An Update . . .

OK, so I didn't get an additional post in this week, despite my intentions of getting something up a couple times a week. Work was hectic this week: it's time to get the invoices out and we have the new bookkeeper, so it took longer than expected. But, I am, at last, getting back to doing some actual legal work instead of so much administrative stuff. That, at least, felt much better.

And we got the final bill for the dry out; just short of $9,000, but completely covered by our insurance. And we got the estimate on repairs; almost $18,000, and no depreciation for wear and tear. The insurance company is sending out a check made payable to us and the mortgage company, who will endorse it and send it back to us. Now, all we need is to figure out when they can come start work.

I did finish the lace baby blanket, but it's not blocked yet. And I got a good start on the sweater to go with it. I'm also planning for a bonnet and booties. The blanket is variegated; the rest is bright pink. I'll post pictures when they're done.

And I had a request from a co-worker to post pictures of the rooms that didn't get destroyed; I'll see if I can get those up this week, also.

Lastly, a friend made a comment about the term "middle aged" in my description; stating that I was "a little over-ripe" to be middled aged. Of course, I'm middle-aged; just ask my mother, she OBVIOUSLY can't be old enough to have a daughter who's past middle age! I think I've just started middle age, therefore, I am (if I live to be 117, that is!)

The Aftermath . . . .

Let's take a tour of how the so-called "rescue crew" left our house, shall we?

First, the kitchen:




Good thing we hadn't decided on a paint color in there yet.

Meanwhile, the dining room was completely done: paint, carpet, furniture, drapes, artwork, lighting. Now look:




Upstairs, here's the view of the hallway: first into the master bedroom and then back out:




Yes, Virginia, that IS the bottom of the tub that can be seen through the hole in the wall. And can anyone explain to me why these guys so carefully put down sticky plastic to protect the carpet, just BEFORE THEY CUT HUGE CHUNKS OUT OF IT?

Here's the remains of the master bedroom and bath:







That box with the scale on top is covering the toilet drain (remember: the toilet is sitting in my SHOWER, for god's sake! That really has me grossed out.). Our jack russell, Andy, COULD NOT stay away from it, so we had to cover it with a box and then weight it down so he couldn't stick his head down the hole. He also thinks all these holes in the walls are big doggie doors just for him.

Since the master bath is toast, we're using the remains of the guest bath:



To end on a brighter, or at least prettier note: my lenten roses (hellebores) finally bloomed. I planted these babies back in May, 2005; right after we moved into the house. Having them bloom now is like finding the silver lining inside this gray cloud of a house.







I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but this weekend had one of those rare early spring days that we seldom get in Oregon: warm (high 50s), sunny, no rain, and that glorious neon blue sky. So getting some sun, and the flowers, really helped lift our spirits. I hope wherever you are, that you get at least one of those early spring days soon.

More Good News

The estimators from the rescue/restoration service were here on Monday to take pictures and work up what the repairs are going to cost. And the insurance adjuster was here on Wednesday to see how much damage there was. The adjuster called the estimator while he was here, and they seem to be on the same page cost-wise. And the adjuster said this will cost us nothing more than our deductible, which we paid the first day the rescue crew was here.

And thankfully, we have no damage to any contents of the house; no upholstered furniture got wet and no wood furniture was wet long enough to have been damaged. Except for a thin layer of drywall dust covering EVERY DAMN SURFACE IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE, nothing is damaged. Wonder if I can talk the adjuster into a one-time, top-to-bottom housecleaning when the repairs are done?

Additional info for those of you who haven't been keeping up before the blog: our homeowner's association (HOA) had to sue the builder of our townhomes because of some incorrect flashing, siding, etc. So, we have now won the lawsuit and we are now in the process of having outside reconstruction done. We've already got our new roof; and will later this spring have the siding torn off, the windows and doors rehung, and then new siding, trim, gutters and porch railings put on. Basically, we'll have a new house, inside and out, by fall. Problem is, we have to live in for the whole time.

Oh, I added some lists of my favorite stuff at the bottom of the page. And each entry has a place at the bottom where you can leave me comments.

I'll try to get pictures of the damage (and maybe some of the undamaged parts) up on the blog this weekend. Right now, I'm going to put my feet up (my ankles are swollen from the blood pressure medication, but I see the Dr. on Monday), turn on Law & Order, and see if I can finish that baby blanket I'm knitting.

P.S. - We hired a new bookkeeper for the office this week, Debi, and she is FABULOUS! And we have also hired a new associate attorney, who will start on 2/26. At least things are looking better on that front.

A little good news . . .

The rescue people came back late this afternoon and tested for moisture and guess what: They took away the LOUD machines! Yeah!

So tonight, I've been working on a layout one of my co-workers, Chris, is putting in her daughter, Lizzie's, senior album. I can't take credit for the layout, that's all Chris (she has such GOOD taste!), I only did the computer stuff for her. Isn't Lizzie just gorgeous?


I know you can't read the quote around the small picture; it says, "I'm fairly certain, given a cape and a nice tiara, that I could save the world." Awwww!

At last, a quiet night (finally) and not a damn thing on tv worth watching. So, I'm going to find something on Discovery Channel or History Channel so I can listen while I knit on a lace baby blanket for a long-time client who's expecting in May.

Now that I've learned to upload photos (Eat my dust, Naomi!) , I'll try to get some photos of the house, or what's left of it, posted soon. And maybe even some of my knitting; because one can never have enough fiber in their diet (get it?).

Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite.

Monday Morning

Well, we spent the weekend in the only two rooms untouched by the disaster: the guest bedroom and the family room. And we've either eaten out, eaten take out, or delivery pizza for 3 days so I feel like I'm coated in grease (inside and out!) After spending the weekend listening to those dehydrators and fans, the office seems relatively quiet. Rod says he's going to sell that equipment to foreign governments to use as torture devices! And we (finally!) heard from the insurance adjuster last night (he's probably sorry he waited so long to call and then got Rod on the phone after 2 nights of not sleeping because of the noisy machines!), who says he will be at the house on Wednesday to assess the damage.

Meanwhile, because the rescue services only took PARTS of the walls, ceilings, and floors out, I know the mess will get LOTS WORSE before it gets better.

Cie la vie!

My First Posting . . . .

Well, at long last, I decided to start a blog. I'm not sure why I decided to start now; it just seemed like time to join all the bloggers I regularly read. Then again, maybe it's because I'm in the middle a a really craptastic period of life and need to vent. Here's the short version of what's gone on in the last 3 months:

1. I'm pre-menopausal ('nuff said about THAT!).
2. My boss has been out of the office since early December on medical leave and we're not sure if she'll ever be able to return to practice law; which means much of the daily running of the office falls on me.
3. Then the meds they had me on for an immune disorder (sarcoidosis) caused my liver to stop functioning so I had to go off meds (it's better now, thanks).
4. Then the bookkeeper quit.
5. Then one of the associates decided to leave the firm.
6. Then my blood pressure went sky high (gee, think it might be stress related????)
7. Then, in the middle of the night last Monday, the toilet overflowed for approximately 3 hours. Now, what makes that so bad is that we live in a 3 story townhouse and the bathroom is on the top floor (translation: water flooded the bathroom and bedroom, ran through the floor into the kitchen ceiling below and flooded the kitchen, living room and dining room, then ran through that floor into the garage and family room.).
8. Then the rescue service didn't show up until yesterday, when they informed us this was a "black water event" (meaning it came from a toilet) so it's a HAZMAT situation.
9. The rescue service has done the following: On the third floor: torn out the master bathroom vanity, the floor in both bathrooms, taken out the master bath toilet and put it in my shower (ewww!), torn the bedroom carpet and most of the subfloor, and cut huge chunks of drywall out of almost every wall. On the second floor they have: taken out the entire kitchen ceiling and part of the living room ceiling, taken out most of the kitchen floor and subfloor, removed part of the dining room carpet and part of the living room carpet, cut big chunks of drywall out, moved out the stove and refridgerator, and are waiting on permission to take the cabinets off the shared wall. On the ground floor they have taken off the entire garage ceiling, most of the garage walls, and part of the family room wall. And they left big LOUD blowers and dehydrators on every floor that have to run for 4 days. FOUR DAYS, PEOPLE! Then they'll be back next week to see if it's dry enough to start reconstruction in 2 to 3 weeks. Holy @&%*+@#!
10. This water damage happened in a house we just bought 2 1/2 years ago, which had been a "builder's special for rental", and have spent the whole time painting, upgrading, furnishing, and decorating.

The only bright spot so far: a $500 deductible on the homeowner's insurance.

More to come later, I'm sure.