Updates On The Fire Front...

It has been just over a week now since the fire. I honestly cannot believe just how much work needs to be done, needs to happen, people to contact, etc. when a fire takes place.  This is all so new to me, and I have had just about my fill of tragedy, falls and stumbles.  In the last six months if it hasn't been one thing, it has been another.  I am strong though, I am still standing, and the saying below the clock is rather ironic... "Time Does Not Change Us...It Unfolds Us."  This statement has never had more meaning than it does right now.  (BTW, the wall was once white!)

My husband and I were separated for about a month and were in the process of getting a divorce, when we decided to put our mistakes behind us, and work things out.  We were going to counseling, talking, and spending more time together.  We were finally in a much better place, when this happened. 

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.  You may not always know what the reason is, but there is a reason.  I am wondering if this happened to us to make us ALL pull together as a family and grow together.  I do know that in the short time that has past since the fire, I know that there are lessons to be learned.  Some lessons I will be sharing in later posts. 

My body hurts from the stress, my throat hurts from the smell and stench of the smoke and ash, even though when we are in the house, we take lots of breaks outdoors, and wear particle masks.  We have all had our break down moments, girls included.  Going from a 2800 square foot house to a 500 square foot Studio hotel room is not easy.   As I write this, my husband is now sleeping as he has to work tonight, and I just put the girls to bed, so here I am with the computer, and the TV on mute.  Yep, It's going to be a long six months.  I am hoping that it won't take that long.  We are hoping to find out a bit more information tomorrow on how extensive the smoke has been through the sheet rock, and attic. 

Humor, is a necessity. Without, you may as well, curl up in bed, and come out when it's all over.  When the demo started in the kitchen, my husband told the guys that no matter what they did, they had to save the kitchen sink... they all looked at one another, and said, "yeah?"  They looked at each other with the  look of perplexion, as if my husband had been serious.  He had to tell them all, that he was only kidding.  You know the old comment everything but the kitchen sink?  I don't think they deal a lot with people who have the kind of sense of humor that my husband does.

As I said before, it isn't the flames that cause the most damage throughout a house.  Yes it causes the most damage where the fire is located, as it does burn just about everything in it's path... but the smoke.  It is the smoke, especially when there is a lot of plastic items burning that creates such thick black soot, and ash, and smell.  ALL of the food in our kitchen, where most of it was stored, had to be thrown out.  Even the canned goods. Canned goods?  Yep.  Keep in mind the inside of my house, was heated to over 500 degrees.  ( Most plastics have a melting point of 600 degree's or higher.)  So essentially the product inside the cans were cooking.  I don't know about you, but I am not going to take the chance of feeding that to my family. 

Now the beauty products like the body washes, and shampoos, and conditioners...gone.  Why?  The smell of the burning plastic, actually gets into and onto the plastic bottles.  The ash and soot, and smell does not come off of those, I tried on several bottles that we took to the hotel room.  The smell on them was so bad we had to throw it out, everytime we walked by the bottles, you could smell the plastic.  It really is devasting. 

The cardboard cereal boxes, are all covered in that smell, ans soot, as well as the plastic bags that contain the cereal inside the box.  Looks can be rather deceiving, as my girls are starting to realize, when they ask, can we get this or that out of our room.... the answer has been No.  No, because everything they have asked for, has been porous or plastic, and just smells waaaay too badly.  Every Plastic cup, dish, bowl, container....gone. 

Now, I am writing down EVERYTHING we own into a Contents spreadsheet for the insurance company.  and I do mean everything has to be listed out, individually, with a price attached to it.

Pampered Chef Measuring Cups (Liquid)                  2                   2

Pampered Chef All Purpose Spreaders                     5                   4
Pampered Chef Cheese Knife, black plastic handle   5                   1
Pampered Chef Rotary Grater                                  5                   1
Pampered Chef zester/scorer                                   5                    1
Pampered Chef Food Chopper                                5                    1
Candy Thermometer                                                8                    1
Pampered Chef Ceramic/plastic scorer                     5                    3
Pampered Chef Cut n Seal                                       5                    1


Trying to remember everything you own that has been ruined, is exhausting, pictures is a must.  My camera was ruined in the fire, as it was sitting next to my printer.  Luckily, I have an awesome and dear friend, Donna, who lent me her camera for a while.  Thanks Donnna!  I have taken just over 1000 pictures, of items we owned, and at that, I am not done.  So now I am off to go and enter more of our belongings into a spreadsheet...ugh.  That bed is looking better and better!