So, you all remember Shmuppie�s playroom from the last entry? There�s a picture to remind you?
Remember it.
It�s gone.
Remember the pink carpeting I used to bitch about?
Gone.
What�s there, you ask?
The remnants of 1000 gallons of sewage.
Guess who had an ASWESOME weekend?
Saturday started OK. I made breakfast. Actually, I made bacon. We like bacon on a bagel with cream cheese. Shmuppie just likes bacon. I went to the store to buy a new phone for my office and some groceries for a big mess of BBQ pork I was planning to make for Sunday. I got home and did some food prep and went downstairs to plug in the phone. It�s now 1:10PM
I go to the stairs and start down.
Step 1: �Boy�something smells odd. What the fuck did the cats do now?�
Step 2: �Jeesh�that sure does smell funny�
Steps 3 -7 were more of the same
Hit the landing and turn: �Wow, that looks odd�
Steps 8-14�more of the same.
Hit the floor�SQUISH
Ankle deep water. I started screaming OH SHIT.
JewelrySlut came running because when I scream like a lunatic, she knows it�s time to get nervous. I had disappeared into the family room and saw the carpet floating. I went into the storage room and the water was a god 4� deep.
I screamed for her to shut off the main water line.
This was bad. But, I was very calm. I knew the following:
This was so bad that nothing I could do would fix it. Hence my hollering for a disaster cleanup company or something
I also knew that we had insurance
I also knew that it was only the basement and that most of the stuff on the floor was waterproof.
I also knew that we�d be getting new carpeting.
I ran across the parking lot to a neighbor who owns a sewage cleanup company. He came over and looked at it and went outside. He diagnosed a blocked sewer line outside of our house. It was backing up the whole line up a little floor-drain that we have in the basement to drain off AC condensation and to bleed the hot water heater. He called in his boys to start clearing it.
I called Allstate and opened a claim.
I called a carpet guy and got him rolling
I also had JewelrySlut start finding a truck that we could rent; we needed to empty the basement. I also called her brother and got him in his car.
I went to the office and started packing up computers and other assorted peripherals.
All in all, this took under 10 minutes. I was in crisis mode and had a list of things to do going. I�ll admit that I did quite well. Usually, I start throwing things and generally going crazy.
I went with a neighbor to get the truck, and by the time I got home, the sewer was being snaked and the carpet guy was here.
Once they opened the main, a lot of water flowed out. But, we still had (in the carpet guy�s estimation) 1000 gallons to go.
We started loading the truck.
Fortunately, as mentioned, we�d stored things away with the plastic totes on the floor. Also a plus�our nice couch (the infamous one that was exiled to the basement in June) was up on those moving slider things and was just above the water line.
Brother-in-law arrived and we started packing. It took us nearly 3 hours to load the truck because we had to slosh through all the shit and make sure to keep things dry. It was soon apparent that we�d lost 3 area rugs and a recliner. The chair was soaked. The rugs, obviously, were gone.
By a little after 5:00, we were done. The water had been pumped out and the dryers and dehumidifiers were in place. It had not been a good afternoon. I need not tell you what it smelled like. But, it was more of a wet rug smell than shit. That�s a very good thing.
Yesterday, we sorted through the truck to see what else was wet. We�d lost 2 boxes of Christmas decorations. But, that was it.
This morning, the cleanup guys came back to rip up the rug. We�ve been shopping for carpeting, loading the truck into storage, and waiting for Allstate to call us back. We�ve already contacted a lawyer and he�s all set to pounce if need be. Allstate already doesn�t want to pay and the Home Owner�s Assoc has a $5000 deductible.
Good times.
So, I�m here in our bedroom. Both computers are here and I�ll be working up here for the time being. On Wednesday, they�re coming back to sanitize and treat the downstairs. We are, however, looking at the bright side of things. We�re not getting new carpeting until we can repaint. Why use drop cloths if you don�t have to?
I also learned what a cash cow those restaurant curbside things are. I could get way into it and may do so at a later date, but we were so hungry on Saturday that we called Ruby Tuesdays and I went to pick up some burgers. Sheer economic genius. I applaud them.
Also, as usual, the people down here are so freakin nice. Carpet man stayed here all afternoon as we loaded the truck. He was in no rush. He�s also told us that he�s charging different amounts depending on whether or not Allstate is paying. The storage guy helped us unload the truck today and helped load the pods up in the most efficient way. Our neighbor, Miss Anne took Shmuppie to her house all afternoon.
It truly sucked, but it could have been so much worse. We�re lucky in that regard.
Now, if only this shitty weather would leave. It�s been cloudy, rainy and downright chilly since Friday. You�d think we were still in NJ.
Pictures are coming�I just need to take them.
But, we�re OK and will move on. What can you do?
Shit happens.