been rippin and runnin' . . .
met the plumber at my house. he had four guys with him. the specked out what i needed and carried me to the hardware store. they picked out the parts and i paid for them.
the cost was around $19.00 for the parts.
they worked as a team and brought my house up to the city code. now, we wait to find out when the inspector will return and check the house.
i paid $400 for labor. that sounds like a lot, but i would have to pay the last plumber another $350 for a new gas test, and then labor at $95.00 /per hour.
that's why i never called those other plumbers back. rather than plumbing my house, they were plumbing my arse for my wallet.
two of the guys that worked on my house today reminded me of my idealized version of my dad. my dad was . . . well, i dunno. he could make you so angry. at his worst, he was a deceptive deadbeat that would swindle his own children. at his best, he shined like a heroic knight saving the day. usually that came when he fixed things for you or stood up for you against someone bullying you.
these guys reminded me of that good side i remember about my dad. they seemed to know what they were talking about and had a professionalism about them. yet, they were relaxed and would shoot the shit with you while they did they're work. they seemed wise and seasoned. they seemed to have a honorable trade and skill, and the appeared to be passing it down to their children. they seemed in control of their lives and they acquired something that seems to have always alluded me in my opinion of myself. they acquired manhood.
i see manhood as that trait that commands respect from others because you've deal with everyone in a fair way. but that's not all--
i also see manhood as the ability for a man to take charge of fixing a problem by relying on wisdom and experience. by having access to a team of other wise men, who will work together to fix any problem.
i think highly of any person who can fix a car, washing machine, plumbing problem, or heating problem. i wish i had that skill. i wish i had already known what to do about the plumbing issue.
my dad could have fixed that problem for me, were he living. he could have taught me how to do these things for myself, had he spent more time with me growing up.
and so, now, the thing i admired most about my dad is at rest with him in his grave. he carried it away with him, and left me no inheritance at all. had he at least left that with me, i think i'd be at least half the man that a truly good man can be.
i know people who know me well would say that i'm being hard on myself. but, i wish i could pass something down to my children besides just morality. i wish i had something to give them that would equip them with wisdom and know-how for the journey ahead.
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after taking care of the plumber, i went to an old, familiar chinese eatery that i hadn't been to in a long, long time. they still remembered me, because i went there quite often. they remember what i liked to drink. they knew what i wanted to order before i sat down. they still cared. i told them that i'd moved, and i happened to on this side of town. so, i paid them a visit for old time's sake.
and just before sitting down, i had the pleasure of bumping into an even older friend. one of the last people i ever expected to see again, but someone i think about a good bit. we talked for a bit and caught up on what was going on in each other's lives. he told me about his family, his parents, and mutual friends.
we laughed and exchanged phone numbers. i hope that's not the last i see of him. i'll try to keep up with him this time around. a good, old friend is very hard to replace.
well, my kids are home from school. i still have errands to run. i need to get my spare tire fixed before i regret it. i also need to take care of some budgeting.
maybe i'll squeeze in a hair cut, too, if it's not too late. i squeezed in the grocery shopping that my mom needed me to do and dropped it at her house.
my kids are whining beyond belief. i'll have to continue my journaling later.
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