Monday morning was steamy in Houston, gray skies, warm temps threatening rain. Inside Shawn (the Quiet Painter) was applying the first oil coat to our new office french doors. The thick acrid paint fumes hung in the air. Our A/C had been out for 24 hours. Yes it is October, but in Houston A/C is a year round thing.
Digging through my files I found the number of our old AC repair shop. Actually I found two. One was not great. Which one? I called both. One could come tomororw, one today. I picked the fast one.
Then my dryer started smelling like it would blow up. Hot smell. As I hung my bedspread on the back fence, to further marinate, as no 'drying' would be done in this soup, the doorbell rang. Ralphie went into this ballistic doorbell barking rant.
I answered the door, and appearing in uniform was a youngish manm dark hair, dark eyes, trace of a spanish accent, was here to help with our A/C. He introduced himself as Ray.
Digging through my files I found the number of our old AC repair shop. Actually I found two. One was not great. Which one? I called both. One could come tomororw, one today. I picked the fast one.
Then my dryer started smelling like it would blow up. Hot smell. As I hung my bedspread on the back fence, to further marinate, as no 'drying' would be done in this soup, the doorbell rang. Ralphie went into this ballistic doorbell barking rant.
I answered the door, and appearing in uniform was a youngish manm dark hair, dark eyes, trace of a spanish accent, was here to help with our A/C. He introduced himself as Ray.
Ok, I sighed to myself. Let's see what he says. It is always fair game when a new contractor shows up.
Dh was buried in his office making calls and holding online meetings. Ray followed me to the thermostat, I explained the problem. He listened. I was exasperated. I tried not to show it. I was still in my sweaty workout clothes after trying to run on my treadmill this morning. I had given up in the stuffy conditions.
It looked like rain and my favorite bedspread was surely growing mold on that fence.
We went out the front door, Ralphie barking at our heals. I showed Ray the compressor round the side of teh house and he began to look around. As he took off the back of it I asked if he needed anything else, and also didn't want him to feel I was breathing down his neck, offered to leave.
"Sometimes workmen charge more if the homeowner watches." I lamely joked.
"No,' he said. It is good if you stay because I can show you just what I find."
Ray had a note of optimism in his voice. Like, he was really interested in finding out what ailed my A/C and our sticky house.
He showed me what he found as he found it. Without boring you to death, suffice it to say we needed a new unit.
It began to sprinkle. We went inside. My bedspread tremored in the non-existant breeze.
I wiped last night's pie crumbs from the kitchen table and Ray and I sat. Bryan stood nearby listening. He always is interested in house things like this. Ralphie gave a disconcerted half bark. He hates spending money on the house. Doesn't trust contractors as they smell wild.
Ray explained what was broken, the quick fix, the long fix, the works. I asked a million questions as I always do. Ray listened and answered. It was different in a small way than the usual contractor.
Soon dh came out of his office, with a questioning look. Great- just as we got all the info out, we would have to start explaining all over. Ray offered to explain again. He did patently. I was rather surprised. That optimism again.
I am so glad dh came out when he did.. as Ray got to explain it instead of me.
But, again the optimism. Dh asked- what he would do if it was his AC? Ray told us and then said he likes to look at every house and situation as if it were his mother's or sister's. I know this may sound corny but it seemed real.
I began to ask him about himself, how long he worked with this company and what he thought of them. Turns out he was offered a great job co-running another AC business. He loved it, but worked a zillion hours and missed his kids. So he came back to this business where he can be home, with a bit less money. He then shared some of his philosophy of life in between the lines...- his positive attitude and how he can help influence others. Bryan was abosorbing every word. So were dh and me.
He was a Ray of sunshine on this dark, misty day with moldy bed linen on the fence.
Yesterday as they began to install, Ray helped the main guy, Winston, get started. From up in the game room (our overloaded room that needs clean out so badly) I heard a giant crash! The plastic 3-tier bookshelf on which I keep all our sciecne books had fallen. Ray and Winston began to pick up - I told them to leave it.. I would. This got me to finally move these books out.. but then Ray and I started talking. About his kids. Especially his son who is 8 and loves to read. Ray is not much of a reader, but his son always has his nose in a book, Narnia, Harry Potter and beginning LOTR. Wow, Ray- that is great. Ray knew. Not sure where his son got it, but was glad.
So, Ray brought some sunshine. His attitude on life. His emphaisis on customer service. ("I solve people, not problems." he said).
His committment to his family. And his priorites. They are in the right order.
Ding Dong. Ralphie goes wild barking. It's the dryer guy.
Dh was buried in his office making calls and holding online meetings. Ray followed me to the thermostat, I explained the problem. He listened. I was exasperated. I tried not to show it. I was still in my sweaty workout clothes after trying to run on my treadmill this morning. I had given up in the stuffy conditions.
It looked like rain and my favorite bedspread was surely growing mold on that fence.
We went out the front door, Ralphie barking at our heals. I showed Ray the compressor round the side of teh house and he began to look around. As he took off the back of it I asked if he needed anything else, and also didn't want him to feel I was breathing down his neck, offered to leave.
"Sometimes workmen charge more if the homeowner watches." I lamely joked.
"No,' he said. It is good if you stay because I can show you just what I find."
Ray had a note of optimism in his voice. Like, he was really interested in finding out what ailed my A/C and our sticky house.
He showed me what he found as he found it. Without boring you to death, suffice it to say we needed a new unit.
It began to sprinkle. We went inside. My bedspread tremored in the non-existant breeze.
I wiped last night's pie crumbs from the kitchen table and Ray and I sat. Bryan stood nearby listening. He always is interested in house things like this. Ralphie gave a disconcerted half bark. He hates spending money on the house. Doesn't trust contractors as they smell wild.
Ray explained what was broken, the quick fix, the long fix, the works. I asked a million questions as I always do. Ray listened and answered. It was different in a small way than the usual contractor.
Soon dh came out of his office, with a questioning look. Great- just as we got all the info out, we would have to start explaining all over. Ray offered to explain again. He did patently. I was rather surprised. That optimism again.
I am so glad dh came out when he did.. as Ray got to explain it instead of me.
But, again the optimism. Dh asked- what he would do if it was his AC? Ray told us and then said he likes to look at every house and situation as if it were his mother's or sister's. I know this may sound corny but it seemed real.
I began to ask him about himself, how long he worked with this company and what he thought of them. Turns out he was offered a great job co-running another AC business. He loved it, but worked a zillion hours and missed his kids. So he came back to this business where he can be home, with a bit less money. He then shared some of his philosophy of life in between the lines...- his positive attitude and how he can help influence others. Bryan was abosorbing every word. So were dh and me.
He was a Ray of sunshine on this dark, misty day with moldy bed linen on the fence.
Yesterday as they began to install, Ray helped the main guy, Winston, get started. From up in the game room (our overloaded room that needs clean out so badly) I heard a giant crash! The plastic 3-tier bookshelf on which I keep all our sciecne books had fallen. Ray and Winston began to pick up - I told them to leave it.. I would. This got me to finally move these books out.. but then Ray and I started talking. About his kids. Especially his son who is 8 and loves to read. Ray is not much of a reader, but his son always has his nose in a book, Narnia, Harry Potter and beginning LOTR. Wow, Ray- that is great. Ray knew. Not sure where his son got it, but was glad.
So, Ray brought some sunshine. His attitude on life. His emphaisis on customer service. ("I solve people, not problems." he said).
His committment to his family. And his priorites. They are in the right order.
Ding Dong. Ralphie goes wild barking. It's the dryer guy.
2 comments:
lovely, lovely post. I need a Ray.... :-)
I'll be calling for Ray's number one of these days...
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