Quiet Again

Those of you who have followed me for any length of time know that I often go quiet...go missing.

I go without explaining myself and no one knows how long I will be gone...

...least of all me.

The quiet times are never planned or premeditated but sometimes there's an "aura" (in the sense of a warning/sensation preceding a medicinal episode such as a migraine or seizure) or a foreboding. 

Such was the case when I went to the lake two-ish weeks ago to meet with someone about the fireplace. What was to have been a short two-day (at the most) trip, turned into a week of horrors.

(For context, you should know that I had just (as within in the last 6-9 mos.) finished with the remodeling of the lower level of the house: new flooring (wood and carpet), completely new stairs and railing, new doors, new walls, new trim, new baseboards, new ceilings, new bath fixtures, new EVERYTHING.

I had not even yet gotten to post about it, but I was so happy with how it turned out:)

When I arrived, however, there was a small lake surrounding the house (not to be confused with the large lake surrounding the property). We had gotten a great deal of snow and then the temperatures warmed quickly (for a few days) resulting in a quick thaw and all that "melt" went straight down the sloped driveway to the house.

When I went inside, my worst fears were confirmed.

This was what I saw:

I immediately threw down the tarp and towels, but that was a waste of time. The water deepened and spread before I could even catch my breath.

I called my insurance agent who, in turn, called a cleanup/restoration company and the nightmare began in earnest.

The company came and took up residence.

They said they would bring pickaxes to chop some of the ice that was melting to remove it and bring sub pumps. They did bring pickaxes the following day but chipped at the ice for 10 minutes at the most and then gave up and dumped ice melt on the ice...which, wouldn't you know? melted the ice and made MORE water that ALSO seeped into the house. 

They also brought sub pumps each day; but, each day, they brought ones that were too large or didn't work.

 They ripped up, removed, (and broke) flooring, tore off baseboard, trim, removed doors, vanity, toilet, put up plastic sheeting and brought over a dozen industrial machines in (water extractors, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, etc.) that ran (and made a deafening noise) 24/7.

The cats freaked and yowled at high pitch adding to the cacophony.

On Day 6, I told them to leave and take their machines with them.

(Another point of context: On Day 2, my insurance agent informed me that absolutely none of this would be covered by insurance. It was “ground water incursion” and that is an excluded event.)

I will have to start all over: New flooring, new baseboard, new trim, new dry wall in areas, new paint, new plumbing work.

There's more to the story about the new wool area rugs, pads, etc. that were shoved - along with other dry, undamaged items - into the small shower and left to moulder with the door closed, but I don't want to relive things by repeating them in written words.

In any event, it was, thankfully, at least quiet again.

I am back in Nod and have spent the last week rescheduling appointments that were canceled as a result of the unexpected lengthy stay at the lake and attempting to line up contractors and such...again.

I had hoped not to have to worry about the "root cause" of the melting/flooding issue until the ground was thoroughly unthawed but...winter has returned with a vengeance.

Thursday night into yesterday, we were hit with a nasty storm. The prediction was for 3-5". 

 We received 13".

We had a brief reprieve today, but we are now under a blizzard warning. 

"Mega Snow." 

That's one way of describing it.

I think it will be "quiet again."