Week in review (or when life gets in the way of visiting blog friends)

This post could well have been called "The Joys of Owning This Old House." A week ago Friday, I had a broken pipe in my basement. It burst and did a tremendous amount of damage. I didn't take any photos because I was too busy sucking water and trying to salvage things that were on the lower shelves in my craft room. After the water subsided and had been sucked up, I managed to take a few photos I showed last Sunday. Those photos showed lots of "stuff" being pushed around in my basement studio in order to get to the water damage, the pipes, and to make room for the restoration equipment. I didn't take photos on the weekend, because I was busy trying to salvage what I could.

On Monday, the POD that was supposed to sit in my drive could not be delivered due to the low hanging branch across said drive, so there I was, stuck making all kinds of decisions while feeling a bit overwhelmed. I was trying to keep out items I thought I might need in the next six weeks, including a couple of swaps and the OWOH giveaway. It took forever for me to decide what to keep and what to allow them to pack.


On Tuesday, the plumber was back and things began to move at lightning speed. Looks like a branch didn't make it when the plumber backed in.


While he was here, the restoration people came to pack my studio. When the plumber left, they moved one truck to the driveway and it looked like a convention. And all they did most of the day was pack and pack and pack and pack and pack.



Late Tuesday afternoon, one of the movers started bringing boxes upstairs.


It didn't take him long to practically fill my small living room.


He was a real sweetie and worked hard getting all the boxes up the stairs


two boxes at a time.


I went to the basement to see how things were progressing and I noticed the top step was a bit shaky. But it looked like the packers were really making progress.


Most everything in the main craft room was packed and ready to travel on Wednesday.


We even took a few minutes to laugh. That was the last time I laughed all week!! By late Tuesday afternoon, the stairs going to my basement had shifted and nearly collapsed. It was no longer safe to get to the basement. Edited due to questions in comment section: These are two of the people who came to pack my belongings. I am the short one behind the camera and am not in the photo!

When the insurance adjuster came on Wednesday, I could barely make it down the steps. I'm short and the first step had sunk about 16", too far for me to step at one time. The adjuster said the insurance company would not pay for the new steps. He talked to me like I was some kind of criminal, some kind bad person, trying to scam the insurance company when all I did was ask if the equipment and added usage while the stairs were still wet, could have caused the stairs to collapse. A fair question, I thought. I am not used to being treated like a child. I didn't treat him with disrespect, I couldn't understand why he treated me that way.


I did the only thing I knew to do. I called my friend Scott. Granted, Scott is in the middle of a whole house remodel, and I'm sure the last thing he wanted to do was come repair my steps. But he dropped everything because I know he heard the despair in my voice and the fact I asked for help. No beating around the bush, no subtle hints, just "please help me." That was all it took. By the time he got here, the insurance agent was gone, but he talked to the owner of the restoration company.


The restoration people were super nice, climbing the steps after they removed the the top two. They worked till noon, removing as many things as they could, then left for the day. Scott did a lot of measuring,


and removed concrete that had crumbled under the weight of the water. You can see how far the step slid, by the lack of paint on the right wall.


After a trip to Home Depot for supplies, and gathering tools from both our places, it was dinner time. I put on a pot of beans and Scott removed the old steps.


He then began the arduous task of repairing the concrete with mortar.


He also patched the cinder block wall on the left.


There was nothing left to do on Wednesday, except wait for the mortar to dry and eat dinner. By now, it was nearly 11 pm.


Thursday morning was a sharp contrast to Wednesday. The sunshine brought hope and the prospect that things would truly be OK. Even Bleubeard was checking out the operation.


Now anyone who knows me, knows I'm a neat freak, so boards in my living room were a bit of a stretch. But it had pelted ice the night before, so the boards needed to be kept dry.


Mr. Curiosity had to inspect everything,

and ask if he could help.


I told him that he could watch for Scott,


who would be here shortly.


When Scott got here, he began by making the runners that would hold the steps in place.


I didn't even have to use power tools. All I had to do was take photos and play "gopher."


When the first rail was finished, Scott used it as a template,


rather than remeasuring. Here he's making sure he has the board lined up straight.


then used the framing square to get accurate measurements.


Needless to say, Scott took these photos. The runners that hold the stairs together and against the walls are now in place. You can also see where he repaired the cinder block wall under the stairs.


He also took photos of what hadn't been packed, including the gray shelves full of things I thought I might need.


All the damage from the water is quite evident.


You can see where they already cut the wall and ceiling so the plumber could get to the pipes.


There are only a few items left in the room, but they still have the contents of the closet to remove.


All those machines don't look so big after everything is out of the room.


Some of the toe kicks are now in place. Scott cut them to size from a sheet of plywood. When he was finished, he cleaned the area and we called it a day.


Yesterday morning, we removed the old railings and toe kicks from the existing steps. Yes, the old steps need paint, but they are in good shape, even after sitting under wet carpeting for days. I was able to get two apart in the time it took him to do six. And one of mine nearly fell apart because it was one we couldn't reuse. Talk about fast. I could not keep up. In the end, Scott replaced three steps, which I didn't think was bad. In the above photo, nothing is nailed in. He is finishing the final step and doing a dry run.


By early afternoon, all the steps were made and screwed in place


except for one because I asked him to get photos before he finished. So where was I?


I went to City Hall, where the city government is. I had to go to the top floor, where the City Clerk's office is.


Thankfully they have elevators, or I would still be climbing the stairs! The purpose of the visit was to pick up forms for Scott, who will be filing for the position of Mayor in the upcoming election.


Yes, you read correctly. I may be friends with the mayor of our fair city soon. Filing deadline is Tuesday, but he plans to file on Monday. The primaries are March 1, so there isn't much time to campaign. He's hoping to campaign through word of mouth and virtually.


Back home it was back to reality. It was time to clean up and make things presentable, since the general contractor and the restoration people will be back on Monday to start the madness all over again. Until then, thanks for reading this (I realize it is LONG) and know why I haven't been around to see you for awhile. My time has truly NOT been my own. But be aware I am truly grateful for all your wonderful comments and concerns. Thank you for being so good to visit, even when I can't get to your place.