Massive thunderstorm prevented me from repotting a plant, but it was a cool storm! And we so needed the rain. And my roof didn't leak and it was a lot like the storm where it did.
Lazy day, just swam, vacuumed the first floor and mopped the kitchen. Then went out and got the bucket and trellis for the jasmine, fed my neighbors' cats. One of them is in high dudgeon over my visits. I come in the door, Pooch greets me enthusiastically (and smells my feet, since the other neighbor cat has rubbed all over my toes) and KittyBoy comes running up, high pitched meows (he's a huge orange tabby.) I get two head scritches in and then he glares. Hisses. And turns around and plops down facing away from me. Any time I am in front of him, he hisses. And turns around. So funny. When I went to feed them, he hisses the whole time and presents his backside, no matter how awkward. And yet follows me from room to room, pulling this routine. Such a drama queen. It reminds me so freaking much of my 4 year old nephew's temper tantrums.
These people worked and worked and worked and paid off their homes and raised their families in these homes. That doesn't lend itself to equity value, but because the surrounding neighborhoods are bad and the economy is totally shit, they are barely being offered more than what they paid for the home in the 1960's.
This was a huge issue in insurance for post-Katrina rebuilding in the 9th ward especially. In the Lower Ninth, the percentage of homeowners in that neighborhood was the highest in the city, flat out (something like 93%). Not highest percentage of black homeowners or any qualifications like that. The storm came and they couldn't rebuild because the amounts they got were based on the home value, and it was low given the size of the house, the size of the lot, the property value of the neighborhood in general.
Another issue was that many of these houses were passed down from parent to child- and since they were fully paid for long ago, since most folks couldn't produce the deed (obvs) and they didn't change it in city hall (or city hall botched it, who knows) these homeowners had no right of return.
Seriously, New Orleans is textbook case of urban institutionalized racism, as is Detroit. (hopefully not too off-topic!)
So, I was watching
Torchwood
with some friends at my upstairs neighbor's place, and there was this crash that was so loud it knocked her door open. We all went outside to see that part of a tree had fallen down, bouncing off the building's gutter to land on my car.
[link]
No one was hurt, and I have insurance, so I'm going to chalk this up to one of those life experience things.
oof - sorry to see that Calli
So, I was watching iTorchwood with some friends
Is that
Torchwood
where Captain Jack is played by Miranda Cosgrove?
You know, Calli, I think you could have lived a full and complete life without ever having the "a tree smashed my car" experience. I hope the process of getting it fixed isn't too painful.
Thanks, Ginger. The insurance rep on the phone seemed helpful and gave me info on three local body shops that he said would just bill the insurance company directly. If that actually happens it would be nice. I've never had to make a claim with this company, so I'm not sure what to expect. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
Wow, Calli, I'm really glad nobody got hurt! And all good luck in getting back behind the wheel quickly.
