The Fire Part 2 and Conclusion

 

Right now it is Wednesday, nearly two weeks after my tree burned (and is no longer being sold on Amazon, thank goodness — there were four reviews when I last looked that said the tree caught on fire), and a lot has happened!

Right now my house is Grand Central. Sofas being shampooed. Two cleaners, painters, and who knows who else is here. It all needs to be done today because my son arrives from California 5:26 Thursday morning. 

Monday after the fire I called in the claim. Two restoration companies came out that day, one that works with my insurance company. Both said they could rush the job and be done on time. One was going to do much more extensive work for a much bigger claim. They work with the insurance company, and I chose them. 

Tuesday morning, bright and early, three men came to clean the soot off everything in the house. They were followed by three women who washed every dish in my house, including the china, by hand. They then checked everything for soot, threw some food and throw pillows away, and packed up the entire house in about 40 boxes.They took pictures of everything, so they could put everything back exactly as it was.

Wednesday morning, five men arrived to  clean the vents and the entire air conditioning system. Then five or six painters arrived. There were five or six trucks up and down the street. Wednesday afternoon I went to the showroom to look at luxury vinyl plank. They were ripping out the carpeting in the two bedrooms (the rest of the house is tile). They asked if I wanted to upgrade to plank. I love carpet in the bedrooms — but not with pets.

Thursday the painters finished.

I am not sure if anything happened on Friday,  Too much activity to remember.

On Friday I drove two hours north to attend a concert with my songwriting partner. Had to stay overnight because I didn’t want to drive two hours home in the dark. Came home Saturday around noon and then went to my son-in-law’s skating rin’s ( where he coaches) Christmas show, which he emceed. Sunday we took my granddaughter to see Sesame Street Live in the afternoon in St. Pete. I had tickets for a Three Dog Night/Herman’s Hermits concert that night in Clearwater with friends. I didn’t want to take my car, so I went to St. Pete with my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, so I Ubered to Clearwater and my friends drove me home.  Monday we took the little one to Disney World for her third birthday. I walked over 1200 steps in my exhausted state. Who knows how I got through all this! Tuesday (yesterday) they laid the new flooring. 

Today, first the painter arrived to paint the trim in the rooms’ new flooring. Then a few people came to clean and shampoo the sofas. Then someone came to unpack. They promised it would all be done before my son came tomorrow bright and early. It is done and it looks beautiful and so clean. New paint all over, new floors, every thing washed or packed away if it was not damaged by soot. The garage swept out.

Yup, I am  afraid my insurance rates will skyrocket — or worse, I will be dropped altogether. But I am so  grateful to the neighbor who saved my house, and everyone who came together from Paul Davis restoration (BRAVO) to get rid of the soot and smoke damage. 

The neighbor across the street who complained because a truck was parked across the street from him and he didn’t like the attitude of the contractor (“I am not going to be treated like that by a contractor”), so he couldn’t get his small Mustang out of his own driveway?? I have never even seen you before and will not be sad if I never see you again. You are a racist moron. Learn how to drive. That is all I have to say to him. 

Too tired to write another word. So tired, I am not proofing this post….

Buy grammar books — and see you next week.

I eventually did proofread this post. It was a mess. We all have our pride.