Welcome to our 2023 nightmare
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| kitchen |
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| our front room in January |
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| kitchen |
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| we had used the table for maybe six weeks just to have it all full again. |
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| no counter room |
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| front room |
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| after the demolition they brought in a laundry sink which we are still using BTW |
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| front room Jan/Feb |
Doesn’t appear that I have posted anything about the refrigerator or our disastrous issue STILL at hand. I had created a post about our situation – though not the fridge specifically. It was posted on February 16, 2023. I had it up for a day before I took it down. The title had given away the name of our insurance company as well as their logo smashing a house. But as they still hadn’t paid anything, I took it down temporarily.
We have since collected a partial payment which is better than nothing but still not enough and we do plan on changing insurance companies (Richard thought he would save money by bundling, but I was happy with our former company and hope that they will take us back because I really am not impressed with the one that we are with currently) and also have a problem with the contractor – but that is another post of itself.
So
let me now take you on the beginning of our “living conditions” journey:
We
had purchased a brand new refrigerator probably ten years ago. When we moved from West Valley to Myrtle Creek we had
brought our fridge with us. When we lived
on Jenny our fridge lived in the garage.
We used it but not the automatic water dispenser as it was not hooked up
to the waterline.
We
did hook it up to the hose when we moved to tri city. With each move that poor refrigerator seemed
to take a beating. We were looking at
fridges in August of last year but were having a hard time finding one with the
dimensions that would fit the allotted space.
Since the pandemic started companies have stopped making the smaller refrigerators
and all fridges that are currently manufactured have are 36 inches wide. Our allotted space is 34. And we’d need it even smaller than that in
order for the fridge to breathe – which the one we had was not. That may have been what caused it to fail
completely.
The
signs were there and we had been looking, but once Biff and his family moved in
we had stopped looking – until the second Wednesday in January of this year. Richard and I were already on our way to the
big city of Roseburg when Clair called fearing her position of bearing bad
news. I think she and Biff had the worst
of it as they were assigned clean-up duty while Richard and I diverted our
plans and ended up at an appliance store that had some dated fridges that were
less than 34 inches.
Most
of the items from the fridge itself cook be salvaged and had been moved into
the back fridge (the one we had reserved solely for drinks because the fridge
itself had only cost 5.00 and so we didn’t know how reliable it would be) but
everything in the freezer had been left at a 56+ temperature and had to be
thrown away. They had filled a black
trash bag with rotten food. It makes me
gag just to write about it.
A
week later our obviously smaller fridge arrived and Richard hooked it up – but couldn’t
quite figure out the hose (though he had the ability with the old fridge . . .
don’t understand what had happened) thus he called the plumber to assist. But when the fridge was pulled away from the
designated area it was discovered that there was a large area of water damage
that had accumulated over the years (probably the source of the initial water
damage found in this post) . https://beneaththewraps.blogspot.com/2022/08/we-are-so-blessed.html
The
plumbers called a company that had worked on our house prior to our trip to California. They worked under the house to restore to
being dry. The insurance company told us
that they do not pay for “under the house”; our initial one did. Anyway, the source of where the water had
come from remained unknown until the fridge incident – which was in the
opposite part of the house; it hadn’t occurred to any of us to look there as
the source.
Anyway,
though we felt we had been cheated by the contractor I did like the
employees. We learned that the company
had/had a new owner who may not have the experience needed to run the
company. I hear they are down to only
three employees. Everyone else who had
worked on our house (and there have been A LOT) have quit. Lack of communication? I would highly suspect that has a lot to do
with it. I want our former insurance and
their contractors to serve us again.
I
never did feel good allowing them to do what they did. Too late now.
Will post “progress” pictures tomorrow.
Meanwhile . . . well, you’ll see . . .
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I understand the need for plans – especially
when others are involved – but overall I
am a spontaneous gal. I don’t like to
plan. Plans don’t always go
accordingly. If things are done
spontaneously, there is less disappointment on my end.
Scenarios: planning Jaime’s birthday party around the
unpredictable weather – or in the
case of her “sweet
sixteenth” the pandemic
. . .
Activities and events have to be
planned out and announced ahead of time to get a good turnout – one would
hope. My jeopardy game (here) was cancelled
three years in a row before it finally came to pass
You book your tickets in advance so
that you have a guarantee. You choose
September believing it will be cooler.
Who knew there’d be a
heatwave and fires that late in the year?
But you aren’t able to get
a refund. So now what? There is no plan B.
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According to Google An
assertive person is more calm, confident, and laid-back, while a turbulent person
is more anxious, self-conscious, and perfectionist. I can see why one is
54 and the other 46. So close.
I am a lot more organized in a work setting than I am with my personal life. If I have deadlines to reach I stay on task and endure until the job gets done. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of spontaneity in the work situation.
Perhaps that is why I don’t get excited about careers or
goals. Yes, I am ambitious to a degree,
but in my personal life spontaneity just seems to work out better than the
disappointments of having plans fall through.
I
think in many cases the “personality” quizzes are geared towards job/career and
not so much “personal” life. But I
seldom ever take a quiz with a job in mind, let alone a career. Why not just make a career out of uplifting
others? Even if it means one doesn’t get
paid. Money isn’t everything. Nor does it necessarily equal success. Not in my book anyway.
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There
have been many times I have passed up opportunities or advance in promotion
when I know that someone else can benefit. I think putting another’s
happiness before my own can make me equally as happy if not more than if I
allowed myself to take the reigns.
One
example that comes to mind is when a friend and I had joined a bowling
team. One of the members was a single guy who seemed to be
interested in both of us, and I knew she liked him. I could have
gone out with him but thought she might do better in his
company. They were married and as far as I know are still
together.
I
do tend to allow my emotions to get the better (or worst?) of me – especially when
finances are involved. I don’t think I’m
nearly as sentimental as I used to be – still I do miss items based on sentimentality
and not so much financial worth. I will
generally follow my heart over more head – or at least wish that I would. When I go by my head it generally has a negative
effect.
I
used to be impatient with others for not understanding my point of view but
have gone from tolerance to an almost compassionate state. I didn’t think I would ever say or feel this,
but I know that having Biff and Clair here has been really good for me. They are different people who think different
thoughts, experience different emotions and will never change to my way of
thinking or how I feel.
The
diversity in our household right now is less than ideal but somehow has created
a sense of peace and acceptance. Be
lying if I said I was totally happy with the situation. I would still like my own space but have come
to realize that they are more important.
Richard
will often turn the TV on to Maury or some other related show where people
argue in front of the camera. I don’t
enjoy watching people argue or take pleasure in other’s misery. It isn’t funny. It’s sad and pathetic. I don’t support that kind of behavior. And yet there are many in the nation who thrive
on it. The disrespect between others
boost ratings. Violence is fun to
watch. I don’t get it. It either upsets or disgusts me.
I
do tend to allow my emotions to control me more than I control them, but I am
learning. I hope that through the
experiences that I am currently experiencing that I have become a better person
than I was last week or last month – surely I am a better person than I was a
year ago.
I
tend to let the weather control my mood also.
I don’t know how to change that one.
Next is 81 observant. That seems to fit the Introvert portrait as far as I can tell. I may be intuitive to a small degree but overall I am not. I have become aware that not one size will
fit all and what works best for one situation may not even apply to another. I think this post provides some good insight
as to the difference between observant and judgment
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I do enjoy going to art museums for a
short time. I enjoy some works while
others do not appeal to me. I don’t enjoy discussing “what
this piece means” or “abstract and balance and all whatever else there is”. I like art for the eye appeal not because of
one’s (artist included) interpretation.
Just let me enjoy with my eyes.
However I do find myself wondering about why certain
lyrics were written or what meaning a song has for the author. Usually I will like a song based upon the
music before I even know what the words are. I don't know why I am willing to explore lyrics that I hear as opposed to what I see.
I am more comfortable being observant than intuitive.
I have posted only two of six thoughts on the personality quiz that I took. Thus I have four to go but will wait before posting the next as today is Jai’s birthday. We had her spring break. It was good to have her home. We played a few games with one another. Sadly not with the entire family as our house is in disarray and has been for the entire year due to water damage and contractor delays (which really is another post within itself) and thus lack of room.
Jaime had actually had to resort to
sleeping in a bed rather than on the floor which she seems to prefer. No floor
space in the room that started out as the office but houses Ally’s possessions. Jaime will need her own room come summer and
it doesn’t appear that
the others will be leaving anytime soon.
Jaime spent her last weekend with some
friends at a lake house near Reedsport.
She did not return until after three.
Richard and I loaded her up and drove her back to Ashland. It started snowing before we returned to
Myrtle Creek. Hit a few pockets of snow
and slowed traffic on our return in the dark.
I would have suggested to just stop off somewhere for the night but I
have a doctor’s appointment
in half an hour.
I know at least four people who have birthday's today. I only went to Jaime's wall for a personal greeting and posted a gif for all four on my wall tagging each of them. First day of no mask wearing in the Oregon health care (at least for now)
Popularity was never important to me, but I wasn't thrilled about being bullied. I guess I did okay as an outcast and perhaps that is what shaped me from lacking the desire to be social.
A strong lean toward being introverted came as no surprise to me. I have always preferred being alone or in really small groups. I have never really been one to strike up conversations – especially with the unknown though my role in the RS presidency has pushed me out of my comfort zone. I find that I do enjoy greeting people and getting to know them – like the speed friendship activities.
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I don’t enjoy large groups. I don’t initiate activities. I avoid leadership roles – though I have become more comfortable with taking charge . . . well, maybe not. For instance, if I am asked to teach I make myself a conductor and ask questions that I pray will lead in a direction other than myself. I don’t normally enjoy drawing attention to myself.
One question asked if I had had an exhausting
day would I like to wind down with a social activity. To me that is NOT winding down. Give me a book. Give me YouTube. Give me my kindle. Give me a deck of cards so
that I might play solitaire. I would prefer no people if I’m trying to
wind down.
