"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. "
~John Lennon


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Another Life Experience

The city prepared to burn down an old house and in the process shut off water and caused a huge surge when water was turned on. I happened to be up already and heard a horrendous noise in the closet across the hall from my front door. That is where all the water pipes come together and there a huge drain in the floor there. Well, water was like a river in there. So no matter it was so early I called the landlord. Then I went to bathroom, flushed, (which turned out to be last available flush for another 6 hours), walked to sink to wash hands, and discovered there was no water now in my place. I walked back out toward the kitchen and almost slipped on the water on the floor. I called landlord back and said come quick, water is running into my apartment. It took him about 15 min to get here but by then there was a river in my entire place. He shut off water and began the arduous task of helping me remove water. He started a pump in the water room and brought his shop vac and I kept bending, soaking hand towel, wringing in big kitchen trash can, bending, soaking etc. until we got it to a level that two carpet cleaners could begin pulling up the water. I told the landlord that I intended to look on the bright side. First being that the water was clean (could have been much worse, get my drift?) and second I don't need to clean the carpets this summer as was planned, and third, well, I couldn't think of a third. The landlord piled the furniture in kitchen and living room as best he could and then set up large fans, loud enough I can fake living in a wind tunnel. Oh joy. We anticipate the fans to remain three days to ensure complete dryness. Big sigh. I was pretty tired and had not eaten so last evening when my friend Vicki texted with invitation to meet for dinner I said I couldn't, I had managed to climb over the side of my recliner and was sitting writing letters and had not showered and the place was wet. She called and told me to come over and shower at her house and stay there. So I did. 

My cat, Lola, had been enclosed in the bedroom all day and was not happy with the wet carpet and noise that invaded her space. Her schedule has become getting food when I have a moment to wreck my arm to reach around the cabinet to get another can of cat food (because of all the furniture stacked and in the way) and a quick pet as I plopped the cat food in her dirty dish. She is quite affronted that she is expected to eat from a dirty dish. 


I did think of a third thing to be thankful for: It is not cold weather and having fans blowing all over me including ceiling fans is quite acceptable. 




Hugs from Nebraska

12 comments:

Rock Chef said...

Well that could have been a whole lot worse - and thank God for good landlords!

Brian Miller said...

oh i am sorry this happened...i am glad though you have friends lik that who will care for you...water damage sucks...i hope it did not get much of your stuff...

(the font color on this made it really hard to read...just and fyi, obviously you have more important things)

DJan said...

CiCi, I could not read your post on line, with the back letters on a black background, but I was able to read it in the Old Reader. What a trial! I'm glad it was summer, it's warm, and that it will be all right again soon. What a mess, eh? :-)

Adam said...

I can imagine dealing with that water was not a lot of fun.

stephen Hayes said...

What a nightmare for you. But it does sound like you have an attentive landlord.

Abby said...

Ugh, what a pain! But sounds like your landlord's a good guy and relatively quick responder. Way to look on the bright side!

Anonymous said...

What a mess. Glad it's in the process of being fixed. I have a friend who was gone when something similar happened in her very large home. No one was there to turn off the water and so the whole house was ruined. It took months to reconstruct. You were very fortunate to be home when it happened and able to get the landlord to start working.

Shammickite said...

Crikey, what a nuisance. I hope everyting dries out Ok. And that it never happens again! Lucky the landlord wasn't far away.

Lawrence T. Udo-Ekpo said...

What a day? Thank God you are safe and well, CiCi.

Shammickite said...

That's a very interesting cupboard you have in the 2nd picture.

terri said...

You have a phenomenal ability to look on the bright side. Hope things are all dried out and back in order soon!

Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMotte said...

So now I learn where it all began:( i sure think that some insurance ought to flow your way. Your cat is brave too.