Copper
Having developed a recent itch to acquire a certain amount of copper pipe in various diameters and lengths, I began calling plumbers around Alleghany County. None of them would even answer the phone. Dummy me forgot that we are in the heart of deer hunting season here abouts.
So, needing to make my monthly (actually 28-daily) drug run to Jefferson, I called plumbers in Ashe County. They referred me to their distributor in Wilkes County who only sells in 20-foot lengths and I wasn't wanting to reinvest my entire 401K in copper pipe. He, in turn, referred me to one of his customers, a plumber in Watauga County, who he was certain would have what I wanted.
I called George and, sure enough, he could cure my itch. Just show up sometime before 4:30 in the afternoon.
Now, folks, George's Plumbing is on NC-194 outside Boone on the Todd side. To be more exact, it's on NC-194 outside Boone just before you get to Meat Camp. And, there's no way in hell that I would want the boys in Meat Camp to even have the stray thought that I might be in competition with them for anything remotely associated with copper. But, being I was already there, I gathered up my courage and walked into George's shop.
Two nice ladies welcomed me and I explained that I'd discussed buying some lengths of copper pipes in various diameters with George earlier that day. George wasn't there but one of them took me back into then storeroom where I managed to find exactly what I needed in the scrap barrels, thus enabling me to buy at scrap copper prices (about half the pipe-cut-from-new-stock prices).
All was going entirely too well I thought to myself as I was paying for the pipe. And, sure enough, it was at that moment the bomb dropped.
"Whatcha doing with the pipe? Replumbing?", she queried.
"Yeah. I'm doing a little work on my heating and cooling system.", I muttered.
We smiled a mutual smile, I wished her a pleasant day, and beat a hasty retreat back to Alleghany County while there was still daylight in Meat Camp.
The cures for the remainder of my itches are, thankfully, being delivered in a Brown truck!
So, needing to make my monthly (actually 28-daily) drug run to Jefferson, I called plumbers in Ashe County. They referred me to their distributor in Wilkes County who only sells in 20-foot lengths and I wasn't wanting to reinvest my entire 401K in copper pipe. He, in turn, referred me to one of his customers, a plumber in Watauga County, who he was certain would have what I wanted.
I called George and, sure enough, he could cure my itch. Just show up sometime before 4:30 in the afternoon.
Now, folks, George's Plumbing is on NC-194 outside Boone on the Todd side. To be more exact, it's on NC-194 outside Boone just before you get to Meat Camp. And, there's no way in hell that I would want the boys in Meat Camp to even have the stray thought that I might be in competition with them for anything remotely associated with copper. But, being I was already there, I gathered up my courage and walked into George's shop.
Two nice ladies welcomed me and I explained that I'd discussed buying some lengths of copper pipes in various diameters with George earlier that day. George wasn't there but one of them took me back into then storeroom where I managed to find exactly what I needed in the scrap barrels, thus enabling me to buy at scrap copper prices (about half the pipe-cut-from-new-stock prices).
All was going entirely too well I thought to myself as I was paying for the pipe. And, sure enough, it was at that moment the bomb dropped.
"Whatcha doing with the pipe? Replumbing?", she queried.
"Yeah. I'm doing a little work on my heating and cooling system.", I muttered.
We smiled a mutual smile, I wished her a pleasant day, and beat a hasty retreat back to Alleghany County while there was still daylight in Meat Camp.
The cures for the remainder of my itches are, thankfully, being delivered in a Brown truck!
Comments
Post a Comment