Hey Buddy

Yesterday I dealt with a plumber for a couple of hours. There's always something in need of repair in this house.

Every company wants to sell you a service contract. It doesn't matter if it's a plumber, exterminator, carpet cleaner, heating/cooling company or any other home repair service. We all know that is how they make the most money and I try to work the numbers. That usually involves following them around with a calculator which for some reason makes them nervous.

My plumber yesterday was selling the "Buddy Plan." If you join the Buddy plan, they waive the $89 service call charge. They also advertise that they will match any other plumber's offer, plus 10 percent. (I scoured the Sunday paper and the Yellow Pages -- I found one for $100 off any service.)

The young man who was servicing my water heater and toilets was amused. He said, "You're toying with me."

There are lots of seasonal checks that come with the Buddy plan. You get discounts on service. Then he said, "If you're a Buddy and you call in for service, you automatically go to the top of the list. You are guaranteed service the same day."

Sign me up! I'm all about priority service. I like to be first in line.

I hope I don't have plumbing problems for a while but if I do, I'm going to call and say, "Hey Buddy! Get over here now."

In the Same Room

If you have an older home, as I do, things are guaranteed to go wrong. Ours is a money pit but I still love it. I actually love it more knowing that eventually we will have to make the smart decision to downsize so that makes me cherish every tree and the view from every window.

When something goes wrong, I do my best to fix it. But, I have this fantasy. Could we get everyone in the same room? The water company tells me I am using an absurd amount of water -- there must be a leak. The plumber tells me he can't find a leak and the water company is messing with me. The sprinkler/irrigation people tell me I need to talk to the water company.

If there's a computer problem, I have to call the cable company (supplier of my high-speed service,) the Internet provider and the hosts of my domain names.

When we had the oldies, we skirted between VA doctors (last count was 8) and our preferred physician. A conversation in the same room would've saved everyone a lot of stress. (I must admit our doctor did his best to make it happen.)

The same is true of personal relationships. Spouses and friends can clear the air but it helps to be in the same room. Hey, you can always walk away.