Anyone know a guy?

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

If my truck needs something repaired or replaced, I know a guy. I’ve been using the same mechanic for years now, and I trust him to do the job right and for the right price.

The same can be said for a lot of other services I use from time to time, from the guy who cuts my hair to the guy I call when our clunky old central air conditioning needs a little help. I’ve got the contact info I need for just about anything. Once you’ve gotten to be my age, you’ve had enough things go wrong, break down, wear out or get out of sorts that you’ve usually got “a guy” that you can call up and get it taken care of.

Well, I need a new guy. I have a spot on my kitchen ceiling that I have been trying to get repaired for months. It all started back before Thanksgiving when the drain pan for my air conditioner (yes, the one I mentioned above) rusted through up in the attic. Replacing the pan was easy enough, but we only discovered the leak after coming home from a weekend trip and finding an ugly wet brown spot on the kitchen ceiling. We have that “popcorn” textured ceiling that about 90% of homes seem to have and it was falling off in clumps on to the hardwood floors…ugh!

See VIEWPOINT, page A5 VIEWPOINT

From page A4

Well, we found a guy to fix the floors easily enough, but I have had no luck in finding a “popcorc ceiling repairman” for the ceiling.

I guess it is a pretty niche sort of job. My first attempts were met with a lot of messaging back and forth but never getting anyone out to actually look at it and give me an estimate.

I then turned to a friend who used to be in that sort of business but no longer is and he was supposed to “call a few guys” and see if anyone he knew could get the job done, but it has been long enough that either he couldn’t get any of his guys to bite or he’s just forgotten I asked.

Either way, I still need a guy… or gal… or even a crew. My wife has tasked me with getting this taken care of and she’s (understandably) running out of patience.

The real problem is I just don’t know who to even ask these days. I somehow never got around to having a go-to construction/repair guy because either I did it myself or my Dad could always fix it. Well, now here I am, so… if you know a guy, hook me up!