 | Diary Navigation:
|
February 14, 2003
February 14, 2004
SO MUCH has happened since I last wrote about our house on Long Island flooding! In case you didn’t read the update I posted on my TTM board, Toby and I went out to see what exactly had happened to our home a few days after I posted my entry about the pipes breaking in the house. This is part of my TTM message, describing what we found when we got there: “Toby and I were both nervous about what we were going to find when we got there (understandably). My jaw almost hit the ground when we walked up to the front door and a WALL of ice was covering almost the whole thing! Toby hacked through it, we pushed the front door open and ... we discovered that almost all of our stuff is o.k.!!
The HOUSE is totally thrashed, though. The carpets are still soaking wet, the ceiling over the living room is completely exposed, the walls in the main living area are wet and in some areas bulging, the floor in the upstairs hall is bulging up almost 2 feet, and there is extreme condensation throughout the house.
Our couches will need to be replaced, and possibly the glider that is in Aidan's room, but other than that, there was no obvious damage to ANY of our things. I don't know how that's possible, when it's obvious a TREMENDOUS amount of water was in the house, but it honestly seems like most of our stuff is o.k.. Unbelievable.”
I think I can speak for Toby when I say that our heads were spinning after seeing the house in that condition. I’ve never, ever seen that kind of destruction before, and it was absolutely BIZARRE to see our things sitting totally untouched by the ice and water, right in the middle of it all. We walked out of the house shaking our heads and thanking God for protecting our things. Most importantly, we came away with a strong sense that the pipes bursting had happened for a REASON, and the only reason we could think of was to allow us to move to Brooklyn earlier than we had been planning. We’d been planning on moving in May, but I for one felt like God was saying, “No, I want you there NOW”. No arguments here! =) So the next step was figuring out how to get out of our lease without causing any problems with our landlord.
Thankfully, Toby found a clause in New York State law that basically says that if you are renting a place, and it becomes uninhabitable (and it’s not your fault), you can be released from your lease. We were SO excited, and quickly began scouring the Internet and newspapers for places to rent in Brooklyn. A couple of days after we saw the house, we looked at a couple of apartments, but none of them were very nice, and the real estate agent was a space cadet, so we kept on looking.
The following week was spent dealing with our insurance, and making sure everything that was damaged would be covered by them. They sent an adjuster out to look at our things, and to make a list with Toby of everything that needed to be replaced. Dealing with insurance companies is NEVER fun or easy, and there were a couple of bumps in the road, but in the end everything worked out perfectly and in our best interest. We were especially pleased with the allotment set aside for the living room furniture we needed to replace, and were able to go to Macy's and pick out a new couch, leather chair and ottoman, as well as a nice corner entertainment unit.
Our search for a new place to live also continued that week. To make a long story short, Toby found an ad for a place that he felt particularly drawn to, and on Sunday the 1st we met the owner and checked it out. We knew we wanted it after about FIVE SECONDS. The owner was slightly concerned that we were a single-income family, and that so much of Toby’s income would be going to pay the rent, but we assured him that we made more than enough money and would pay 6 months rent up front if needed. He said that wouldn’t be necessary, and told us that he would call the following day after he made sure our credit and references checked out. I was in a Bible Study the next day, literally about to share about our hopes that we would get the place when Toby called my cell phone: THE PLACE WAS OURS! Hallelujah! =)
The next couple of days were an absolute whirlwind of activity. Our previous landlord needed our belongings out of the house so that he could begin renovations, so we needed to move immediately. Thankfully, our new place was vacant, and Toby found a moving company that was willing to move our things THE NEXT DAY! So, within 72 hours we found a new home, signed the lease and moved in!!
Our new place is WONDERFUL! It's much smaller than the 5-bedroom house we were in before, but we like it SO much better. Technically the building we are in is an apartment building, with probably 16 individual units. I think it looks similar to a Brownstone, and I don't think someone from out of town would really know that it's NOT one. We're lucky in that we are on the bottom floor, so I don't have to haul Aidan and his stroller up a bunch of stairs. We've also been blessed with a 2-story space, something the rest of the tenants in the building don't have. Basically, they renovated part of the basement, and put a half-bath, small laundry room and BIG closet in as well. We've decided to use the downstairs as a Master bedroom/nursery combo. Aidan sleeps with us most of the time anyhow, so it makes sense to keep him downstairs with us. The downstairs area is almost 500 square feet, so there's PLENTY of room for the three of us and all our bedroom furniture. We'll also use it as a second, larger play area for Aidan, once we get everything organized.
The upstairs has a nice, new kitchen with a big "island" counter that separates the kitchen from the living room. The only downside to the kitchen is it doesn't have a dishwasher. Bummer! (And of course, there's not enough storage space, but I guess it wouldn't be a real New York home if there was plenty of room in the pantry!) There are nice wood floors in the living room and guest bedroom/office, and new tile in the entry way and kitchen. It's SO much better than the yucky linoleum at our old place. =) Another nice touch is that there is a beautiful mantel over the fireplace in the living room. The fireplace is sealed up so we can't use it, but it looks pretty, and we found a huge, oval mirror to go over the mantel and it looks GREAT. Toby is also building a bookcase to go in the guest bedroom, and I think it's going to look really nice when it's all done. There are so many unique features throughout the apartment that it makes for a very fun and interesting place to live. All in all, I think this is going to be the nicest home that we've lived in.
To top it off, the neighborhood is AWESOME. We're about a block and a half away from all the great restaurants, shops, stores and cafes in the area. It's especially nice because we can get to everything in less than a 5 minute walk, but we're not ON the main street, so we don't have as much noise coming into our home. The City Park, Public Library and Children’s Museum is also only a block away in the other direction. The Park covers about 500 acres, and even has a Zoo! It was designed by the same people who designed Central Park in NYC, and I think it’s easily as beautiful to walk around. Aidan and I will be spending many hours together in the Park, once the weather warms up a bit. Being so close to everything is definitely one of the best parts about our new home.
Right now, we’re just trying to find a place for everything to go. We’re going to build a linen closet, as well as installing some extra pantry space for the kitchen. We made a big trip to Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond yesterday, and got most of the things we need to start putting everything together. I would also like to make a trip to The Container Store or IKEA, just to make sure we have all our bases covered. I cannot WAIT for everything to be put away and in its proper place! Once that happens, I think our new place will finally feel like HOME SWEET HOME!
Until Next Time,
Rebekah
P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
