Water, water, everywhere!

So, it all started a week and a half ago, when we had a windstorm....

I was sitting upstairs in my office, when I heard a loud "thud"! You know, the kind that makes you jump up and leave the room because you think the ceiling is gonna fall in? I checked around the house—nothin'. I went outside an looked at the roof, searching for tree branches, UFO's, falling cows—nothin'. I called myself an idiot for running out of my office and went back to work.

I was sitting in my office, when I heard what sounded like a large person (wearing boots) stomping around on the roof. I checked around the house—nothin'. I went outside an looked at the roof, searching for...well...a large person wearing boots—nothin'. I called Lloyd as I went back to work.

We were already contracted to have a new rubber roof put on soon, so Lloyd said to call the roofer. I called and described my experiences. It was too windy for him to go up that day, but he said from what he had seen on his recent visit there, we had nothing to worry about. I called myself a worrywart and went back to work.

Fast forward to this week, Tuesday morning....

Lloyd and I are in the kitchen, starting our morning, when Anna walks in the room. She looks like she's been walking in the rain, and she's holding a dripping laptop—MY dripping laptop! Her first words are, "Mom's office is leaking like a sieve!"

Long story short—the "thud" and the "stomping boots" I heard were the wind ripping loose a four foot wide section of the flat roof and folding it back! The unprotected roof is now letting the heavy downpour outside come roaring straight into my office! Onto the desk, the laptop, the recliner, the leather desk chair, the books, the carpet.... Then it begins to work its way through the office floor and head for the walk-in closet directly below!

I am now on a first-name basis with my homeowner's insurance agent (Nancy), a claims adjustor (Don), and a guy from Stanley Steemer who does flood recovery (Mitch)! Next, I'm sure I'll get to know a drywaller, a carpet installer, and who knows who else!

For now, I have many things in my house "stored" in strange places. My stove is in the middle of my kitchen. (They needed a 220 outlet and it was give up the stove or the clothes dryer.) I have stacks of bedsheets in the entry, hanger clothes on my bed, and bins and stacks and piles of "stuff" to sort and put away "someday" when this adventure is over. I have no privacy. The hoses and electrical cords from the dehumidifiers, fans, and air purifiers keep pretty much all the doors in the house from closing all the way. Except, ironically, for the doors on the two water-damaged rooms! Those two doors we can close and latch!

Lloyd and I look at each other, and all we can say is, "Well...it's no fire!"

Stay tuned as the saga continues....