"When Murray looked up from his work and saw five-year-old Katie Delaney's blue eyes he could think of only one thing: Trouble.
'Does your mother know you're down here in the basement?' Murray asked.
Katie gave Murray an impish grin. 'I know what that is,' she said, pointing to the bicycle pump. You use it to pump up a bicycle and that.' She pointed toward the compression tank.
'Yes, that's right,' Murray said, 'Maybe you should go upstairs now.'
'You're fat,' Katie Delaney said, which was true, as she scampered up the steps.
Ten minutes after Murray had finished installing the new compression tank and had gone, Katie Delaney skipped back downstairs to continue doing what she had been doing all week, which was to use the air in the compression tank to inflate a red balloon. The boiler's relief valve popped later that afternoon, of course, just as it had for the past five afternoons. When it did, Katie's mother just called the service company again, forcing Murray to return ..."
And so goes the story of the mischievous Katie Delaney. There's more to the story, of course - including the incredulous tale of the marshmallow roast - but you'll have to get the book to read the rest. It, along with 40 other hilarious, yet subtly poignant stories about plumbing contractors and their clients teem forth from the pages of Dan Holohan's new book, Working.
As Dan notes, "Working is a book about things that could have happened exactly as told. Sort of." Other stories include "How Hap Magee gets paid," "Ernie's estimates" and "Mrs. Santucci's complaint."
Dan Holohan writes in a way that only he can, and most readers will find that they read the book from cover-to-cover when they only meant to sit down and read a story or two.
To order a copy, visit Dan's Web site at www.heatinghelp.com, or call 800/853-8882. The cost is $20
plus $5 shipping and handling. You won't be disappointed.
