When Inexpensive is Overpriced – #SoCS

Winter skies are some of my favorites.

In honor of Barb

“You’re late again.”

“Sorry, I had to stop at the hardware store and exchange a water supply line.”

“I’m not sure what’s worse, the fact that you’re still doing plumbing or the fact that I’m interested because you previously said you never take stuff back.”

“Wow! That is a conundrum. Might I suggest that you think about that over a glass of wine.”

“Thanks Cheryl. I’ll have a glass of Meiomi, and pour my young friend a Yeungling.”

“Thanks, old man, but make that a Corona.”

“You got it.”

“Now, before I remember that I really don’t care, what caused you to return something to the hardware store?”

“It was defective. After I was done connecting the new sink, the supply line was leaking at both ends.”

“New sink? I though you finished that sink repair weeks ago.”

“Here you go, a glass of Meiomi, seltzer in a snifter, a glass of ice on the side and a Corona who has found her lime.”

“Her lime? I thought the commercial says ‘its lime’ “

“My bar, my pronouns.”

“Fair enough Cheryl.”

“You boys want anything else?”

“I want to be at the tail-end of the plumbing mini-series. I’m trying to figure out if he has any more sinks at home.”

“I can’t help you with that, but let me know if you want some food.”

“So, what gives with the serial sink repair?”

“It’s a sad and complicated tale that started with one leaking faucet in the family room bath, downstairs.”

“So, you can’t just go to Home Depot and buy a new faucet like the rest of your ilk.”

“My ilk?”

“Sorry, like the other do-it-yourselfers. Isn’t Home Depot your go-to resource?”

“No, that’s where this mess started, well, Lowes, but…”

“I don’t follow.”

“About two years ago, I bought a new faucet for that bathroom, at Lowes…”

“…Two years ago? For the love of Pete, how long is this story?”

“Relax. About six months later, we decided we liked it so much, we bought one for my wife’s bathroom.”

“Your wife’s bathroom? How many bathrooms do you have? You have a pretty small house.”

“One full bath, one half bath and the bathroom downstairs.”

“Is that full or half?”

“I’m not sure, it has a shower stall, but no tub.”

“I think that’s…you know, I really don’t care. Is there an end to this story? I feel like I’m in a corn maze.”

“I’ll make it short. The faucet from Lowes started to leak. Lowes didn’t have a new cartridge. The hardware store couldn’t get one. I went to the plumbing supply house across the river.”

“Success? I hope so, because I’m almost done with this wine.”

“Yes and no.”

“Cheryl, can we get a couple of towels to soak up the mess this story has turned into.”

“They didn’t have the part, so I bought two new faucets.”

“This is like hitting yourself with a hammer ‘cuz it feels so good when you stop – but I have to ask. How could they not have the part, and why two faucets?”

“Companies like American Standard make cheaper faucets for Home Depot and Lowes. You can’t always get repair parts.”

“So, you paid a lot more for a new faucet.”

“I did, but it has a lifetime guarantee.”

“OK, but why two?”

“We’ve been wanting to replace the faucet in the master bath. It’s the only one we hadn’t replaced.”

“OK, are we done?”

“Almost. My wife really liked the new faucet in the master bath, and the one in her bathroom started leaking, just like its counterpart.”

“Requiring a third faucet.”

“Yes, but her vanity was old and the drain was a mess, so we ripped all that out.”

“Wait, you started, what, a month ago, trying to buy a replacement cartridge for a cheap faucet and you ended up buying three expensive faucets, and a new vanity and sink?”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“You should have bought the good faucet in the first place; you could have saved a lot of money.”

“Unfortunately, that’s the way it is with a lot of stuff in those big-box stores.”

“Cheryl, can you bring us another round and an order of wings. I’m paying. I fear my young friend is tapped out.”

“Cute.”

Once again, this tale from the bar is also in response to Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘tail/tale.’ Use one, use them both, you decide. Enjoy!”

And, once again, I had to edit the post. Sorry Linda, I tried.

One final note: Don’t forget to check our Cheryl’s page for a touch of beauty.

I’m not going to bore you with a lot of plumbing photos. One or two, and a couple of photos from the installation of the Editor’s Christmas gift (a weather station – yes, I know, romantic). And, some miscellaneous winter stuff.

The sink is ready to be installed. One of those hoses is the one that failed.

Vanity, drawer unit and cabinet. This wasn’t in the plan, but we got a nice deal.

“Hi. I see that you’re working, but did you by any chance bring some peanuts out with you?”

Some assembly required. The little gray post is what they include. We need something about 3 feet higher.

Once assembled, the threaded joints had to be welded so they don’t rotate under stress.

Outside installation is complete. the information is flowing.

If we want accurate wind direction, this thing has to point due north. And I have to not fall off the roof.

The support pole is anchored. I moved the ladder to get onto the roof and install the sensor.

This is the electrical connection to the weather sensor. The batteries stay in the garage.

The support pole has to be plumb and level so the rain gauge will give an accurate reading.

We were still working through the setup process, but I think this will be pretty cool.

Things are getting covered in ice.

Snoopy’s house is under a sheet of ice.

Looks like I had the snow blower aimed a little low.

Our lunch table at work will be ready by April.

Every branch – every twig – covered in ice.

“Um, when I’m not laying on your legs, you need to finad another place for them.”

It’s been a long day.