The Manic Mechanic

Yesterday, Mayhem Acres dodged a couple tornadoes. Ended up with lots of wind and buckets of rain, no damage. I have to clear a downspout on the house and two on the garage, they were waterfalls during the deluge. Time to head up on the roof with the pressure washer. Mother Nature is rather overbearing lately, but I still love her.

Jeff's pop is settling into the new place. The additional pictures were well received, and the lot covers the top of a big bedroom dresser. Suddenly the new room in the new house with the new furniture looked and felt more like home. Mission accomplished.

I tasked myself with buying and installing the myriad lighting devices needed for the new place. Except for some high-efficacy halogen bulbs, everything was either LED or CFL. The electric bill should reflect (heh) this. I was also (painfully) reminded how much my back dislikes me doing overhead work on ladders, unfortunate, since I have a lot of unfinished business here with the same need for climbing ladders.

I need to make a trip to the local junkyards again for project parts, but I am not relishing the thought of trudging through the inevitable sea of oily mud puddles left over from the storm. Maybe tomorrow. I also want to haul a whole lotta stuff to the landfill/recycling center. Out with the old, in with the new.

How has your week been? And what's up for the weekend?

This commercial seems appropriate today.

Jeff's dad is poised to be living in the new place today. He's barely waiting for the final use and occupancy permit. Just in time, as the generator I loaned him to keep the trailer batteries charged bit the dust. No good deed goes unpunished I guess.

Speaking of houses, the new house across the road from me is practically flying up. This is a conventional, stick-built house, and yesterday most of the first floor and a part of the second story are up. I expect the majority of exterior framing to be done today, and probably under roof by the weekend. It won't be long before The House of Seven Terlits is complete either. This crew is working overtime and on weekends.

Today I made an old man cry. And it made me happy.

We were up in Pennsyltucky to take the slightly-scorched trailer to a local RV dealer to have an estimate done for repairs to the damage caused by the fire. Since Jeff's father's birfday is coming up and we couldn't be there for the actual day, I presented him with two of the reprinted photos lost in the fire, saying that I didn't buy these, I had to make 'em, 'cause no store carried them. I gave these to him because I had heard him talk about losing them the day of the fire. Poor guy broke down crying, but in a good way.

He's never hugged me like that before either. Best hug I got in a long time. :)

Next thing I did was hitch up the slightly overcooked trailer and we headed down to the RV dealer. Of course, we had to have a look at some of the new and "previously enjoyed" models on the lot. There just might be an upgrade in our future.

From there we took off for the most important task, which was to get Dad a new place to hang his hat. He had settled on a model from a nearby manufactured/modular home company, and he wanted us to give our "approval." While this too was essentially a double-wide similar to what he had before, it was of much higher quality, with solid construction, 6" walls with R19 insulation, above-average fittings and trim, and overall good quality. My only gripe was the interior used a paneling product rather than drywall, leaving the walls with vertical trim strips every 4 feet. The paneling did seem to be sturdy however, and the various prints available looked like good quality wallpapers. There were lots of custom touches included, with a great deal more extras and goodies available. We fussed over colors of siding, trim, roofing, counters, fixtures, etc. We had the place configured all the way down to the window treatments. He'll be getting a new home with a beautiful, wide-open floor plan for the kitchen, dining and living rooms, plus three bedrooms and two full baths. The thick walls and copious insulation on top, bottom and sides will help a lot with energy efficiency, and the interior should be nearly silent even when some of the loud local pickups roar by with their glasspack mufflers and mudbogger tires. Dad's only lament was he was doing all of this without mom's involvement. It was plainly obvious to all of us that she would've been thrilled with everything he had finally settled on. Jeff's sister, brother and sister-in-law were there for their inputs as well, and I think it's gonna be some sharp lookin' digs. The crowning exterior touch will be the end of the house that overlooks the yard and the field across the creek with the grazing buffalo, the entire end will be fitted with high-efficiency, floor-to-ceiling trapezoidal windows. I told dad to take the recommendation from the salesman for the roof prow, an extension to the eaves on that side which will act as a shade during the summer months to keep the sun out of that side of the house, yet let it in during the cooler seasons. This is something similar to what I had designed into La Casa Mayhem 25 years ago, and it does wonders for free heat in the winter. Unfortunately, I don't have the buffalo.

I think Dad is feeling a little more at ease. The burned up debris is gone, the old foundation had been dug out, and there is a nice hole in the ground that will soon have a fresh foundation going in. In fact, if things work out as they are planned so far, he might be moving in sometime in June, if not earlier. And, yes, I will have more framed surprises when there are places to hang them too. I want more hugs.

This was supposed to be a post detailing how Jeff and I, along with his dad and nephew plus his nephew's friend I had all picked up from Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon, spent the last several days in a truly kick-ass cleanup and beautification project here in Mayhem Acres. Trees were cut, brush removed, dumptruck loads of mulch spread, debris chipped and shredded, you name it. Not only was a lot of work to be done, but time off to get good food, play video games, watch movies and go shopping and sightseeing in the downtime hours. It was something we had planned months ago to coincide with the arrival of spring as well as spring break from school. We were finally to attend to yard damage and general neglect going way back before the blizzard of 2010 that brought down big trees, spoiled landscaping and an accumulation of tasks that had been put on hold because of health issues and injuries and all manner of problems we'd been beset with. Lemme tell ya, we definitely got to a great start. We tromped outside after a hearty breakfast on Thursday morning and fell into a cooperation of work duties with an almost military-like efficiency. By that afternoon, the northeastern quadrant of Mayhem Acres was entirely different. We began Friday in much the same way, albeit a bit sore from the previous day's exertions. Cleanup began to turn to tune-up, as debris was hauled away and chipped, areas brush-cut and hit with the flamethrower to sterilize the grounds against weeds and a nice thick layer of mulch put down. We ended the day a bit early seeing we were way ahead of our informal schedule, and another load of mulch was ordered and brought in for Saturday morning's festivities. We were all collectively surprised what two well-fed teenagers, two old guys with health issues and one old man with a sense of effort even he was surprised with having could accomplish. We headed into the house that evening thinking we could get the work done early enough on Saturday that the rest of that day would likely be spent going out on the town for fun, frolic, shopping, eating and sightseeing. Everyone slept like logs. Then on Saturday morning, around 8am, the phone rang.

Jeff's parents' house was on fire.

We were out of the house and on the road in only a few minutes, and I drove at (quite) extra-legal speeds in the big truck to get back to PA as fast as we could. A trip that normally takes over two and a half hours on a good day of traffic (and nearly 4 hours Wednesday due to accidents and such) was done in slightly under two. While on the way back, Jeff and his dad were on the phones, and we were coordinating with the fire departments, calling insurance agents, notifying people and all manner of of tasks while traveling 95+mph at times. Speed was limited by traffic and the built-in speed limiter in the truck. Despite all the talking to the people on scene, we still couldn't be prepared for seeing smoke in the air 20 miles or more away and the smoldering shell of the burned out house. We had been spared from seeing the actual blaze, but I obtained the full set of photos from the fire department photographer (always carry a thumb drive!). This is what they saw when they rolled up:



The house is a total loss, and practically all the contents were incinerated. Because Jeff's parents live practically in the middle of nowhere, with the closest fire department being at least 10 miles away, the need for water to fight a fire having to be trucked in by tankers and the general time delays from witness to calling to dispatch to arrival and setup, the majority of the house was consumed before the first water hit the fire. The focus also moved to preventing fire and heat damage to Dad's truck as well as our travel trailer which was being stored in the driveway for the winter. Despite being about fifty feet from the house, both the truck and trailer sustained damage just from the radiated heat, which melted plastic parts on both vehicles as well as buckling the aluminum siding on the trailer. By the time we arrived at the scene the fires were mostly out and the firefighters were removing charred furniture and other objects from the house as they doused hotspots.

Once the danger of fire subsided, we were able to look at the damage up close. The living room and one bedroom had collapsed into the basement, and nothing the firefighters brought out from any area of the house wasn't burnt, charred, melted or coated black by acrid smoke. Surprisingly, the firemen allowed me and others into the more stable parts of the structure to search for belongings ("Watch out for that hole in the floor"). Two of the local newspapers were on site, gathering information to spin into stories fit for their readership. We began to find bits and pieces of jewelry, trinkets, objects of daily life, etc. Firefighters managed to extract the cabinet containing Dad's cabinet containing antique rifles and shotguns while fighting the blaze. The heavy wooden desk, chest and dresser, despite being badly charred, protected some treasures from incineration. A tightly closed jewelry box held a few bits of his mom's necklaces and such but the smoke managed to get inside even there. As the day wore on and the firefighters left, I kept digging for more. I did manage to find a box containing wills, deeds and other important documents that were in practically perfect condition despite the nasty smell. Jeff, Dad, Jeff's brother-in-law and sister also managed to pluck more items from the wreckage, easing the feeling of total loss and giving a bit of hope to Dad, still shocked at all that happened that day.

The firefighters and subsequent investigating personnel were unable to pin down a cause of the fire. Even myself, having had a bit of fire prevention, fighting and investigation training through work in the past couldn't make sense of the wreckage. The house was a double-wide mobile home on a block foundation basement and such structures always burn quickly with intense heat. The roof was two layers of metal which acted as a "lid" keeping the fire from burning through the roof and ventilating the rest of the rooms, instead bottling the flames up and making them spread from end-to end in no time. There wasn't anything left of the entire structure to determine where it had started. "Unknown origin."

I am always amazed at how people manage to operate during times of stress despite not having prior experience in it. We managed to call in all the utilities to have them turned off. Insurance companies were called in, More family and friends were notified. We cooperated in gathering retrieved belongings together and made lists of contents of each room as we remembered. Fire personnel, police, and many other people on scene in a professional capacity were helpful and courteous. But I was not prepared for the outpouring of help, kind words and assistance that was coming throughout the day from friends, neighbors and acquaintances. The Amish of the area, with whom Dad has a tight relationship due to his "job" acting as transportation, and whom always had a lot of respect from myself, were ready to step in and begin the cleanup and rebuilding that very same day. While a process of assessment has to be done by the insurance companies, this should be done in the next day or two and by Saturday, the wreckage should be packed into big roll-off dumpsters. The agents and specialists from Erie Insurance were on site Sunday morning, and in a couple hours time not only assuaged Dad's fears and concerns, but had him pointed in a direction of reestablishing a home and life with a check for immediate accommodation, clothing and food. Enough money should be on hand soon to pay the outstanding loan (this is done automatically and foremost) put up a new building and furnish with all the basic items needed. I'm sure that between all the amazing offers of help and assistance coming from individuals, groups and churches, Dad should be able to resume a somewhat normal life in several months' time.

It should be noted that Jeff's mom is currently in a nursing home. While this is sadly due to the ongoing care for Alzheimer's, and she is no longer in the frame of mind to comprehend what had happened, she was away and safe from the ordeal. The biggest silver lining in this is the fact that we had Dad safe with us at the time. The obviously fast and unpredictable fire could have caused a lot more damage to more than a replaceable house.

More to come as I can manage...

It has been an interesting couple of days at the Interstellar Mayhem Command Station. Yesterday I had the opportunity to go with Jeff and experience something neither of us ever partaken in before. A Seder dinner. Yes, your favorite atheist sat among Jeff's boss' extended family and joined in one of their most sacred traditions. And despite the storm clouds that began to gather when I read some of the passages, no storm of measure arose, and I got to experience firsthand a religious tradition. Even popped on a kippah. While it isn't going to make me run out and convert to Judaism, I gained a bit of insight from the inside. While I was vaguely aware of what was involved and why it is done, it was actually interesting and rather fun taking part. It's a tradition as well as a history lesson that finishes with a lot of great food. I tried everything from gefilte fish to matzoh ball soup and more familiar fare such as corned beef and cabbage with potatoes as well as beef brisket and potato latkes (the familiar stuff being that which my Mom made quite often). Most of all I was honored to take part in a ceremonial dinner with their family. They treat Jeff and I like a part of their family.

Today I got an early call from Jeff telling me that he had forgotten his daily medications which he would take into work. Since he works in Ft. Meade, I have to go through the process of having my vehicle inspected to get on base. About a month ago I got to see first hand where Jeff works and have lunch with him after taking the full tour of the brand new facilities. This time I simply dropped off his meds and he surprised me with a little lunch at the car. He was too busy to take time for lunch with me, and I expected that. Why was today such a big deal, you might ask? Well, I was born at Ft. Meade just about 50 years ago. Mom and Dad were Army, and our world centered around Ft. Meade. All our shopping, medical care, recreation and whatnot took place in and around the base. I had not been on base for probably 20 years, and ever since 9/11 the base has had restricted access. I took for granted the ability to come and go as I pleased, and once the place locked down, I figured it was a done deal, no more little visits.

I had not been able to make use of most of the facilities since turning 18 anyway, though I had a friend that could get me into some of the places after my ID had expired. The first time I visited Jeff for lunch, I took a trip through a part of the base as I was leaving. I still remember the place like the back of my hand. Some stuff has remained unchanged, other facilities like the old troop barracks have disappeared, while some stuff is entirely new like Jeff's workplace. This time I took a different route and spent a bit more time around the places close to my youth. The movie theater, the park and lake where I spent my summers at day camp, and of course, the hospital, among other things. This time around, I broke down crying, since so many memories came flooding back of time spent with Mom, our earliest history is still there on that old army base. But I smiled and remembered all those fond memories. Hell, the place still has that "smell" that is impossible to describe, and I really felt like I had gone home again, even for the mere twenty or thirty minutes I spent driving around. I remembered so much, some of which had formed the core of my being. Even the one old pool where I went swimming twice to three times a day during the summer (and got tanned a deep brown and my hair bleached nearly white) is still there. The garage where Mom would take the car in for repairs, and where I would spend so much time begging for old parts to play with. I learned a lot there, but I remember the most how, even as a 7 year old, how I would completely baffle the mechanics with my knowledge of engines and cars and what have you. I got to take home some old part if I knew what it was. I'd come out of there with a box so full I couldn't carry it.

While it was an emotional trip, it was a good one. What really surprises me is how "small" the place feels these days. While I had been around the place well into my adult life, my absence for all those years coupled with huge changes in my life has obviously altered my perspectives. The long abandoned commissary looks like a tiny brick warehouse compared to even a modest grocery today. But all those years ago, it was so big and rambling. Mom's ID expired several years before mine, so I got tasked to do a lot of the shopping, and I did very well I might add. Likewise the old PX, the original building is gone, just an empty space with a couple newish little trees remains, the new facility has expanded since I was last inside. Just like so much of my life, I had to become "the man of the house" when Dad left us when I was only 5. I don't regret this at all, since the independent nature which defines me and my willingness and ability to make a life for myself and my loved ones came from those early days, was fostered in a relatively small "town" that had everything we needed, and, as a found out those two recent days, still holds my early life among its streets, fields and buildings. I'm glad it's still there. I was able to go back home again.