Tuesday, July 13, 2004

The worst Monday (and best friends) ever

So for those of you who haven't yet heard, I had a homo homeowner disaster. A broken pipe to be exact. Granted, a little pipe, with small amounts of water. But since the pipe broke over the winter (without anyone's knowledge) and the water seeped down into a wall about a month ago, this is a huge problem. Because now the guest bedroom/my office is full of mold and mildew. Like...in the walls and carpets. Thank gawd for homo homeowner's insurance! The estimate came in at $2500. At least. And they're cutting me a check. Woohoo!

The carpet must be pulled up and replaced. The drywall must be knocked out, insulation replaced, chemicals sprayed to kill leftover living things, and drywall replaced. Then comes retexturing and painting. And new linoleum in the closet under the stairs, which shares a wall with the guest room closet. Then there's the ceiling in the office. It must be deflocked (heh), touched up, and repainted as well. Don't you love life? I know I do. *sigh*

So this was my Monday, as I discovered this special treat late Sunday night, after Mandy and Bridget left my house. Stir in a heaping cup of work problems and a pint of last minute queer program planning, finish with a 90 minute board meeting, and you have a perfect recipe for the worst Monday in a looooooooooooong time. I was on the verge of a mental collapse...or the beginning of an intense drunk, whichever came first.

Then my friends rode in to the rescue. Mandy, Travis, and Drew helped me move everything out of the affected rooms and into the garage (another sore subject, as every time I clean out the garage, something happens that fills it up instantly). They fed me, as I had not eaten...at all (yes, NerdyGirl, I know you will kick my ass). They even made me one martini...at triple strength. They kept me glued together and focused on the task at hand, instead of the overwhelming scope of the whole project.

And tonight, some of them have volunteered to help rip up carpet. You know you have true friends when they'll face icky mold and mildew for you, even when you're ready to lose your fucking mind and find a belltower with a high-powered semi-automatic weapon. :) To everyone who's helping me keep it together (and in some cases, tearing it apart), thank you. Most of you know how hard it is for me to ask for help on larger issues. Letting out the puppies is one thing. Battling potentially hazardous spores is another. Thanks for offering (and in some cases, forcing me to take) the help. It means more to me than you might know.

Tonight's adventure: ripping up the carpet.

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