STORM IRENE AND THE SHELTER

            My town was hit hard by Storm Irene and so was our property. We had no power for six days. 40 square feet of wooden kitchen floor was ruined (from ice melting out of the refrigerator). We lost all our food from refrigerator/freezer and a freezer, including homemade soup and casseroles I froze for those "crazy, no-time-for-cooking" days. A nice apple tree down. Huge branch from our neighbor’s yard split off big tree and ended up in our yard, taking out a couple small trees.

            Luckily, insurance paid for everything. Today and this weekend, two men will replace the ruined flooring, sand the kitchen and dining room floors and put three coats of polyurethane on new and existing flooring.

          It took lots of phone time getting estimates, being there when the tree men came, taking everything out of the dining room except the big pieces, emptying out the china closet, bar, and music cabinet, plus no kitchen or dining room for most of the next three days.

            I'd envy the people at the shelter, since they didn’t lose power for a minute...except my losses and inconveniences are a NIT compared to moving yourself and your kids out of your home, finding a different job and place to live, doing without your regular clothes, possessions, and privacy, going to court (sometimes several times), and enrolling the kids in a different school. And I’m not even talking the emotional losses.

            Good thing I write this blog. It sure puts things in perspective.