It was going to be a long bus ride.
I had a book and earphones that would be enough to keep me busy while in the three-and-a-half-hour journey.
I was not fortunate enough to get a window seat, even though I hoped our neighbor would open the window when it got too warm or stuffy. An hour into the journey, the passager beside me asked if I knew anything about whole-apartment oil furnaces. I hesitated before I answered him because it was an different question. I told him that I am an Heating, Ventilation, and A/C repairman, and then he smiled. Whinstallation and ductwork 5 years ago. I was surprised that I gave him a confused look. He asked if I worked for a unique heating corp and when I said yup, he told me that he remembered me from the crew that inspected his boiler installation. He told me it was difficult to forget the only lady in a team of men. All of us talked about the gas furnace, and I asked him if it had been serving him well. He told me that he had not had any troubles with it because he tried his best to apply most of the energy-saving help tips both of us had given him. He also ensured that he contacted the apartment services contractor every year for furnace/heater tune-up. He also told me that he had switched to a washable filter that he found worked better. I asked him if he kept an eye on his Heating, Ventilation, and A/C duct, and he admitted that other than sealing a leak once. I advised him to contact a heating provider to do a duct cleaning. He also told me some minor troubles with his gas fireplace, and I told him a few things he could try.