Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Recovery Con't.

They finally got around to it. Two and a half years after Her Horribleness roared through the area, and I'm not sure quite how long it's been since the federal government allocated the buckos, the state is finally - get this - getting ready to accept applications for local residents to apply for funding to repair their homes. They haven't quite finalized the criteria and what the grants will be, but are expected to start the process around the first of February.

Mind you - the buckos won't actually be available until around September. THREE YEARS after the devastation. The funding is for the low income, elderly, and disabled families in the area, those without resources of their own or insurance to repair their broken homes.

During this time, non-profits have been doing their best to help these families, and some 1600 homes have been repaired. For some of these homes, repairs were begun, but not yet completed, due to sufficient resources not being available.

There was actually a first round of funding which apparently only repaired 13 homes in the year since the funds were released. Ridiculous! The way the contract was written, it has become more feasible for the contractors to declare the cost of rehabilitation as being too prohibitive, so demolition and replacement became the modus operandi.

In one case, the local non-profits had already spent $13,000 toward repair of the home, and the contractors deemed it beyond hope, demolished it, and are building a replacement. Giving the contractors the benefit of the doubt, it may have been an appropriate decision. However, no one even checked to see if any repair work had been done on the home or to see if alternatives might have salvaged the $13,000 already spent on this home. As it stands (or doesn't), that's $13,000 which could have been allocated elsewhere. *very deep sigh*

For this round of funding, the state is currently allowing a maximum of $25,000 in repairs before deeming the house unsalvagable and tossing it to the contractors to demolish and replace. Sorry, but any house sitting with significant hurricane damage repairs for over two years will require more than $25,000 in repair. However, it may still be possible to repair the home for less than the cost of demolition and replacement.

Which would be the wiser use of what are admittedly limited resources? Repair of homes which may be possible through a combination of funding, donated resources, and volunteer labor at less than replacement cost or destroying and replacing homes? It seems to me that before completely writing off the possibility of repair that repair shuld be the FIRST option, especially if it frees up resources for additional families in the area.

Another aspect of repair over replacement, when possible, is the psychological boost that such a choice could provide. I've gone through all sorts of interesting responses to this situation while my home was being repaired. However, being back in my own home has been a triumph over the devastation that Hurricane Rita wreaked in my life. We've battled back to wholeness, the house and I. There's something empowering in that accomplishment.

I don't think that watching my house being razed and then starting over would have quite the same effect. Could be wrong, though, especially if I were the one to decide on what the replacement house would be like (within limits, of course).

That won't be true for these families whose homes will be demolished and replaced. Those decisions will be completely out of their hands. These are people who have already experienced a huge chunk of their lives being taken out of their hands by Her Horribleness, then living in limbo for over two years. Can you imagine how devastating it could be for some anonymous contractor coming in, declaring your best and most valuable asset hopeless, then telling you that the decisions regarding your future home is in some anonymous else's hands?

So much good could be accomplished with these recovery funds. I hope that it comes to pass ... but I'm not counting on it.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Mush for Brains Season

It's that time of year again. Allergy season. Bleah!

Almost every year about this time, as the weather vacillates between almost spring and maybe winter, my sinuses gripe, grouse, and complain. First, they get really busy and my head stuffs up. Thinking is much like trying to bat my way through piles of cotton and wool. It's a frustrating feeling to know that there's a thought or idea rumbling around in there and not be able to catch up with it. Mush for brains, part 1.

Sometimes it's possible to short-circuit the whole process and divert the sinus machine from its task. Not this time. When you get to the point where a head-ectomy seems like a wonderful idea, it's time to bring in the pros.

I go to a wonderful doctor who is great at helping me fight off the periodic infections that send me into mush-for-brains-land. This year has been especially bad and the usual medications haven't kicked those bugs out of my system. This time he's had to add a different antihistamine/cough suppressant to the bug-killer cocktail. It's helping, but is one of those that produces a brain fog, so driving and thinking while using it is not a good plan. Mush for brains, part 2.

I'll be so glad when Mush for Brains Season is over. If it's ever over in this neck of the woods. *sigh*

Monday, January 07, 2008

The Magical Mystery of Appliances

What is it about appliances?

After the enforced idleness of two years of waiting to be used after Her Horribleness blew through and wreaked havoc, I had to replace my washer, dryer, and dishwasher. New equipment was purchased and duly installed by the appropriate installer persons. Upon installation, all worked to factory specifications. Well, that is, all except the gas dryer which required a somewhat unique fitting that the installer person didn't have, since I was switching back to the updated (by a licensed plumber) gas connection.

While getting the house back to liveable condition, I washed all of the dishes in the dishwasher. And washed. And washed. And washed. And washed. .... Okay, the stupid thing got stuck on the wash cycle and wouldn't go to dry. Let's get real! It doesn't take over two hours for a load of dishes that needs only light cleaning to go through the whole cycle. It's under warranty, so I call out the repairperson, who comes the day after Hurricane Humberto hit town and we're without power. Apparently, having the repairperson park in the driveway of the house was sufficient. It now works perfectly.

Next on the sick list was the dryer. It dried. And dried. And dried. And dried. ... Yeah, I know! This is becoming a habit. Three hours for a gas dryer to dry a relatively small load is highly unusual. It's under warranty. Call repairperson. This time the guy made it into the house. Turns out that several centuries of lint was stuck in the exterior vent. (I'd had the foresight to completely replace the flexible part.) Gas dryers have a safety that won't let it heat up too much if the lint thingy isn't working exactly right. Remove lint. Machine works perfectly. (I'll admit - this repair call was actually legitimate and a cry for help by the dryer.)

THEN, the washer decides to go on the fritz. Clonk. Clonk. Clonk. Shoot! The person on the repair line even heard the beastie making its annoying metallic sound. The repairperson arrives at the house this morning, turns on the machine, and ... You've guessed it! NOTHING!! Not a single abnormal sound to be heard. It's working perfectly at the moment.

What is it about appliances? (and copiers and computers ...) Sometimes it seems as though they simply want someone who understands them to come by and hold their hands. The microwave and stove came with the house, and the stove has been having conversations with my handyperson friend. I suspect we'll finally get that thermostat problem fixed one of these days.

My refrigerator is old enough to have settled into the routine and hasn't required the tender ministrations of a repairperson since the first couple of years I owned it. I'm afraid it may get jealous and decide to act up! Shhhhhhhh! Don't let it know that I'm seeing the repairperson!

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

A New Year Already?

2008 snuck up on me. It can't be 2008 already!! I mean, it's still just a couple of days past Christmas, right? Right? ... Not right?? Rats!

It's not like I really want it to still be 2007. Much of 2007 was spent longing to be back in my own home, a mission now accomplished. Guess I'm busy "should-ing" on myself, and that's a pasttime worthy of being left behind. "Should-ing" will only bang your head against a brick wall of futility, especially when it comes to the things one "should have done" last year!

While there are only about 6 somewhat little things to be accomplished before the mortgage inspector's happy with the tasks completed and willing to let go of the last umpty-1,000 of the insurance money, they require skills and abilities I just don't have. Well, I can paint, and probably will when the exterior conditions coincide with free time to accomplish said painting. I'm also hoping to enlist the slave labor of my son for the painting task, which may or may not be an exercise in futility.

Today is a totally beautiful day - bright blue skies, sun shining gloriously! But it doesn't look like the temperature is going to be above about 50, and the internet paint gurus strongly recommend that the temperature be above 60 if you're going to paint outside. *sigh* The Weather Channel seems to suggest that THAT might happen on the weekend ...

...


...


wait for it ...

when it's supposed to rain! So much for the weather cooperating on getting the painting done.

*very deep sigh*

Some day the confluence of weather, working conditions, and volunteer slave labor will be perfect for the completion of the tasks. I'm hoping it's soon. It'd be really wonderful for the new year to see the completion of all the house repair tasks related to Her Horribleness. I have plans for a House Blessing this year, but I'm not a-gonna do it until I can include a "Goodbye" to all of the hurricane scars on my house.

Perhaps that'll help with healing the hurricane scars in my soul.