Whoohoo back online

Well the phone service is finally back and the DSL we were supposed to have cancelled two months ago is working. So yay for being back online. The cable is still not working though. It will be nice to get that back so I can watch HBO and get online in the bedroom. I could reset up the router but that would be alot of work for something if the cable comes back soon. We shall see. I have to go contact my instructors about my online classes so this will be a short post. But yaya for being able to get back online.

Now out to the Job sites

(Once again backdated)
We got power back late last night but still no phone service and no cable so no internet. I got up early and went with Matt up to work because his dad asked me to. They had one house that had just been roofed right before the storm. It lost almost all of its shingles. We spent the morning piling them up so someone could go back with a wheelbarrow and take them to the dumpster. Then we went out to another house that is almost finished to cleanup the damage there. It had a glass door that was busted in. This let lots of dirt and leaves get blown intot he house that had to be cleanuped.

We got the chain for the chaninsaw sharpened while we were out and then went home a little early and watched a DVD since we now had power.

Freaking Rich people

(Backdated because I couldn't post with no internet access becasue of WIlma)
So today we slept in a bit since Matt's parents had finsihed cleaning up our lawn yesterday while we were gone. The day dawned with the neighbor who hadn't wanted any generators thenight before after asking for three and then who had only bought one, coming back and asking if we had two more. Matt's mom said she came over before anyone was even up at the house (well other then Matt's dad who leaves for work at 4am). We sold her the one we had left. Then we had to listen to her complain that she needed to write the check to Matt's Dad's company and needed a reciept on letterhead so she can put it in with her claim to FEMA. I think we all started smoking on that one, and I know steam came through Matt's dad's ears when we told him that one. He will not put it thorough his company because we did not make a profit off of these and it would screw up his books. I don't think he will ever help anyone again.

It might be different if these were poor people. But anyone who lives in this neighborhood is not poor. They can afford the cost of these generators at the drop of a hat. The fact that they are even making FEMA claims boils my blood. FEMA should be for people who really need help. Not for people who lost some trees and had to throw out some food becuase it went bad.

After all that we went to Dan's to help him cleanup his yard. We did as much as we could until the chinsaw chian got ruined. That was caused by a nighbor who asked us to help him cut his chainsaw free but whatever on that one. Those guys were as holes. I will not go back and help Dan cleanup anymore though. He was raking while I dragged limbs. Raking is the least priority people. I'm not doing all the ahrd work for someone else who is capable of doing it.

Gas RUN

(This post was backdated because I could not post at the time due to Wilma)

Today we got up early and left for Lakeland which is three hours away and had only lite damage from the storm. Our nighbors were trying to get generators and couldn't find them and Matt's brother was able to get several in Lakeland. Plus we needed gas or we wouldn't be able to run our generator much longer even only running it for part of the day.

We were able to get 7 generators and 24 5-gallon OSHA safe cans of gas in Lakeland. WE had to go to 2 differnt gas stations to feel the cans because the limit on the gas card pay at the pump is $100 and the guy at the first station would not override it inside. The second guy had not problem doing it.

Do you know what its like driving back with a truck full of gas into an area where only a handfull of gas stations are open do to poweroutage and everyone wants gas. Its not fun and its not pretty. Every truck we passed that could see into the truck bed was eyeing us. Not to mention a trailer full of generators. We didn't want to stop anywhere near the turnpike. WE had nothing for defense except for a CO2 powerd BB gun. THats not a comfortable feeling.

Then when we got home with all this, the neighbor who had asked us to get three generators for her wasn't sure she wanted even one anymore. You see the powere was on in part of the neighborhood and they were sure it was justs minutes away from us too. Remind me not to ever help anyone again. If you ask someone to buy something expensive for you don't backout of it when they get back with it.

Anyway after driving us all crazy for a couple hours she took one and we sold all but one to other neighbors. We sold them including 2 cans of gas for less then half the price the same generator was being sold for in town. They were price gaugung like hell.

Day 2 of cleanup

(This post was backdated becuase I had no internet access due to Wilma)
After going to bed early because there was no powere and nothing to do lastnight we got up about 8:30-9am ish. Thus began the main cleanup of our house since most of yesterday was spent clearing the road.

Matt's dad had called. He had gone to west palm to check out his job sites for damage and had picked up a generator. DAn came over and wanted Matt to go with him to look for them a generator so they left also with the plan of getting ice to put in the fridge until Matt's dad got back with our generator.

That left Matt's mom and I to start on the cleanup. We started with the screen room and had most of it picked up before Matt returned. He helped us get the rest of it done and then I went for a swim to fish the pieces that were sunk to the bottom of the poool out. Actually I got in and got the stuff out of the shallow end but decided I wasn't sticking my head under the water to fish the stuff out of the deep. I used the pool broom to lift them and got that out.

By the way, the water was freezing. WE had that cold front come in after the storm. Good thing to. Otherwise we would have been miserable without a/c.

After I took a quick shower to get any bacteria from the pool off of me we went back to work on clearing trees. Matt's dad had come home and Matt and he had set the generater up by this point. However, we needed more gas so Matt went with Dan to get some from one of Dan's dads job sites. So Matt's dad and I started on the tree on the side of the house and Matt's mom came and helped us. Several hours later Matt and Dan came back and helped us finish up. Matts truck came in useful; again.

Here is a little hint of advice though guys. Don't tell me I'm going to hurt myself lifting something. I'm not going to try to pick it up unless i think I can. If I start to pick it up and realize i can't, I won't do it. I am a strong independent woman who is used to doing for herself. I know how to pick heavy shit up without hurting myself. If I need help I will ask.

Wilma was Here

(This post is backdated because I did not have power to post)

Well we woke up around 7 am to howling winds and loud crashy sounds. Wilma was here. We were able to peek out of the bathroom door to the back patio durring the storm and can say that we had lost the screen room before 7:30 am. We lost the satellight single around 8 am but were still able to watch cable until we lost power around 8:30 am. Then began along time of sitting in the dark where the only entertainment was going open the door and look out at the storm. Matt kept telling us he was going to walk around the house to check on his truck and I kept telling him that if he got killed walking out in the storm I was going to have him resurrected just so Io could kill him again.

Finally the eye got here and we went out for about 15 minutes or so to check on the buiklding and the cars. Nearly every tree had lost all of its branches but luckily it was durring the first part of the storm so the winds blew them away from the house. Also the cars were surrounded by trees but none of them appeared to be damaged.

Then it was back into the house for round 2 with Wilma. Since the house was now sheltering the back door area from most of the winds we stood at the door alot to watch the storm. Nest time we need some clear shutters in strategic places so we can see more of the storm. Anyway we took some 60 sec video and photos of the wind sweeping down the canal behind the house. When I have time and internet access later I will have to post them.

We were out of the house as soon as it shifted from hurricane force winds to tropical storm force winds. This was a little after noon I think. I'm not sure though. We took about an hour to walk the neighborhood and check out the damage. I took lots of photos.

Then it was time for cleanup to begin. Our driveway was blocked in on both sides and the street was completely in passible. You can see it in the pictures when I get them posted. So job number one was clearing our driveway, the street, and helping our neighbors clear their driveways. This took all day. We were out there until dark. We were dragging limbs by hand and pulling hugh limbs with Matt's truck. That should be an add for a Chevy Commercial.

Then we came in to quick showers to try to make the hot water last as long as possible. We went to Dan's and he cooked us frank and beans, chili, and chicken marsala for dinner on his grill.

I have one final comment for that day for all you assholes who sat around and watcvhed your neighbors clear the fucking road, GET OFF YOUR FUCKING LAZY ASSES and HELP. THe road is not going to clear itself and the city won't be through for a while. And if you can't help becuase of a physical condition, maybe you could offer your neighbors who are working a drink of water or a beer.But don't be a fucking shithead and ask people if they are getting paid to do that and when they say no say, "Well I've got some work you can do over here in my yard" And don't push limbs that were cleared off the road back into it just becasue they are on the edge of your lawn. There is a l0t of debre. If you want to be bale to drive down the road it has to go somewhere assholes.

Well Wilma is finally on her way

At least that is what we were told last night before bed. They finally put Florida under a Hurricane warrning.

What i wanted to do today was to go shop for a costume for the Pimp and Ho party one of our friends is haing on Friday. After all If I have to go to the dang theing I will be the best dresssed person there.

What I did insteaed was spend all day doing hurricane preparations. We had all already filled our gas tanks so we didn't have to worry about that. What we had to do was put the shutters up and get everything outside the house secure. At least the shutters finally came. They installed the hardware before Katrina and said they would bring the shutters later. We didn't know that meant several weeks later.

Shutters suck to install. If I do it again I will make sure I have gloves. Not a one of us, Matt, his mom, or I, escaped without slicing up our hands.

Then we had to secure everything on the back patio. Some of the patio furniture is in the pool now but nothing metaql can go in it. So lots of it is in the kitchen now. Also all the plants and stuff had to come in.

Oh and lets not forget Mike's SUNFISH. Yes thats right, we now have a sailboat sitting in the hallway. It's a houseboat now. Well at least we can paddle it to the cars when the house floods.

Here comes another one!

Well Wilma is on the way. I always knew she was the most fierce of all the Flintstones but never quite pictured her as a hurricane baring down on the Gulf. Well umm, at least not with out Fred.