they deserve, I'm sure. I earn less than $36 per hour as a teacher, less if you figure how many actual hours I must put in rather than the ones for which I'm paid. I do believe I chose the wrong profession. Now if I can just convince my children to become plumbers...