Drying Out...

Happy Friday!

A few people have asked, "So how is the restoration going? Are you drying out yet?" Well, let's see. . . New Years Day was pretty much a wash. hahaha
Hey, at least I can laugh about it! I had the drone of the two big fans for a total of six days. I think that I mentioned about the restoration guys visiting Thursday, and partially cutting open my bedroom wall to air-out behind the tub.

Friday, my insurance adjuster visited, photographed, measured and documented, but I think I mentioned that too. Monday the restoration guys came back and took their fan club home. It was suddenly SO quiet!!! The heater came on and startled me! haha "Oh yeah, regular house noises!" But there was still a six foot hole in the bottom 12" of my bedroom wall and insulation was exposed. It would have been a messy place to have the cats messing around and exploring, so I had to keep the bedroom door closed for a while longer. And if you know anything about cats, they do NOT suffer a closed door in their house very well!! So there was no hope of ME using the room and shutting them out. They would have worried the door into oblivian!! So we continued to camp out in the living room a few more days.

The contractor fellow from Cactus Rose Construction had called me on Sunday, just to touch base. He said he'd call back on Monday to schedule a visit. He forgot about me on Monday. I called them on Tuesday and he called me back within about an hour. He said he had that nagging feeling all day Monday that he'd forgotten something. He appologized profusely and said he felt so guilty. I told him that as long as he felt guilty, then he was forgiven. We laughed. He visited later, on Tuesday afternoon. He also measured and documented. He gave me the bad news. . . That it would be about three weeks before they could get to me.

He said I have the option to ask State Farm to chose another contractor in the hopes of getting someone sooner. But I already knew how slammed everyone in the local industry has been. A LOT of folks had freezing pipe troubles between Christmas and New Years, but most of them sustained more damage than I did, because most of them weren't home when their's happened, and/or their's came through ceilings. I was one of the lucky ones. So I told him that if three weeks was when we could get it done, then so be it. I asked only one thing. . .
. . . "Could you, pretty please, slap some wall board up over the hole in my wall, to keep the cats out of the wall? That way I could at least be back in my bedroom and sleep in my own bed and get off the couch! Could you please just do that little thing? No frills, just wall board."

He said that would be no problem and that he could come over in the next two days and do that for me. He said he would do that himself. I was very grateful. That meant I would only be on the couch another night or two. He actually ended up coming over the very next day. . . to take the photos he forgot to take the day before, and to put the wall board up for me. Then he moved the entertainment center back against the wall for me and put the tv back in place.

So I'm off the couch and using my bedroom again. I'm opting to keep that bathroom closed off, for now. There is no linoleum on the floor, just bare concrete. And the front kick-board is now missing from the vanity. None of that is a real big deal and I could toss a couple of throw rugs down and still use that bathroom. But the silly cats do try to squeeze under the vanity. I worry that there might be exposed nails under there or they might get stuck. Since I have already been using the middle bathroom and my stuff is already in there. . . AND I would just have to move my stuff back into the middle bath in three weeks (when they come back to do the work). . . I just keep the master bath closed and use the middle bathroom until it will be all done. Besides, the cats have been enjoying the clear shower curtain I have in the middle bathroom. It seems to be a fun novelty to explore! So it's all good and things will gradually get back to closer to normal.

I'm still looking for meaningful work, but I'm Ok so far. Last night I was sitting in my livingroom, reading a book about my new camera, by the fire. I had a purring cat sitting against one leg. I had to smile. I thought about how very blessed I am. I have a home, and a loving family, and terrific friends. I am warm and relatively safe in my home. It's a calm and happy place to be. So there are a couple of minor inconveniences in my life at the moment. . . So what? At least my circumstanses are such that I qualify for unemployment benefits. And I will find meaningful employment. . . Long before the benefits run out, I'm sure! I feel blessed that I can sit by a warm fireplace in my home and read a book with a purry kitty at my side. And I know that if I want to pick up the phone and chat with my Mom or my Dad, some other family member, or one of my friends, they are a phone call away. So. . . Life is Good!

Be well!
~Paulena