September 13, 2008
"There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees"
Posted by pete
at September 13, 2008 9:02 PM
Checked in with most of our friends this morning. Happily, just about all of them reported nothing more severe than some limbs down and power outages.* Good news all around, yes?
Then some folks went to check on our place. The news was...not so good.
That big-ass tree leaning over is a 60-year old pine (right next to a charming brick well) that, until last night, was perched majestically in our front yard.
Wait, there's more...
Note the intricate and pervasive root system. What this means, to those of you ignorant of the finer botanical nuances, is that one tree so intertwined will tend to take down those in close proximity should it fall.
This is a side view. Note how the original window (with a pane replaced by yours truly following Rita) held together in spite of coniferous intrusion.
Finally, here's what I call the Money Shot:
That's my daughter's room. The reason I can write about this with such jocularity right now is because she wasn't in that room at the time.
Oh sure, you say, chances are she'd have been in the master bedroom in the back with The Wife. Much safer, yes?
That back corner is the master bedroom.
I'm not looking forward to dealing with insurance companies, contractors, and builders for the next six months, but my family's safe. I can laugh off the impending house woes every time I kiss SWSNBN good night here in our hotel room. One thing we've learned from the last couple years is; shit can always get worse. It's going to take more than a tree sitting in our house to throw us off. So once again, fuck you Ike.
Though if anybody had some non-Gulf Coast job prospects they wanted to lob my way, I'd be all ears.
*The Thing That Walks Like a Man, being the contrarian bastard he is, has a rather severe crack in one wall (thanks to a tree falling on a window unit A/C) and some rather unpleasant wiring issues.
Wow, Pete, I am so glad you and the family are ok! Please let me know if there’s anything we can do to help. (at the moment, I’m stuck in Chicago, but I should be back Tuesday - I hope)
My mom hates California with a passion usually reserved for outright stupidity, but she made an exception these past five years. She’s grateful that we’re not in Florida anymore, where the hurricanes seem to have become fiercer since then, but can’t stand the empty-headedness that’s pervasive in Southern California.
We’ve got plans to move to Las Vegas either by the end of the year or at the start of the new year and sure there’ll be new bits of hell to contend with, such as desert heat. But my feeling is that if you’re moving to the desert, it’s because you know exactly what you want out of your life and what kind of work you want to do. For my dad, it’s teaching business education out there, but moreso because unlike California, he can collect his social security in Nevada. There’s some rule in California with the CalPERS system (don’t ask me to explain it because it confuses me more and more) that if you’re collecting benefits from that, you can’t collect your social security. He’s put 40+ years into Social Security and like hell he’s going to simply let it wash away.
For me, it’s aviation now. I want a career either at an airport or working near planes. I’ve loved aviation for as long as I’ve loved movies, and I can always write reviews on the side.
My point out of all of this is that for you and your family, it’s time to get out of the Gulf Coast and find safer ground and no doubt better stability. But there’s no part of the country that’s Valhalla, none that do not have some annoyances, penchant for natural disasters, or the like. You just have to find that part of hell in our United States that you can live with and make it work for you.
But chances are that you’ve known about that longer than I have.
Oh, and besides all that, I’m relieved to know that your wife and kid made it out to you safely. Thought about that sporadically during the weekend, but you were in my thoughts.
Oh, Pete, I’m so sorry to hear this, but I’m so glad you and The Wife and SWMNBN are all okay. If there’s anything my family and I can do for you, please let me know.
Well Pete, that sucks. Let’s look on the bright side - at least you get to do some renovations on your house at the insurance company’s expense. I am glad that your family is well, and were able to get out of the way of the hurricane. Take care and let us know if you need anything.
Oh good lord, I am so sorry. I’m glad y’all are safe. Good luck with getting things sorted.
Aw man, Pete. Good to know you and your fam are in fine physical shape.
I am so sorry about the house but so glad that all of you are safe. Hillcroft Manor is open to you and yours anytime. Can we go over to your place to salvage things for you? I am an expert at such things given my Beaumont experience with Hurricane Rita…that bitch.
Glad you guys are safe. Bites about the house, though.
Holy Crap!!!! Amazing that you all were’t there, if your trip hadn’t of been planned, well the liklihood is that you would have been home while that happened. YIKES! You know you have at least 2 friends in Philly area, come on up, we only get rain from those nasty Hurricanes.
I am SO sorry, Pete! It goes without saying that I’ll do anything I can do to help out from here in your former ‘hood. My sister and her kids are bunking with us for a while since they probably won’t have electricity for at least two or three more days, but they were among the lucky ones as far as damage goes. The drive up was pretty overwhelming though, with major destruction and power outages all the way to Navasota.
Since you’ve demonstrated that your sense of humor has remained remarkably intact, I thought I’d pass along the joke she shared with me today: Hurricanes are like Christmas— all your relatives call, and at some point there’s going to be a tree in your house…
Wow. It sure is lucky you guys weren’t there.
If you want to crash for a while in swanky Lower Makefield, we’d be happy to have you. As long as you change a few diapers.
I’m really glad you’re safe. We’re still in Canada. I’ll let you know when we get home. Let me know if we can do anything for you. Is the kitty ok, too? Let me know if y’all need a place to stay. Once we have power, you are welcome to stay with us.
Good to hear that you & your family are safe! A house is just a house - it can be replaced. Family is what’s important! St. Louis is a good city to live in - if you can deal with the tornados occasionally!
What a piece of crap.
I’m very happy all y’all are safe, and that you have house reconstruction to deal with and not (God forbid) loss of life, or injuries. But it’s no fun, no fun at all.
I dreaded the prospect of a hurricane for all the years we lived in Sweat City. Sorry you were there to catch the bullet.
If you need a place to stay in Atlanta, let me know.
Hey to the VDH’s. So sorry about su casa. So very, very, sorry. SO GLAD YOU WEREN’T HOME!!! We’ve been in Austin - will be back in the morning - The Husband has to get to his office. My school is closed “indefinately” because of building damage and flooding. Hope you’re safe on the way home and hope to see you all soon. I have two new bottles of Crown Royal and one of Jose Quervo in case your supplies run low!!
Pete - this is horrible. I am so glad you’re okay and weren’t there. We lost a tree too, but it did not, thankfully, fall on our house. Our garage apartment is vacant and partially furnished. You guys are welcome to it for the duration of the repairs. Call me.
Cindy
Dear god. I haven’t been able to get to the internet much lately because we don’t have power, so my belated condolences for the tree on/in your house. I’m glad you guys were no where near there, and as sucky as a rental will be, you’ll be (relatively) safe.
Let us know if ya’ll end up near Montrose. We’ll be the house with a shit ton of candles burning every night.
Oh. holy. fuck. I am so sorry. But definitely thankful that everyone is safe.