From 10 years ago today. When I was a young man, I thought I could do anything, and my spouse believed me. When I was a middle-aged man, I still thought I could do anything, but my spouse had grown skeptical. Now that I’m an older man, I’m beginning to suspect the truth myself. On the subject of plumbing, I once had a friend and neighbor who is no longer with us. He had retired from a career in the U.S. Navy, where he serviced and repaired diesel engines. These were ship engines; the Navy had some big diesel engines! When he finally retired, he began a second career as a plumber. Residential plumbing must have seemed like child’s play to him. In fact, he always told people a plumber only needs to know two things: hot water goes on the left, and sewage flows downhill, though my friend the old Navy man did not say “sewage.” I know from firsthand experience that he was exaggerating.