Almost Done

A crew of contractors has finished fixing the damage to my house at long last. The work didn't take all that long. It was more a case of getting money together and trying to clean the house and looking for a time when they were available while we could leave here and remain in range to handle anything that came up. Normally, I refer to this task as putting out small fires but I didn't wish to tempt fate this time. All that remains is the task of getting the right amount of money in the right person's hands. You never know. I might end up with some cash headed my way after I pay out the full amount paid to me according to the estimate.

The next task will be a labor of love that could take a very long time. We have all these boxes to unload some of which will end up thrown away or donated because we will decide that there is no more room for it all. The effort involved in all of this will be so daunting that it is painful to think about literally. This is what moving in should have been like if we had taken the time to do it right. With no one making sarcastic comments about us taking on electives when we haven't finished requirements, it is something within reach. It could simply take a very long time. I'm thinking about something beyond a project or even a campaign. This might be the evolution of our home.

I've been thinking a lot about practical improvements. For one thing, we're using two second hand microwaves given to us when we were moving back in 2000-1. Since I used heat so much of the time for pain, it was imperative that the bag of special corn kernels fit into the oven. It only fit into the big microwave which had one serious flaw as well. It did not rotate so food cooked in it came out with an unreasonably amount of uneven heat. One food particle so hot that it would burn your mouth would be next to an ice crystal. My primary use of the kitchen these days is to brew herbal teas that relax away some pain but the tea kettle takes too long. It also hurts when it whistles. The hotel and my mother-in-law have microwaves with a beverage setting. I can brew a cup of herbal tea in a couple of minutes that is just as effective as the stuff that takes forever to cook. We could replace two microwaves with one, save space and come out ahead on pain control.

Also, I need to think ahead about falling on stairs. My recent lucky streak involving stairs seems to coincide with time spent in a first floor hotel room with no stairs. I may not need a stair lift for a decade but it's better to start preparing now. Beyond that, we may need to turn the first floor bathroom into a wheelchair accessible full bath. The need for that should be even further off but this is something that could be part of the house's evolution.

As strange as it sounds, this is me being optimistic. I'm writing about the future which implies belief that I will have a future. Part of me wonders how on Earth I can keep living with so much pain and how I will keep dragging myself forward when I can barely drag myself out of bed. Well, I'm calling this an evolutionary process when it would take most people my age a couple of weeks. I'm taking my disadvantages into account and turning them into advantages.So long as there is no expected due date, I can putter along like a poorly made golf cart.

Unfortunately, I have something new to worry about. There are two sets of numbers on my claim estimate. One looks just like what I agreed to and the other looks considerably more than that. No one has billed me for either amount yet but it's just something to make me twitch and give me nightmares.Thankfully, Melissa was with me when I discovered this. She reminded me of all my tricks that I've used over the years to make it through worst case scenarios. We're also concerned that there is no reference to the ruined furniture that the adjuster agreed was covered. I'm trying to hang on to the idea that I can trust what I was told. That would be a $500 deductible with most things covered.

Oh, well. I asked for clarification and it will come eventually.