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Whatever happened with your parents? What about their house? Are they living in one of those FEMA trailers that I've been hearing so much about?
And last question:
Are you guys getting snow where you live (Maine)?
It's supposed to be in the 70s here tomorrow. That will be great weather for the kids to Trick or Treat.
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Ruby and the Kitties
Simba, Samantha, Katrina & KatyKatt
Meow!! Meow!! Meow!! Meow!!
Ruby -- Thanks for asking and thanks for a favorite pic of Paula. How are Paula and David?
My parents lost their finished basement (had to gut it and knock down all the walls), but their upstairs stayed in good shape. They were displaced about a month and a half, but have been back in their house since they were allowed back in town and cleaned out the basement and had environmental people take care of the duct work, etc. (had to replace furnace, AC, washer, dryer, and many other itmes in the basement).
I am in Maryland and no snow yet. We don't have quite the harsh winters New England states do. I would say our winters are a little milder than Iowa's but not by much.
I am helping care for my neighbor that had hip surgery about a week and a half ago. She's in her 70s and her sister-in-law, also in her 70s, is her live in nurse to allow her to come home from the hospital. But, neither drive, so I am hopping running errands. Neither cook (my neighbor because she is barely walking and recovering and her Sister-In-Law just doesn't), so I am making several meals a week for us. Pulling out all my casserole recipes and quick 30 minute meal ideas as I am trying to keep it inexpensive and quick after a long day at work... She's two weeks into her six week recovery period...
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
How sweet you are. Glad that your parents are doing well and getting stuff done. How is sweet Pookey doing???
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Tessa 
Onyx, Foudini, Charlee, Spottie, ShyRaven, Buddy, Tuxie, Widdle Attila Sipowitz, Lizzie, Minnie, ET, Mylo,Salem, Wicca, Marmalade, Amelia, Rocket and Turbo (we iz NOT fosters) and the 5 porch kits, Mocha, Tigger, Cali, Torti and Smudge also Riley da goggie and Buddha da baby hamster too
Tabitha and Samantha..always in our hearts//Fly free Penny 12/12/07
Pookey is doing well. He's continuing to ingnore the cool cat house I got him. He almost went in it the other day, but that is because he was peering into it cautiously and stumbled (he's not graceful with only three legs). He quickly corrected his footing and backed away so as not to be accused of actually entering the cat house...
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
That's good that they didn't lose the entire house. Whenever I see on the news about the homes lost in the Cedar Rapids area, I think of your parents. So many people suffered so much due to these storms.
Did their insurance help at all with the basement cost? What about FEMA, did they help cover the cost of the repairs, furnace, hot water heater and so on?
We've had so much rain here this year, practically all of 2008, either an overabundance of snow or when it warmed up, rain. Much more than usual. It was on 11/11/2008, that we had a storm in our area that caused a lot of damage to my house. Had rain coming in from a leaky pipe in the roof, which caused leaking through my kitchen cupboard which had to be replaced. Also the extensive rain did damage to my attached garage. Water was seeping in the finished basement in some parts of the carpet, as well. My insurance covered all of the repairs except the basement, which I don't have coverage on.
I knew that the state that you lived in started with an "M". ha! I'm happy for you that your climate is better than what I'm seeing on TV for the east coast. I've been to Maryland but it's been many years ago. My 2nd ex-husbands brother lives there, in Bethesda. We're still in the high 60s, which is pretty good for November.
David and Paula are growing up fast and doing great in school. Paula is 11 now and brings home straight A's. She's taller than my five foot at age 11. David is 16, over 6 foot tall, and is a junior in high school. His grades are great too, even with him holding down a part time job after school. He's been working at Arby's for almost a year and a half now. Has a driver's license and bought himself a used GMC Jimmy which is very nice. I'm proud of both of them.
That's so nice of you to be helping your neighbors like you are. I'll bet that it's exhausting for you, since you hold down a full time job too. I'm sure that the angels are smiling down on you. I don't know what I would have done if I wouldn't have had Pam here to help me after I had my knee surgery. So I just know how grateful your neighbors are, as I am to Pam for her help.
Tell Pookey that Simba, Samantha, Katrina and KatyKatt send their love and kisses.
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Ruby and the Kitties
Simba, Samantha, Katrina & KatyKatt
Meow!! Meow!! Meow!! Meow!!
Nobody in that tri-state region had flood insurance -- commercial insurance companies won't provide it. Much of the mid-west is considered a flood plane. I think you can buy it from the gov't, but I haven't heard of anyone that had it in many stories across Iowa, Indiana, Missouri... With that said, their specific local insurance company helped, not by contract/law, but out of the goodness of their heart. They gave their insurees $2,000. The larger commercial companies (State Farm, etc., did not give anything). My Dad's Union gave them a couple thousand, too. FEMA gave very little. I was shocked. Nobody had flood insurance. My parents got a little over a thousand from FEMA from losing half their house and their garage, I heard of folks that lost entire houses (condemned) and they just got a few thousand. Tough times. The $5,000 they got from multiple sources helped them replace much, but not quite all, of what they lost. They were fortunate. Imagine the folks that lost their houses, had to continue paying that mortgage, and find a way to re-build on a new loan...
Sorry to hear of your water damage. It is messy. I had some, myself. Couldn't complain, as it was about the time of the Iowa flooding. My upstairs condo neighbor's shower drain broke, damaging my ceiling quite a bit over my shower. My ins didn't cover because I have a $500 deductible and the repairs were $150. I paid for the ceiling because she is in her 20s and is struggling. I had her pay for the plumber to fix her drain, but I paid for the ceiling. When I told her the ceiling would be $150, she clutched her heart like I had said $1,000. If damaged my neighbor's ceiling, I would be happy to hear the total cost would be around $150. I too mercy on her and took care of the cost myself (told her if it was over $200, she'd pick up the difference). I found a young man just starting out in the business that gave me a good rate. Others quoted more like $300 to fix... He did a great job.
I can't beleive David and Paula are 16 and 11 and David is over 6 foot tall! Where has the time gone?
I don't know if the angels are smiling down on me for helping my neighbors. I think they are laughing. The two ladies are pretty demanding and crotchety. Imagine taking care of two "Maxines".
Hugs to your kitties!
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
When we first moved in this house in May 1990, we were required to carry flood insurance for the first 5 years because this was a new housing development in the suburbs corn fields and it wasn't known if it was a flood zone. As it turned out, it never flooded so we were able to drop the pricey flood insurance. On my house, I have American Family insurance and it paid $3,000 for the damage.
I had a new furnace and A/C installed the other day, not due to water damage but figured it was time to replace them before they conked out since they are getting old. The installer said that it was none too soon because they were on their last leg. I'm getting ready for winter. Now I'm looking for somebody to blow in more insulation before winter because the energy company will pay 70% of the installation and loan the blower. Mid American did an energy survey on this house and recommended a new furnace, A/C and insulation.
Sorry that FEMA and the insurance companies aren't treating the people very well. I keep seeing Governor Culver on TV complaining to the government about the faulty FEMA trailers that the people were provided with. Some people in the Des Moines flood area got some of those FEMA trailers too. I do think that the people in Iowa were treated much better than the citizens of New Orleans though. That was such a tragedy!
You have been helping your little old neighbors and also the young one who had water damage so even if the angels are laughing instead of smiling, you surely will get good karma because you're a good person!
Hugs to Pookey! Tell him to go into the cat house and he'll like it. When I got this new cat tree, the cats wouldn't touch it until I sprinkled catnip on it. Now they love it.
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Ruby and the Kitties
Simba, Samantha, Katrina & KatyKatt
Meow!! Meow!! Meow!! Meow!!
Tammy glad your parents were able to move home.
Ruby,
I live in Maine. It has been between 50 and 60 the past couple of weeks.
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Jaime owned by
Mya and Quinn the dogs
and the cats: Gabby and Moxie
Crashie 08/98 to 09/29/08
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