An utterly exhausted blogger!

Hi, folks. It's been a loooonng day, and I'm one tired puppy! Blogging will be light tonight.

Servicemaster have been hard at it cleaning my house and disposing of fire-damaged carpet and other bits and pieces. I have to hand it to them: they're a first-class outfit. They work fast and hard, and I can't complain that they're not delivering value for money (particularly since my insurers are paying!). They wanted me to move out during the cleaning process, as the house is left stripped bare and pretty desolate, but there isn't a hotel room to be had for love or money at the moment. Some of the refugees from further South no longer have homes to return to, thanks to Hurricane Gustav, so they're staying here for the time being: and others are watching Hurricane Ike with a beady eye, and are unwilling to leave until they're sure the threat has passed. Result: all the hotels are full up, and don't know when they'll have rooms available again.

Speaking of Ike, it looks as if he's going to go to the South of Louisiana and clobber south-eastern Texas. I have to admit I'm relieved to be out of the bullseye (at least for the moment), but I feel for those who have to brace themselves for his coming. Hang tough, Texans!




I notice that my buddies JPG, Holly, Matt, Phlegm and Lawdog are scheduled to have Ike come calling in their vicinity sometime on Saturday or Sunday. Stay dry, friends, and be safe!

I've managed to find a contractor to cut down the tree from which fell the branch that damaged my house, and clean up several others, and deposit the wood and branches at the roadside for collection by the municipality. To my astonishment, his quote was almost double what I'd been led to expect by online investigation: but he was quite matter-of-fact about it. If I'm prepared to wait a couple of months until hurricane season is over, I can get the job done at the "normal" price. However, there are so many trees down right now (literally thousands of them), and so many homeowners crying out for contractors to deal with them, that he can basically name his own price in the short term. By offering cash (no checks or paperwork) I was able to bargain him down a bit, but it'll still be a hit of almost two thousand dollars to get the job done. Still . . . beggars can't be choosers, and all the other contractors I've approached haven't even bothered to return my calls. I guess he gets the job! I don't want another hurricane dropping the rest of the tree on my home!

Tomorrow Servicemaster tackle my study, where the fire started, and which will be the most complex room to clean as a result. I've got to deal with a mound of books, papers and clothes covering the floor in my bedroom, all tossed in there higgledy-piggledy after the fire to get them out of the way. The tree man's coming at mid-morning to take down the tree, so I'll have to get Servicemaster to move their vehicles to a safe distance - I'm sure they don't want several tons of oak tree through the windscreen of their van! I've also got to get to the bank to draw money, pick up mail, and do umpteen other things.

Who said life after a hurricane is boring?

Peter