“There’s nothing like a catastrophe to take our minds off our problems.”
–Peter Devries
Unless things change, I’ll be posting little or nothing for the next couple of months. I’m a victim of The Great Memorial Day Flood of 2017.
As I wrote my brother, David:
“Our rooftop pool reopened about a week ago. Around 4 PM Monday, a pipe connecting to the filtering system apparently became detached, flooding the sub-pool maintenance area and overwhelming the two drainage outlets. Then the water, as water will, flowed downward, through the floor and the walls, flooding the units in the 10- and 11-tiers with more than half to contents of the pool. Since I’m in the 12-tier, I briefly thought I’d lucked out, until water started coming from the ceiling.
“The short version: I may have gotten off relatively easy, in that the only serious visible damage was to the carpeting. Yet to come, though, are the behind-the-walls and under-the-floor inspections, which will require moving and possible off-site storage of furniture and goods. This will not be fun, or cheap. If there are problems requiring demolition or reconstruction, it will be worse. Fingers crossed.
“The Red Cross offered temporary housing, but I spent Monday night on the dry part of the living room floor, while two of those big industrial fans blasted away at the pooled water. The electrician shut down power to everything except the fans, the refrigerator, and the kitchen light. Finally nodded off around 3 AM.”
Four days later, the situation is still, as they say, fluid. I’ll post an update if that changes, and an “All Clear” message when I resume postings.
Until then, I can only promise:
“As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.”
