Sunday, February 21, 2021

A Winter Saga

On October 20, 2016, I officially became a recluse. The cause? Having to give up driving because of my narrowed field-of-vision due to Glaucoma. The serenity of my reclusion changed recently with a fifteen-day saga that ended on February 20.  During those fifteen days, I met a plethora of helpful and concerned strangers, all of whom made my problems theirs. Here’s the story:

Upon rising at 8:30 A.M. on Friday, February 5, I turned the thermostat up from 58° to 70°. Ten hours later, the temperature had risen only to 68°. I noted this, but thought little of it. \It happened again on Saturday. Then Sunday. Clearly something was wrong. 

On Monday I called a recommended furnace repair service. Marvin came the same day, checked the furnace (“Fine!”), then examined the filter onto which was attached a quantity of insulation.

“Must be a hole in one of the attic flex ducts,” he said. Deftly, he climbed the ladder and disappeared into the attic. (I have no basement.) 

When Marvin came back down, he said, “Ms. Ready, you must have some animals in the attic because I found eleven places where the flex ducts were ripped open.” 

Many nights in the past four years, I’d heard the sounds of racing, especially above my bedroom. I’d pictured a nightly Indianapolis 500. However, friends and family members thought the sound was just squirrels scampering on the roof. Stilling my inner voice that thought differently, I’d ignored the sounds. Result? All along the pounded-down insulation were eleven way-stations providing heat to the merry marauders. 

Before the duct work could be repaired, the animal(s) had to be caught. Another call and explanation. On Wednesday, February 10, Ben came, walked around my one-story home, found an entrance/exit hole right above my bedroom, and set a trap beneath the soffit. 



Ben returned the next day and found a trapped raccoon. He reset the trap and returned for the next four days. Concluding on the 16th that the raccoons had vamoosed, he nailed some sort of metal sheet to cover the hole. Marvin then returned on the 17th to repair the ducts. Yesterday, insulation was blown into the attic that would, Greg assured me, save me considerably on my heating bills. 

During those fifteen days, the house grew increasingly chilly. Starting on the 8th and ending on the 17th (the days of the Arctic Vortex rampage from Texas to the East Coast), the furnace valiantly tried to heat the rooms, the attic, and the air outside that raccoon entry. The task was impossible. For eight days, the room temperature hovered between 58° and 61°. For two days it got up to 63°. I bundled up and looked like the Michelin Man. 


One last thing: On Monday morning, the 15th, at 1:14 A.M. a neighbor’s security camera recorded that someone drove her/his car down the street, onto my driveway, and into my garage door. I heard a loud bang. Thinking it was a raccoon overhead, I simply turned over and went back to sleep. The next morning, when I opened the kitchen door to the garage, I discovered light pouring in from the bottom two panels of the four-panel overhead garage door. 

More calling and explaining to seven different people. Ultimately, a police officer came; someone from an overhead garage door company; and someone from the insurance company.

Brian, the garage door representative, proved to be a “prince of a man.” He used his clenched right fist, his right hip, his booted feet, a hammer, and an electric screw driver to gerrymander the damaged panels backs into a position that he could lock. “You’re safe,” he said, “until the door comes.” 

I was safe. Cold but safe. And I tell you that feeling safe was more important to me than feeling warm. 

Thus, did the month of February shatter my seclusion/reclusion. How fortunate I was to meet and talk with such helpful, courteous, friendly, concerned service representations who saw me as a fellow human being and not as a statistic or a bloodless number. 

My Meniere’s mantra has always been the following prayer of Julian of Norwich, who lived during the Black Death pandemic of the mid-fourteenth century: “And all shall be well. And all shall be well. And all manner of things shall be exceedingly well.”

So it has been and is and will be for me. Gratitude wells up from the deep center of my being where Oneness dwells.

Peace. 

PS: For those of you who left comments for my previous posting, I finally was able to respond. So if you're interested, please scroll down and read the thoughts that came to me after reading your welcomed comments.


Photographs from Wikipedia.

28 comments:

  1. Oh, Dee, I had no idea you were going through such travails! I’m so sorry you were cold and had to deal with all this. Though you make light of it, I know you had to be uncomfortable and worried. Anyway, I’m glad all is well now, that your raccoon tenant(s) has vacated quiet and warmth, has returned to your home. I bet the cats are glad, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Cynthia, the cats are indeed glad. Maggie especially as she likes to sleep on my bed during the day and the room had no heat coming into it for several weeks. I'd wondered why she hadn't been sleeping in there, but it was only when the furnace repair man--Marvin--explained that no duct was attached to the ceiling vent that I realized it was too cold for her and also accepted what had been niggling at me for weeks--that it was too cold for me! Peace.

      Delete
  2. A home owner for 49 of my 77 years, I've never met a repair representative who was not pleasant and cheerful. Yes, one or two have proved inefficient, or even dishonest, but it took years to find that, and they were pleasant enough on the job.
    I'm so pleased you had a nice bunch of people through, but then, what did you expect? Still under a thousand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Joanne, I owned my Stillwater (MN) home for 32 years and now I've been here in this home for 12 years. So 44 years of home ownership as I turned 85 in five weeks. Like you, almost all the repair people I've met have been helpful and cheerful too. This time, in my posting, I fudged a little: two of the many men/women with whom I spoke or whom I met here at the house were not so friendly. When I called the pest control company, the man with whom I spoke was both surly and sardonic. When I asked two questions for which he considered the answer must be obvious he actually let it be known that he thought most callers were either dimly witted or acutely dense. Still, I went with him company because the website had such good testimonials. The man who came to look for the critter or critters who'd taken a liking to my attic was taciturn, reluctant to go into my attic, and straight-forward about my problem being rather too simple for him to find challenging. So I wasn't all that pleased with that part of the saga adventure. However, I needed help right away and the company was able to send someone out the same day. Also, I must admit, the price was affordable. As to your score--I got to 348 once, but most I"m 100 something and sometimes 200 sometimes. Drat it! Peace.

      Delete
  3. Service people where I live generally pretty decent, too. I'm glad you were able to find good people for your string of bad luck. It makes all the difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Jean, yes, I met some wonderfully helpful people and talked more than I had probably for weeks to a human being! Peace.

      Delete
  4. Oh poor Dee. I am so glad that you found helpful and efficient tradespeople. Karma coming home to roost - which she sometimes does.
    I hope that you and the cats are now snuggled into blissful warmth, comfort and safety.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sue, the cats were so relieved when heat began to come from the vents in the ceiling. The three flex ducts that led to the vent in my bedroom and in the bathroom and in the room where I'm sitting now at the computer were all detached from the vent and so no heat at all had been going into those three rooms. (I"d wondered for some time why they seemed so cold but just thought that probably they were farthest from the furnace and so got less heat.) When the furnace and the insulation etc were all back to working correctly, Maggie, the opinionated calico, with whom I've, immediately went to my bed and took a nap. She'd not been there for nearly two weeks. Matthew and Ellie took longer to return to the rooms that had been so frigid. But now the four of us are toasty warm and immensely happy. Peace.

      Delete
  5. What an adventure that was. Glad you had such good service helpers. I know exactly what you heard. Years ago my husband and I were laying in bed one night and suddenly it sounded like a race track in the attic above us. We had somebody come out to investigate who discovered fruit rats had set up housekeeping. My husband set traps and finally caught any remaining. We had any openings secured, the area cleared of residue, insulation in place.

    You certainly had a litany of events occur. Had some heatless days myself again recently, none too pleasant, but was appreciative for the service I eventually had.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Joared, yes, that racing sound--romping!--really caught my attention as it did the cats lying on my bed. But everyone kept saying it was just the squirrels on the roof. I'm so glad for you that your husband was able to solve the problem. I live only with the cats and they simply refuse to lend a hand--a paw!--when something needs to be done around here. Peace.

      Delete
  6. Yikes, a string of nasties. What a clever little raccoon though to tap into your heat source for his own comfort. So glad that is fixed now. Wrong time of year to share your warmth with wildlife. I hope the garage door was an accident--what a fright.
    However you did find great repairmen and I am glad you are back being warm and secure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Patti, I don't know why the driver turned into my driveway. The police officer thought he/she might think the house was theirs and so drove in and clicked their garage opener and just kept going forward and then the door didn't open and they ran into it. The security camera across the street showed them backing out quickly and racing on down the street. I just hope they or he or she had on a seat belt. Peace.

      Delete
  7. While that doesn't sound as bad as some I've heard about during this latest climate saga, that was sure enough cold! I'm so glad it's all fixed, and the raccoons are no longer hanging out in your attic. It has been a really rough time for so many. Sending you much love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear DJan, yes, those down in Texas with no water, no electricity, and ruined floors, furniture, and appliances must be overwhelmed by what happened to them. Texas simply isn't prepared for weather like that. The New York Times has published stories about there not being food nor good drinking water. I always remember what Mom said to me so many, many years ago when I was complaining about my lot in life--"Dolores, here's a little story to think about: A man complained because he had no gloves in this winter weather. That is, he complained until he met a man who had no hands." With that, my mom silenced me with her wisdom. Always, there is someone more in need, living with more tragedy and sorrow. Always. Peace.

      Delete
  8. Glad now that all is well, Dee. I've always liked that saying "All will be well in the end... and if it's not, than it's not the end." Sorry about the raccoon in the attic. Since we put out heating lamps on the back porch for the cats, sometimes the raccoons will use them too. This time we had a darling little possum curled up with the cats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Rian, I like your take on the saying and find it--as I look back over my life--so true. I wish you'd post a photo of the "darling little possum curled up with the cats." With a lovely picture your words evoke in my mind. Peace.

      Delete
  9. There are more nice and helpful service people then there are uselesss ripoff bastards well that's my thought

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Jo-Anne, I agree with your thoughts. I met no "ripoff bastards" during this saga. All is well and I am fortunate that I get social security here in the United States and so was able to pay for all this. Peace.

      Delete
  10. Oh gosh, what a terrible month you have had, dear Dee. As Mr. Rogers’ said, “Always look for the helpers”.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Arleen, and, per usual, Mr. Rogers was right! All except two of the many people to whom I spoke or met were extremely helpful. And now, with the temperature up in the forties, I'm feeling as if I've taken a vacation to Bermuda! Hope all is well with you. Peace.

      Delete
  11. i absolutely like the way you define people you meet dear Dee
    yes fellow people they are indeed ,
    in life there is hope and goodness because of kind people who treat others kindly and and touch their not just heart but inspire others to be same .
    all is well if end is well goes with your situation rightly though i felt for your giving up driving because of weak vision .yet i think this up and down is part of life and not life as whole so i am sure you will pull out many other ways of living to make your indoor life exciting and love able !
    blessings and hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Baili, thanks to my mother, I learned, long years ago, to try and find good in every situation. That ability, which I learned from her, has helped me live a long and lovely life. Peace.

      Delete
  12. Oh my goodness! You have really been through it this month. I'm so glad that people came to your rescue and especially getting the animals out of your attic...good grief! To March! May it stroll in with sunny skies and warmer temps.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello, so glad you've stopped by. The sunny skies and warmer temps are here now and the cats are so grateful! . . . as am I. Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh my goodness, what a time you've had! My house is so poorly insulated our inside temp is at 62 degrees all through the winter. It requires several layers of clothing!! Wish U could get hold of that person who ran into your garage door, I'm getting tired of people like that!! Take care!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Kay, thanks so much for coming back and reading another of my posts. I do so hope to get to your blog and discover what you write about! However, after going through that Arctic Vortex and all that happened for two weeks, I was in sort of a melancholy mood and didn't feel like writing. Then I had health issues. But, having gone out and about to the various appointments, I am now simply following directions for eye drops--Today I had to put five different drops in my eyes to the count of 17 times! Soon all shall work out. Then, you'll find me dropping by your blog. Peace.

      Delete
  15. What a saga you endured, of problems, cold, raccoons, broken garage door and wonderfully helpful people. Hurray for them and hurray for you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Terra, I was so endlessly fortunate. And it all ended in February with me getting my first covid vaccine shot. And now, I’ve had the second. I hope you, too, have been vacinnated also. Such a relief! Peace.

    ReplyDelete