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The next stage in my process of recovery ..........
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Jan 30, 2012 8:51 am
752 Views
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My last three posts have been concerned with the dilemma I've faced for the past week due to a frozen & busted water pipe in a neighboring condo unit which sits vacant ... a busted pipe that spewed water into MY unit for hours on end until Water Works was able to shut down a main valve that services six units of my condo complex. By the time the vacant unit could be accessed and Water Works was able to enter, that laminate kitchen floor was floating and water spilled out the back door onto the porch .... not to mention the water damage done to the bathroom where the pipe had actually broken, nor the flooding of the living room carpet. I don't even know the extent of the water level in THAT basement .... I did not see it, but Water Works had to call in a special unit to get to the electrical box to turn off the electricity.
Since early Monday morning of last week, I've had a professional restoration unit in MY place to clear my basement of standing water and dehumidify to prevent mold.
My half bath, upstairs and adjacent to my neighbor's bath, is yet a work in progress. After a solid week of dehumidifying and as if this morning, the professional restoration's meters are STILL reading moisture! Off came the wainscoting on the walls. MORE dehumidifying! God only knows what comes next.
MEANWHILE, I have no assurance that the owners of the flooded unit have done a solitary thing to professionally dry things on their side! I've inquired of my team, what good does it do for me to go through all these motions if THEY are not tending to THEIR responsibility and the potential, on-going destruction it can reek on MY place as well as their own, primarily MOLD??? To my knowledge, it's a week in the delay, even as MY insurance agent advised I act IMMEDIATELY.
Rather than do the RESPONSIBLE thing, my neighbors have hired an attorney to offset the possibility of liability. He's flipping me and our condo attorney the bird. Anyway .... at this moment in time, just this morning, out came the toilet stool in attempt to dry moisture below the surface and salvage my flooring and underlayment.
Here's my toilet sitting in my kitchen. If this doesn't work - with further dehumidification, next will come the flooring. HELP!! I'll get back to ya.
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27
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Foto Friday - 'S'
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Jan 27, 2012 7:56 am
798 Views
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High STRESS!
My saviors were here on Monday to salvage me from further saturation the morning after the worst snowstorm of the season. These are the Water Works guys shutting down the main valve. NOW, no one in the six-unit section of my condo complex had water. 
My last two posts explained the situation I found myself in when a water pipe froze and busted in my neighboring condo. I was under siege of water then, and I'm still dealing with the aftermath. 
Hey Mike .... I think I've got 'S' covered ....
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31
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Let there be HEAT!
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Jan 26, 2012 9:50 am
726 Views
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Tomorrow will be the day - installation of a new furnace to replace the one totaled in my recent flooding.
Meanwhile, I've been living with space heaters since Monday. Inch by inch. Thank goodness Mother Nature has been kind and temps have been above zero this whole week.
I truly appreciate the expressed caring and concern. 
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20
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Victim of a mid-winter disaster .... just sharing an unlucky strike for pity ....
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Jan 25, 2012 8:53 am
845 Views
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Monday morning, my Jim rose early. He always rises earlier than I do and let's me sleep. Not to disturb me, he made coffee and used the lower bathroom. An hour or so later, I descended the stairs to bad news. "Jan, you've got a leak, better call that plumber back AGAIN. I turned the valve off to the toilet and sopped up the moisture." As I shared before, I'd had some work done and had an issue with a slow leak previously. The plumber came, and made an adjustment. No additional charge. I immediately thought it was ANOTHER INCIDENT with my toilet.
I called the plumber and awaited his arrival. Jim left the house to tend to things on his agenda. Everything under control.
About an hour later, I went down the steps to my basement to throw a load of clothes into the washer .... least that was my intent. I had also noticed that Jim had cranked my thermostat to 70 which is routine for us because we always set it lower at night when we go to bed. Though the thermostat was set to 70, the temp in the house was only at 61 degrees, and there was NO warm air coming from the heat ducts. WHAT??
Of course, I made my way down the steps to my basement. OMG, my basement was flooded wall to wall, and water was literally gushing from the ceiling in the corner near the adjacent condo unit and near an outside wall. Our lower bathrooms are adjacent to each other, with a retaining wall between.
I panicked! I called my neighbor, and he came running to shut down water valves. The water just kept coming!! He put his ear to the wall and said he could hear water gushing from the unit next to me which is vacant and for sale, and of course, locked up tighter than a drum. We attempted to contact the owners. No luck. We called the police dept. to see if there was a way to access the unit. As luck would have it, the dispatcher I spoke to knew the owners. She contacted them .... they could not leave work .... had patients. HEY, THIS IS A FRIGGIN' EMERGENCY!!
I called the local water/lights company. They took a long while in arriving as we'd had the worst snow storm of the year through the night, and roads were not yet plowed. Wouldn't you know it!! After much ado, water still gushing into my basement, they finally managed to dig through the mountain of snow and shut off a main valve. NOW, no one in the complex had water.
Hours into gushing water, the owner of the vacant unit arrived. When she opened her door, water literally ran out the door onto the porch. Our water and electric workers could not get to the electrical box to shut down the electricity because there was danger of electrocution! Special unit arrived. Now, no one in the complex had electricity, water nor heat!
To make a long story shorter .......... I have suffered severe water damage, my furnace was destroyed because water had poured into a duct and saturated all major components rendering it totaled, my bathroom flooring and underlayment has yet to be torn up, and yet more losses to be assessed. I had to have a restoration company come in, deal with standing water, set up blowers and dehumidifiers, tear up flooring, etc., etc.
This is where is sit at the moment. Thanks for your ear. I have to run down to pay for a new furnace installation. Meanwhile, I am getting heat from a few space heaters the furnace company has nicely provided me through the interim ....
All I can do for now is scream CHIT!!! .... for what good that does me.
Oh, yes .... I facetiously inquired of my insurance adjuster yesterday .... what can I recover for pain and suffering? He laughed, cause I was obviously joking, and said, "Find the nearest bar." ROFLMAO!!
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27
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Bless you, my children ........... ;)
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Jan 22, 2012 12:43 pm
707 Views
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I want to share some prayers with you that you may, on occasion, wish to borrow. I am happy to oblige. LOL ( Tongue in cheek ... no offense intended ... promise. )
I've posted this one before, but it bears repeating:
My dear Lord,
So far today, I'm doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty or self-indulgent - which makes me very proud.
I have not whined, complained to anyone, cursed at or chastised anyone - which is showing progress.
However, Lord, I'll be getting out of bed soon, and I'm going to need ALL the help I can get. Be there for me!
Hugs ... and thanks a heap!
AMEN
.....................
Dear God,
Please provide those poor women on daddy's computer with some clothes.
AMEN
......................
Dear Jesus,
Please protect me from your followers.
AMEN
......................
And one I've recently devised myself:
Dear God,
I've read your Word and see that you command: "Thou shalt not bow down to false images."
I ask that you please guide Governor Scott Walk-on-Water Walker of Wisconsin from emulating You lest your flock be led astray.
AMEN
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10
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OK, Doc --- I'll do the do .......
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Jan 21, 2012 7:16 am
856 Views
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The last time I visited my doctor for a once over (just last week), he asked if I'd registered Power of Attorney. It kinda knocked my socks off, but I guess he's insinuating I 'ain't' getting any younger.
DAMN!! Really??? LOL I don't feel old yet, but since he addressed it, apparently, I'm in denial of my eventual demise.
On Wednesday of this week, I met a dear friend for dinner and one of our not-so-frequent (anymore) hen sessions. When we worked together for the county, we were tight buds and had more opportunity. Anyway, she will retire from her position in June as a resource specialist with the Dept. of Aging and Disability. She knows all the in's and out's. We had the discussion I've been avoiding ............ Beforehand, I'd mentioned my doc's suggestion. When we met, she came prepared with the necessary documentation.
I said in summary paraphrase, 'Nancy, here's my dilemma. I can't think of anyone I would entrust with that responsibility! I'm estranged from family, and even if I weren't, I would be most uncomfortable in naming any one of them my Power of Attorney. They're a bunch of bandits."
We laughed .... but it really was not a laughing matter. I was being facetious .... yet in a very a serious vein. I meant it, because I distrust the integrity of my blood relatives. I watched what happened when my dad became ill, landed in a nursing home, put his trust in a younger sister ........ and, that's a whole story unto itself. It was ugly!! The vultures came out of the woodwork even before he met his demise.
By the end of the evening, my dear friend Nancy, at my behest, has agreed to be my Power of Attorney. I was so happy she readily responded to that appeal. I have a great sense of people with integrity, and above all my acquaintances, she's at the top of my list.
Okay .... that being settled, there's still the matter of a will. Nancy asked me NOT to name her in my will as it could conceivably be problematic. I've determined that I will name her in my will in a way that will show gratitude.
Share with me if you've "tended to business' and how you feel about people that can be trusted .... and deserving. This is a tough call for me in view of circumstances.
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35
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Foto Friday - self-portrait
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Jan 20, 2012 4:18 pm
888 Views
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I struggled with this. I didn't think I'd make it. I was assigned to do a self portrait as a student of art some years back; I couldn't do it then, and I can't do it adequately now.
However, here's something that comes close. I'm a thrift store shopper, a garage sale addict, and a preserver of the 'old'. When I lived in Madison, WI, nearly nine years ago now, I came upon this print by Brian Andreas at a garage sale and bought it for a buck. I found a frame for this print at Goodwill and hung it in a spot in my condo that I pass through several, even numerous, times a day. I relate strongly to the scratched caption that lies beside this stick person and reads: "For a long time, she flew only when she thought no one else was watching."
Well, Peeps .... she's soaring NOW! And she doesn't give a rat's a$$ who's watching! LOL
 [cemter]
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33
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Gov Walker's own words ....
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Jan 19, 2012 12:50 pm
787 Views
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in a Wisconsin Public Radio interview last night ....
Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, stated he has no doubt there are sufficient numbers of signatures on the petitions filed with the Government Accountability Board in Madison, WI on Tuesday to succeed in a recall .... to bring it on, sooner rather than later. "I'm not afraid," he declared.
1.5 million signatures were filed, twice what was needed. I guess so! Even if a full third of those signatures were conceivably found to be fictitious, there would still remain way more than the 540,000 required. When petitioners KNEW they had better than ENUF, they kept plugging to absolutely guarantee a show of support way above and beyond the requirement. GOOD SHOW, WISCONSIN!! 
You have to wonder, though, what Walker and his cohorts in crime have up their sleeves. He sounds pretty darn cocky to me!
If this recall effort succeeds in the election of a new governor of this fair state, it will only be the second time in American political history that a governor of any state will have been ousted in this manner.
Won't it be interesting to see how it all plays out? Having observed the republicans in action, even at the national level, I will never underestimate their propensity for dirty play!
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26
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From Eye On Wisconsin - What politicians get away with in WI could haunt YOU!
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Jan 15, 2012 8:39 am
868 Views
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Meet Judge J. Mac Davis
December 29, 2011
Cory Leibmann
As we all know, Scott Walker's campaign filed a frivolous lawsuit against the Government Accountability Board because they opted to actually follow the law. Apparently Scott Walker's campaign wanted them to do their work for them and at taxpayer's expense. So thanks to a new court shopping law passed by the radical majority in the state legislature, Walker's campaign filed suit against GAB in the most Republican county in the state, Waukesha.
Lisa Mux at Blogging Blue gave us a good report on what transpired in the courtroom today. What stood out to me most was Lisa's descriptions of the judge in the case, J. Mac Davis. At this point it seems prudent to provide some of the following background information on Judge Davis.
•Son of a former Republican Congressman
•Republican State Senator (1982-1990)
•Ranking Republican on the Joint Finance Committee for 5 years
•Unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1996. He lost in the Republican primary to Tom Reynolds (yes, that Tom Reynolds)
•Testified for former Speaker Scott Jensen, during his first criminal trial
•At the end of George W. Bush's last term Davis was nominated to the Western District of Wisconsin bench but was never confirmed.
Now don't get it twisted. I'm not saying that a judge with this kind of long partisan background can't make a sound legal decision. But I am wondering what kind of pressures he will face with such a politically charged case in a totally toxic environment. But just in case Judge Davis decides to go all Republican activist on us, (maybe he has already) I just thought that you should at least meet him first.
End comment by Leibmann
Well, guess how the honorable Judge Davis ruled! You got it. Rather than the republican party assuming their own responsibility - as written in law - the judge ruled in favor of Walker. Surprise, surprise.
Walker and his cohorts in crime forced the state's Government Accountability Board to "... spend $100,000 [of taxpayer's money!] on new software to build a database for reviewing recall petitions - a massive undertaking that will take place in a high-security, as yet undisclosed location in Madison ...."
"Election officials say they expect to review some 1.5 million signatures on the petitions to recall Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov, Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican Senators. The petitions will be filed on Tuesday."
These paragraph quotes are from The Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, Jan 13, 2012. [emphasis mine]
WOW 1.5 million signatures! Quite a showing by the citizens of this good state to oust these crooks, I'd say!! If even a full quarter of those signatures are found to be fictitious, there will still remain way more than what is required to declare a new election. King Walker and his entourage are run-away power mongers!
I'd like to know if the company that produces the software being purchased was a contributor to Scott Walker's campaign! I would not be surprised. I think the corruption could well run that deep.
P.S. My friend and I will be in Madison on Tuesday for the rally planned after petitions are filed.
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16
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Blame it on FreshEmerald!
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Jan 14, 2012 6:33 am
1435 Views
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I wonder if she remembers this .........
Way back when the chat rooms became war zones, and for want of an alternative venue, I discovered blogs. WOW, I thought .... how cool is this?
For the longest time I just read them, not even knowing yet how to comment. DUH. ( I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to maneuvering my way around. Fact is, I'm STILL trying to figure out how to do a collage .... waaaaaaaaaaaaay behind in the race. )
Anyway, I happened upon FreshEm's blog and always appreciated her way with the language and unique style. She was, and is, something pretty darn special and sharp as a tack, as I'm sure most everyone would agree.
Somewhere along the way we had a brief chat about blogging .... that was when I was still shy, unobtrusive and insecure.  Uh huh. LOL ( If she had only known, she might have kept the plug in.  )
I can recall that she encouraged me to blog in saying, "You can do it." Coming from HER, of all people, I was empowered, managed to fumble my way around and open a blog of my own.
Years later, here I am, little woman with large mouth, still pumping out posts. For those I've offended, those I've delighted, those I've engaged, the credit (or discredit) all belongs at the feet of FreshEmerald!
Take a bow, or run for cover, lady! It's all YOUR fault! ( Who loves you more than ET? )
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48
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