Small town living

My wife and I live in a small town community of roughly 4000 people.  It's an old borough of Western PA, where 100 year old buildings and homes are the norm.  Our favorite restaurant has been around since 1903.  The local Masonic building has been up since the late 1800's.  Many of the roads are brick.  Like I said, it's an old town.  The town is so old that it is the electricity and water supplier.  You pay your bills to the city each month.  They refuse to accept credit or debit cards, leaving you with cash or check as your only options of payment.  

Being an old town, it has old town mentality, which we enjoy.  Neighbors look out for each other, often times feeding the elderly at least once or twice a week, if we don't see their family doing it.  We take care of each other, expecting nothing in return for out efforts.  It's nice.  It's quaint.  

Recently we decided to upgrade out electric service from the 60 amp glass fuse panel to a larger, much better designed 150 amp circuit panel.  Everyone we asked suggested that we use a certain local company.  The family owned company has serviced the borough since the first electric line was strung in the borough limits.  I called them, and was given an estimate that was much less than some of the companies outside of the community, so I hired the guy.  He was in his late 60's, and did a great job.  However...It took him a week and a half due to his contract with the borough.  any borough outage or issue, he was called away.  Also, the town's fall festival was in full swing, which meant he was going to put the job off a bit more so that he could partake of the festivities.  Hey...he's been doing this for years, and it's how he works, and everyone loves the guy.  So, a week and a half later, the job that should have taken only a day for a normal company, was completed, and passed both the building inspector's, as well as my own, critical sets of eyes.

The following week, I decided to have our furnace checked before the cold season really set in.  I contacted a local guy that came well respected.  He, too, gave me an estimate that beat the pants off of other estimates I received, and since he was recommended by many, I hired him.  

He came out last week on Monday to have me sign the contract and to pick up the down payment.  He said he would be out on Wednesday to begin the job.  Wednesday came, and he arrived with a small crew of two guys, and set them about the task of removing the old furnace that was installed in 1956.  This thing was huge, heavy, dusty, and mean.  It took them 6 hours to get all of it out.  I was told that this furnace most likely replaced the old coal burner that was originally installed back in the 1910's.  I assumed that the crew would be back to install on the following day.  Thursday came and went without a crew.  On Friday, I got a call stating that the crew was unable to make it out due to an emergency job with the borough.  On Saturday, the owner came out to deliver the new system, and bring it in the basement.  He stated that his crew works on the weekends at their pleasure, and that they didn't return his calls, so he would be back on Sunday with a few family members and friends to install the furnace.

On Sunday morning, he shows up with his crew, and they began the task of modifying the existing ducting to accept the new furnace.  8 hours later, the furnace was installed, plumbing for the new 5-ton A/C system was run, and the furnace was made operational.  He said that he would call me the next day to let me know what day he would be out to install the A/C unit...which will likely be Thursday, if all goes well.  Thursday...two weeks from the day I first called him...10 days from the day that I signed the contract and gave him the down payment.

So...here I sit in a warm and comfortable, 115 year old home, waiting for the guy to call to let me know when he'll be back to complete the job.  Once installed, I'll have to wait til Spring for him to put freon, or whatever it is they use now.  He said he would pressurize the system with nitrogen, but that I'll have to wait til next year for the job to be finished completely...and that I can pay the last $250 of the job on that date, whenever that will be.  It's a good thing that A/C season is over for the year.

Yeah, living in a small town means you live in a town where people are kind, know you by name or car, know who visits you and when, and where businesses take their time to service their customers. 

It may seem that I'm complaining about the two companies above, but I'm not.  The jobs they have done are flawless in every way.  They are the most professional I've ever dealt with, and have shown themselves to be people I would like to have as friends.

I think we'll add them to our Christmas card list, and bake them some goodies from our kitchen for the holidays this year.