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Random Encounters

House calls haven’t changed all that much over the years.

When you deal with the public you get to meet all kinds of people, for better or for worse.

Most people you deal with are average, and as a result not necessarily memorable.

Others are more memorable, and not always in a good way.

I had a new client who wanted a retrofit project: a media room in his basement. So I scheduled a site visit to go look at the space and take some measurements.

“I’ll be at work.” The client said, “But my son will be home. He can let you in.”

I don’t know what I expected when I rang the doorbell, but to have the door opened by a long haired, bearded Viking in full Black Metal regalia wasn’t it.

By “full Black Metal regalia” I mean not only the leather, and chrome studs, the denim battle vest with band patches on it, but the white and black full face paintjob too.

Doubtless I’ll get reader emails explaining the distinctions between black metal, death metal, viking metal, etc…

I’m not making this up.

Like the butler from the Addams family, the client’s adult son opened the door without saying a word. Unlike the butler from the Addams family, he held a MacBook Pro in his left hand, and was wearing big professional headphones plugged into the MacBook.

Even through the studio cans he was wearing I could hear metal guitar riffs leaking out.

After opening the front door he turned his back on me and went back to sit down at the kitchen table, all without saying a word or cracking a smile.

I went downstairs to the rec room. Took pictures and measurements. Then went back upstairs. Metal Viking was still sitting at the kitchen table, attention focused on his MacBook and acknowledged me not at all.

I let myself out.

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