And We're Back In The Game - Our Best Laid Plans

And We’re Back In The Game

Sorry for the long wait. The past few weeks have been…interesting, in the “may you live in interesting times” ancient proverb kind of way. I know we’ve been missing in action for a bit so this update on the situation is long overdue. It really is too much to cram into one post and expect anyone to make it to the end. So I’m going to break it into a couple smaller posts to help with digestion. So we’re back in the game and ready to get this train moving again. Get ready for a bunch of posts this week because a lot has been happening. Let’s start where we left off with Regular Dis-Regulation and the Flood.

A Little Recap

On our previous post I talked about something that every homeowner dreads. Waking up to an inch of standing water in a part of the house no water should be. Pro-tip: always make sure to evenly distribute your laundry in the washing machine, otherwise it could become unbalanced and shake until the drain hose detaches from the wall. As cool as an indoor water feature sounds it just doesn’t work when it’s a shallow pond…in the laundry room.

First order of business is call the insurance company and begin the process of damage control. Naturally the problem was bigger than it first appeared. Over the next couple days we had a steady stream of insurance inspectors, contractors, and family members assessing the damage. Asbestos was found in the sheetrock and needed to be removed. The “waterproof” floor that was installed after the last flood eight years ago was as water tight as a sponge. So the floor had to go and with it a lot of the subfloor. Emergency home repair is great!

While doing the damage assessment and coming to the realization that the floor, bathroom vanity, toilets, and several walls need to be replaced my parents figured we’ve gone this far, might as well keep going. Asbestos laden walls are being removed anyway, lets just throw in the hideous fake wood paneling and popcorn ceilings. Maybe redo the shower and renovate the kitchen. Heck, while we’re at it we can tear out the old carpet from the girls room and re-use the laminate flooring from the living room.

This train left the station like the little engine that could and now the project has grown into a much larger beast. It is amazing how quickly a project grows when you have momentum. The house looks like a construction site with exposed framing and floor joists. Work lights illuminate the dining and living room because the light fixtures have been removed. In reality, these are all things that were on the to do list already, and when opportunity comes, you take the shot.

Big projects like these take up a lot of time and money. So to help my parents save money I have been doing a lot of the work myself. I like working solo and it’s fun when I can throw on some loud fast music and work without distraction. The only real challenge is we have lots of family in the area that wants to help, which means lots of cooks in the kitchen. The extra help is great and I appreciate them wanting to do it together. I’m not bad at building. I’m just not experienced enough to teach other people, or delegate tasks very well. This has been a point of contention a few times. But its a good learning experience and give us a chance to learn together. It’s kinda like mixing thanksgiving with a team building retreat.

The Hotel

With the floor missing in places and no bathrooms in working order we could not stay at the house. The insurance company put us in a hotel for two and a half weeks. Surprisingly, it was a nice experience for the most part. We had two rooms and a small kitchenette so we could prep our own food. The bathroom was the size of a phone booth and the toilet kept backing up. The furniture the most uncomfortable I’ve ever experienced. But the beds were nice, and the air conditioning went all the way to 45 degrees. Covid restrictions had greatly limited possible activities, but the pool was open on a reservation basis for one guest room at a time. This was a godsend for keeping the girls occupied and not having to worry about other people.

Like everything else in life, the hotel was not without its own adventures. One night, Danielle heard our car alarm only to look out and see a young man trying to siphon our gas. She yelled, he stopped, and then his mother showed up and gave him a nice verbal lashing. Another night, a homeless woman somehow got into the hotel and was losing a yelling match in the hallway with someone only she could see. Tova wanted to go see what the commotion was all about so Danielle had to sit against the door to keep Tova from running The woman went for a smoke and got locked out ,then spent the next 3 hours pleading with every passerby to let her back in.

A week into our stay a massive wildfire broke out nearby (more about this later). Several communities in the area were forced to evacuate. Due to Covid, emergency shelters are not an option. The hotel that had been relatively quiet and unoccupied filled to capacity overnight. It’s always an adventure.

Our Temporary New Normal

During the day we waged war with our stubborn autistic six year old over doing her schoolwork. I would work at the house on demolition and removing junk with my family. Then back to the hotel to play with the girls, help make dinner, and do our new night time routine. Spend some time with Danielle and watch netflix for a bit. At night I’d head back to the house and try to get as much done as possible without distraction.

While this project has been going, we were still without a bathroom. Luckily for everyone else my parents have a pop up trailer with a toilet in it. I, however, refuse to do my business in a tent trailer. Partially because its a tent trailer and you can hear everything. Mostly because the last trailer I pooped in belonged to John Travolta (which is a story for another time). I’m ok with that being the last one I use for a bit.

Tova Starts First Grade!

In the midst of all this chaos, Tova began first grade! School is now completely remote, again thanks to the Coronavirus. It was smooth sailing for the first day. The second day lasted about half an hour. Since then school has become a war of attrition, and Tova’s stubbornness is rivaled only by our own. More on this later because the school issue deserves its own post.

It Doesn't Always Feel Like It But Its Good To Be Back In The Game

I cannot tell you how weird it has been to not be writing as much. The last month has just been, well, weird. It’s been overwhelming to be honest. Sleep, like always is an issue. And it feels like a million things are always happening all at once. One could say the excrement has made forceful contact with the oscillating air distributor. But we keep getting back up and keep moving forward. Now that we are getting back on track and starting to rebuild momentum get ready for a bunch of posts to drop quickly. And as always thanks for reading. If you like what we are writing about you can help support us on Ko-fi and help us by sharing our stories.