Plenty of parts, but not the one I needed

When I am building or making repairs at the lake, I like to have more materials or parts than I will ever expect to need.
With careful planning, laying out plumbing or electrical parts before heading to the lake, can usually ensure that the project will be completed.
My wife likes to tease me that I have built up quite a parts depot at the cottage, and I like to point out to her that it sure beats running back to the store for a 99¢ a piece.
This past weekend was no different. There is always something extra from any project, wood, nails, screws, wire etc. And she has come to accept my argument at the cottage that you can never have too many spare parts.
I had meticulously planned for the plumbing parts that I would need. I had preassembled the pieces at the store and then Friday I went to the cottage.
If it had been a wood working project, I would have measured twice before cutting.
Who measures pipe for a plumbing project?
Everything was going well. I was putting in a new water storage tank. With all the changes, I was going to be able to shut water off in one direction and continue to deliver water in another.
I only had made one small mistake. I had forgotten to measure the water pipe running to the old tank. I had guessed that its inside diameter was one inch. And once the old tank was pulled apart, and the pipe piece broken, I realized that I was in a jam.
I had bought extra pieces. One piece to be exact. I really thought that was overkill.
But that didn’t bother me, because I was sure that over time, I should have built an entire inventory of parts at the lake to make any repairs that were necessary.
Into the boxes of extra pieces I dove. I found all kinds of pieces of pieces for pipe larger than the kind I was using.
I found lots of electrical-fixtures, boxes, connectors. I found water pipe clamps. I even found pieces of the size I was looking for, but not the one piece I needed.
We had some company coming up the lake and a quick phone call to them had them scurrying to the store to help me.
As one lay person trying to explain to another lay person what a 1 inch to three-quarter inch reducer looks like over the phone could be used as a good comedy sketch.
Together with all his ability, we missed the mark. I could have run down the lake and shopped for the part, but by late Saturday afternoon, I really didn’t want to head down.
I have now marked on the plumbing information at the cabin more information about the water runs and the fittings we require.
I won’t guess as much about what my father did 30 years ago without measuring first and consulting that information.
The new tank works wonderfully and we have constant pressure in the water now.
However, the shower was put on hold for another week, while I get those extra pieces. I do have a group of pieces that I won’t be using.