Our house fire...blog link added

[Jonna]

You know, the 5th wheel idea was a good one.  Check if the insurance will pay for you to rent/buy a trailer and put it on your land. 

An easy way to keep a record of what is happening and let family know as well is to put it in a blog, an online journal.  Go to Blogger.com, it's free and they set up easily, very click and go.  That way your friends and family can go there whenever and see what is going on.  You can add pictures as well.  It's so simple and it if you don't want the world looking at it you can put a password on it. 

[tweetybaby2005]

Cath, just saw this post.  Wow.  That was some scary moments for sure.  Although you and DH were hurt in the fire, thankfully it wasn't anything too serious.  Sending lots of healing prayers your way.  I hope all your furbabies have calmed down since then.  It is so scary to know that fire spreads so quickly and suddenly.

Kuan

[Ky Kim]

Oh wow, so sorry for all of your loss and you two getting hurt.  Prayers are being sent.  I too, would sit your cats if I could.

Eeew, to that place.  It does sound like she was a piece of work, no wonder the place looked like it was from the 70's, she had been in that seat since then.  Her cleaning method was a quick spray it sounds.  Gross.  Hope they find you all something suitable, and on the first floor.

Don't back down at all from in ins company.  Its a great idea to keep that journal/blog.  Ins companies will try to trip you up from time to time on what you say.  This way, you will have noted exactly what you told them.

Good luck

Kim

[livetogarden]

Grrrrrrrrr! I am so beat that I've typed a reply twice now only to accidently hit the wrong key and delete it. I now give up...so here's a link to a blog we created about our ordeal
Today's prayer requests....Rich's foot is very swollen today from being on it so much the past 2 days. Pray for that please and for me to have the energy to keep at the task alone tomorrow until our son gets off work at 5PM.
Take care everyone. We appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers more than you will ever know.
Cath
http://anotherordeal.blogspot.com/

[mascot]

You know, Cath, I can just imagine how you feel.  When the big fire burned down San Diego in 2003, I will admit that I panicked.  The fire was 40 miles away that morning, and that evening it was a mile away.  I packed up my computer, my clothes, and Rocky and went somewhere else where the fire was further away - 3 miles!  It never reached me or my home, but I was scared.

Two years later, driving home to my (new) house, I saw smoke over the mountain and I drove like a bat out of hell down a dirt road at about 75-80, only to find out that the fire was several miles away and not even close to my house.

Having to experience one as you did, and going through this ordeal, I can really feel for you but won't pretend I know how it feels.

LuAnn was right, I've managed a body shop and I knew that every adjuster was going to try to save money.  An adjuster telling me he refused to fix a car properly because of the cost was the reason I left the business.  It's their job, but that doesn't mean they are right.  I've had two auto claims and both times fought the adjuster and got what I wanted (deserved) for the repairs.  They bank on telling you, "this is all I can give you" and you thinking he's being sincere.

I had a customer once who asked how long it would take to fix her car, when I told her three weeks she cringed because she was paying for a (cheap) rental.  I asked why she was paying for it since the ins co wasn't hers, but the guy who hit her.  She said, "because they don't have rental coverage on their policies".  She was right, but that's for their own clients.  I told her that not only were they obligated by law to provide her with a rental car, but that she was entitled to a car similar to the one she was driving when their client hit her (a $36k car).  She talked to her ins co like I suggested and called me that day thanking me profusely for saving her so much money.  The adjuster lied and she bought it.  They know their job and they do their job, but that doesn't mean that taking care of you is their priority.  Be assertive without being demanding - it helps a lot.

best wishes....

[livetogarden]

I woke at 4:30 AM never to get back to sleep so off I go for the day. Rich has to chill at the hotel because his foot is swollen to about twice its size and he needs to keep it elevated. So it's me, myself and I today. We meet with our contractor at 9AM. I will pick Rich up, go to the meeting then it's back to the charred house for me. Please pray for the meeting to go well and for me to accomplish lots.
I hope all goes well for everyone today.
Take care!
Cath

[Kittyzee]

Cath, I know you've got lots to do today and I'm praying for your strength and well-being.  Remember to take breaks and just walk away sometimes, clear away, and get some kind of relief and relaxation even if it's 15 minutes at a time.  You cannot afford to become ill and physically exhausted.  Do I sound like a mother??!!    


Anyway, don't settle for less than you deserve in repairing your home.  It's where you LIVE.  Good advice from Blind Too--too bad we can't be there to boss everybody around.,...    

Oh, and be watching the mail for a puffy envelope...

[Monica]

I am so sorry to hear all that is happening to you guys.  I know how you feel our house burned down 2 years ago, it was a total lose but at least we weren't hurt or even home.  It's amazing how awful that smell is and it doesn't go away.  They threw stuff out of our house into our barn, thinking it could be saved, but all it did was stink up my barn and make more work for me because I had to go through and throw it all away.  Sometimes I go out there and there will be someting that was touched or near that stuff and the smell is on it and it just makes me sick.  Plus that smell doesn't come out of books.  I hate that smell.  If there are any appliances that you think may be ok don't use throw them out.  I have heard of people keeping them and reusing them and it causing another fire. 
Hopefully you can get to work on rebuilding quick.  I know what a pain it is to deal with the insurance company but don't let them wear you down.  Our insurance company rented us a trailer to live in in our driveway while we were rebuilding and it was a dump.  We had nothing but trouble with the company that rents the trailers then they tried to charge is to fix a hole in the wall that was there when we moved into it and made a note of it when it was brought.  Plus they tried to charge me $400 to clean it when it was in much better shape when they got it back than it was when they brought it.  They had 2 women come to clean it and they were there for maybe a half an hour and took in no cleaning products to clean it.  They must have just come in to take pictures of things wrong with it, and they were all wrong with it when we got it.  Luckily we had taken pictures of all of it and had sent it to our insurance company when it was brought so they couldn't blame it one us.  I am a very clean person and I had to scrub it down before I would even put anything in it.  It was just a dump, I could go on and on about it but I won't.
If I had to do it again I would find a place to rent, I would never do the trailer again.  It was as much a nightmare as the fire.

Just try to think of the positive coming out of this, you get a new kitchen.  I know it is hard to do now but when you start rebuilding it will start to help.  I hope your wound heal quick.  Sending you hugs and prayers.

[livetogarden]

We appreciate everyone's kind thoughts. Guess I didn't add the blog address

anotherordeal.blogspot.com

[Tommy1]

That is horrible my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

[miguynmkoi]

I finally checked out your blog annnndddd.....OMG!!  How horrible!!!  The pictures of your kitchen tell the story worst than your words.  I am so very sorry you even had to experience the fire.  Wow!  I'm so lost for words.  At least you have your sense of humor with you.  I'm wishing praying for your husband to heal faster and that everything goes smoothly with the repair and clean-up of your home.