Monday night we noticed that the kitchen faucet was listing drunkenly to one side. It was an all in one, pull down faucet we had installed about 20 years ago. Something that stabilized the faucet rotted away under the granite counter. The faucet still worked, and there were no leaks, but it needed replacement, so on Tuesday I phoned Daryl.
Daryl is a plumber who has helped us out for 30 years. He really loves being a plumber. He is retired now and has handed his very successful business to his son. Daryl works for his son part time. We have Daryl’s personal cell phone number. I phoned him. Daryl met me at home Tuesday afternoon and told me the kind of new faucet to get. We bought one at Ace Hardware Tuesday night, and Daryl came over on Wednesday afternoon to install it. It is beautiful and works like a charm. You can see it in the header photo.
There are some other minor plumbing things we need done, such as replacing the mixer in the main bathroom shower. That was installed by Daryl about 15 years ago. While he was at the house Tuesday I showed Daryl the shower problem and he asked if we had kept the manual and UPC from the box the mixer came in. I had it, and, sure enough, there was the UPC, cut out and stapled to the manual by Daryl when he installed it. He gave me detailed instructions as to what internal mechanisms to order, and to let him know when I got the parts so he could install them. He has lots of tips to get these companies to honor their warranties, too, as he wants to save us money.
It is so refreshing and hope-instilling to run across people like Daryl who do their best and love what they do. After this I think our plumbing needs will be met until we move., but it is reassuring to know I can phone Daryl in an emergency.
Who would you phone in an emergency? Who are the Daryl’s in your life?
Trail Baboon 
Can you convince Daryl to move to the Twin Cities? My fabulous bathroom contractor moved to Florida and my great plumber had retired!!!
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good people are a good thing to partner with . thus the trail
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Well, yes!
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Yes indeed!
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Good question – there’s not really one person, but anyone of my little Happy Hour Support Group would be able to help me figure out where to start. (The four of us meet on Monday afternoons, and each have some Difficult Stuff in our lives.) One of them in particular is pretty knowledgeable about various services available, etc.
And it would depend on what kind of emergency. A couple of other close friends might know what to do.
And/or I’d call my sister.
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Of course.
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Perfect!!
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That looks like fun! will watch later.
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That’s funny. : )
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Depends on the emergency, of course.
In home maintenance emergencies, I don’t have a Daryl. For my kids’ households and for ours I am the Daryl.
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They are lucky to have you.
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911 in a “real” emergency. Mr. Internet has become my first stop for most issues these days. We have good reliable local tradespeople for home issues, so them for a plumbing, HVAC, or electricity problem. The guy down the block, Craig, who helped build our house, is probably the closest to an emergency contact we’d used.
Don’t really have a go-to person for anything these days. But I had a fantastic auto mechanic when we lived in Bloomington. The guy worked out of his garage, underpromised and overdelivered every time, and was cheaper than most other auto shops in town. Also had a great mechanic when we lived in Roselle, IL.
Chris in Owatonna
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Rise and Shine, Baboons,
My Daryl had been Lou, but that is over. So this role has been ceded to the neighbor who is teaching his 18 yo son to be a handyman. The neighbor is Jeff and his son is Jordan. Jordan is becoming fairly proficient. He loved it when they removed the top of our tree which fell in the August storm. He got to use a chain saw. You could just see the kid’s eyes light up–he loved it! However, the trouble with 18 year old young men is that they do not communicate well. He seriously sprained his ankle 3 weeks ago, and forgot to tell me he could not come do my task list. That was frustrating. So I would say he is “early-stage Daryl.”
My contractor is also a great resource. His time is hard to get, though. Because he is skilled and personable, he has many clients. He has been so very good to us.
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There are a number of fellow Fix-It clinic volunteers that qualify as Daryls. I’d check with them first.
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