Renovation and Makeover

We knew there'd be problems before we moved in.  I didn't get that the discoloration on the floor meant water damage.  We called the insurance company who sent a crew out June 28 and stayed with us until July 6 and disappeared.

The insurance company had wired money to our bank in addition to paying Service Master.   okay, additional expenses like the plumber, electrician . . . but wait.  We still need more than just a sub floor. . . Installation 

We finally heard back from Service Master on August 11, I believe.  It was by phone on Friday and they said they'd be out on Monday.  They weren't.  Roland received a call after 6:00 pm on Tuesday.  A representative came to give an estimate, which Roland tore apart and ended up agreeing to dry wall only.  Oh, and let's not forget the furnace that has been in our kitchen the last 6 weeks.  And please return our daughter's possessions!

Dry wall put in.  Furnace installed but not connected.  Jenna's belongings didn't arrive until Friday.  To save ourselves some money, we decided to paint and install the floors ourselves. Some pictures I have posted already.  But here is a synopsis of our lives June 28 through today.

June 27 water damaged floor

floor ripped up and fans dry out

furnace lived in the kitchen along side our dining table

I did try to liven it up a little

didn't always work out though

this would be Jenna's room June 29

Roland on cat walk fixing breaker switch Jun 30

we had pulled out 5 drawers of clothes and 

stored them in the tub - it served as a temporary closet

washer and dryer lived outside

July 3,  Jenna's room

furnace hole, Jenna's room, washer and dryer space

July 6 subfoor

July 6  Jenna's room

furnace still not hooked up

this one appears to be out of order . . . . hmm. 

wall connecting to laundry wall  July 1 probably

washer disconnected Aug 16

Aug 16 wall in Jenna's room

sorting through clothes that Kylee gave her

Aug 16

cutting drywall in our carport

Aug 16 Roland spackling laundry/hall

Aug 16 spackling Jenna's wall

Aug 18 Jenna picked out a really loud paint

August 20, finally set up for moving back in

August 22 quite proud of her green wall

Aug 22, start the flooring project

our back porch during renovation

Aug 24

our kitchen seems to have taken a dive as well

Aug 25 All done.

Not Even Close

              This morning I started a search for pics to go with the next post I had mind – which has only been written in my head and outlined on paper, but still needs to be transferred which I had planned today but things don’t always go according to plan . . . like yesterday morning seeing Riddle before the town awakens and the streets have no traffic on them whatsoever.

            I did not notice any traffic as I drove to the blueberry patch this morning.  The drive seems long each time I go out there, but somehow felt even longer this morning.  I had gone a different way than I had the other 12 – 20 times I’d gone there before.  The sun shining directly over the spotty windshield did not help matters.  I felt like I had been driving for half an hour at least.

            I wish I had left the house sooner.  It had been cool when we first arrived, but warmed up really quick – not as hot as yesterday morning, but still – not the most comfortable temperature.

            The berries did not seem as big and full as they had been last year.  It’s also later in the season, but they just started accepting pickers yesterday. Roland had wanted us to return with 50 pounds.  That is a lot for just two people to pick.  We stopped at eight, but returned to the patch for seven more bringing us to a grand total of 15.  I told Jenna that 15 and 50 sound a lot alike.  We decided we’d return on Saturday with Roland.

            Neither Jenna nor I had eaten before we left the house.  She ate as she picked.  Of course it didn’t fill her.  (That girl’s a walking stomach.)  I debated on whether to stop somewhere for breakfast or return to the house first.  Roland was quite disappointed that we had not picked more.  Last July we had picked over 20 pounds in record time – but there were six of us picking!  This morning it was just me and Jenna.

            I couldn’t park in the driveway as the big yellow truck had returned.  I only saw one worker, though I believe there were more.  Surely it was more than one person making all that noise. I checked something on the computer before making my way to the kitchen. Roland and a worker were talking.  I asked Jenna if she just wanted to go out to eat – like she’s going to say no – but Roland ended up fixing breakfast for us and I was reminded of a meeting I had scheduled for this afternoon and told Jenna I that I would take her with me – though I didn’t particularly want her at the meeting, I had already promised that I would take her to the library and the location of the meeting was between the library and our house.

            Roland made us blueberry pancakes.  We were at the library for less than an hour when I received a phone call from one of the committee members asking if I could meet her earlier.  So, I checked out the media I had collected and assisted with writing information on a card as we are back to the way check-outs had been done back in the day as we are no longer on a computerized system.

            Myrtle Creek isn’t as strict about the checkout procedure as Riddle. As of now, patrons are only allowed two items for up to three weeks.  I don’t believe a limit has been given to the patrons of Myrtle Creek.  Riddle uses clear plastic jackets for their cards.  MC has the old fashioned oaktag pockets – which are easier to fasten to book or DVD but obviously cover more and can’t be read through as the pockets used by Riddle.  I filled out an application for a card.  Jenna asked me to take a picture of her in the tent - I couldn't fit the entire tepee into my camera.  

this is the display case featuring some of the houses
from the little pig story as told on the grand opening

After taking pictures, we left the library and I put my items in the trunk and drove to the location of the meeting (which we normally have at the Church but thought we would try something different this month – and it seemed to be successful)

            After the meeting, I brought Jenna home with intentions of getting on the computer to look up some things and create minutes to send out.  The yellow truck was still in the driveway; in addition, there was a white truck marked plumber parked on the side.  I sat down to turn on the computer before I notice that the power had been shut off.  Oh, my word.  It is soooooo hot.  (We are blessed to have a cool breeze blowing in the room as I’m certain the temperature in all other parts of the house are 20 degrees above the bedroom.  I don’t know why the temperature always feels so much different in that part of the house.

            In addition to the heat, it appears a group of flies have entered the house as well.  Damn them!!!  Currently Roland is going through the house with an exterminator.  We have never seen a rat since we’ve been here, but apparently, they have been living under the house and have been causing problems. Even though we have all this activity going on, we are truly blessed.  Even Jenna who is still without a room.  It really would be nice having her in Salt Lake with her brothers.  At the same time, I’m grateful that she can experience these inconveniences.

            We now have a/c and fan running.  Plants thirsty and watered.  I’m showered and it feels nice.  This wasn’t my intended post.  Hopefully tomorrow.

Making Progress

             The service team came on Wednesday and remained for a good part of the day.  They came on Thursday but did not stay as long.  An electrician came on Friday and added electric tape to chewed area - Roland could have done that - and there wouldn't be a bill . . .

            Jenna and I went to the laundry mat yesterday.   I knew I'd need to do laundry before Wednesday but have a commitment to the library on Monday and as Tuesday is a holiday and the laundry mat may be closed, I decided it needed to be done yesterday.

          Roland stayed to water plants and other gardening.  We gave Jenna a choice and she went to do laundry with me.  I'm happy that she made that choice as I had forgotten the detergent, and later realized I did not have enough change in quarters and so went across the street and wrote a check for twenty dollars over my canned good purchase (I had felt obligated to purchase something.

           Jenna is a great folder.  She really was a tremendous help.  After we returned home, she to Roseburg with Roland.  I put clothes away and made our bed without the extra blanket.  Neither Roland nor I have slept well because it's been hotter in the house than it has been outside - even he has had the covers off from time to time.    

           Roland had opened the front door and had the fan going into the house and another sending cool air into the hall - which was fine for about an hour after we returned.  At 5:00, it started to get to warm.  Roland had already blocked the back room - if you would call it that.  I don't think it's large enough to define as a room.  More like entry-way space really.

            We decided to try the air conditioner.  Two seconds after I shut the front door (literally) there came a knock.  How could anyone possibly be that close to the door and I had not seen him?  He had come to take another reading.  He said the area had dried in the back and removed the fans and other device that been hooked up for the last four days.  He'll be back tonight to recheck Jenna's room and hopefully will be able to take away as well.

            She still won't be able to move in right away.  I don't think she realizes that drying out the moisture is only one step in the process.  She's expecting that they'll have her boxes (boxed up room) returned the minute the fans are pulled out from her room.  They won't be.  The hole in the wall still needs to be repaired.

           I'd love it if Jenna would be responsible enough to go through each box item by item and discard what she doesn't need.  I could do homework while she is going through boxes.  Realistically I will have to go through them with her - reminding her the less items she keeps, the easier it will be to maintain her room.

            After two nights of sweating and not sleeping, I slept with the air conditioner on last night and the switch hadn't tripped!  I had forgotten I had moved the extra blanket.  Roland said that he had been cold last night.  He probably didn't sleep as well as I.

            I have to prepare a lesson to teach the CTRs.  I was teach teaming with Valiants, but the CTR teacher is out of town currently - and so are half the primary children.  I've started many a post of my position in primary but have not completed - there are actually many thoughts in the works that never get posted.  Somehow they no longer seem important enough to post.

             

No Room For Jenna

            Have you ever felt inconvenienced by a situation, but later on down the road, you realize that inconvenience was/is a blessing?  It’s even more awesome when you can recognize the blessings in the process of being inconvenienced.  I can see the blessings;  Jenna sees the inconveniences that become more inconvenient to her with each passing minute.

            I noticed when I mopped the floor in the back room, there was a nasty splotch that wouldn't remove - a stain I hadn't noticed before (I'm actually not all that observant) nor had I noticed the floor had gotten softer.  I had just chalked that up my own aging and slowing down.  It seems like each time I did laundry, moisture would leak out between the walls and the floor.  Oh . . . . that is not good.

             Roland contacted our insurance company to find out just what is covered.  On Wednesday, they sent out a team (I think there were a total of seven that had come and gone throughout the day - mostly grouped together.  I think I counted only six at one time) and had taken a picture of the floor while the washer and dryer were still intact, but it is my only picture of the floor before it was ripped out and the back door has been off limits ever since..

            One of the lucky souls had the opportunity of crawling under the house to look for beneath damage.  He brought out the mummy remains of a cat.  He said it wasn't bad.  Surprised that ivy continued growing underneath.  Those viney plants are like weeds.  They are forever growing.

             We had told Jenna to clean her room before they arrived.  We are always telling Jenna to clean her room.  Now it is off limits  – but not like the back room is.  There is a hole in her wall and a fan on the floor.  On Wednesday  a worker packed 21 boxes filled with items from Jenna’s dressers and under her bed.  Those items included shorts that she hadn’t bothered to put away.  Too bad.

            It felt like there were 15 people in the house yesterday – removing items from her walls, dresser drawers, they removed her bed and dressers.  Most of her room is now in a storage facility in Winston.  It seems weird that I had mentioned the government invasion from E. T. and then we have a company come into our home to "set up shop".  We have seen more people coming in and out of our house in the last two days than there have been in the entire time we’ve lived here.  They all seem like young kids – the same age as my boys.  All working together.  All skilled in different areas.  It’s actually kind of impressive.

            Initially we had called a plumber – who still hasn’t gotten back to us.  And then Roland called the insurance company and they sent out the crew who tore up the floor and are drying out the mold.  Roland had always said that Jenna’s room smelled bad.  I can’t smell.  Even now with the open walls and floor and the fans set up in Jenna’s room and the laundry room.  Our house looks like it did when we first moved in.

            But instead of drawers on the back porch,  there are five with Jenna’s clothes inside our tub and a suitcase in the bathroom and she is sleeping on the couch thinking about things she might need from her room – knowing exactly where they are – or were.  Only a fan and the carpet padding.  No furniture.  The stuffed animals were left in her closet and two items remain on her wall.  That’s it.

            We did lose power in the back half of the house twice now.  It’s happened before – but usually it’s been the front of the house that’s gone out.  I wonder if the fans are on generators. 

So what are the blessings?

            We aren’t out of town.  We had already changed our plans for August.  The work may not be done by then.  We had our hottest day on Saturday.  Wednesday was at least 40 degrees cooler.  40 degrees!  The cool breeze was nice as we have been unable to use the air conditioner – perhaps all summer. 

           I didn't notice any unbearable heat until last night.  The temperature says 59 degrees outside right now, but there is not breeze.  It's quite hot in our room.  If I try running the air conditioner, it will just trip the switch again.  I am sweating like I have just run a marathon. 

         The water damage could have been so much worse.  It's the dry season right now and that will help our house to dry quicker.  I’m hoping this will be a major teaching moment for Jenna.  I’m not even worried about the finances right now.  Also a blessing.