Our water damage

It's been a week since we realized we had some 'water damage' and today the pipe was fixed and the construction began. For the past week I've washed dishes in a bucket - sometimes it was sitting in my bathtub and I was bent in half getting the dishes clean. After 90 minutes of that last Friday I found the paper plates, plastic cups and cutlery and washed dishes more often. Scott thought he'd be able to fix the pipe himself but everytime he grabbed the pipe it would break.
The plumber came today and said he'd never seen anything like it, the pipe essentially disintegrated in his hands. No worries though, it's fixed all the way from the sink/dishwasher into the kitchen floor/basement ceiling and into the basement floor. Here's hoping that's the only pipe in our house that's like that!

drip drip drip

On Tuesday evening Scott was relaxing while engaging in Flight Simulator and he heard dripping. He came upstairs and asked what was dripping - nothing noted. He went back downstairs and asked for me to come listen. I couldn't hear anything. The wall behind where he was listening was shared by a washroom and we'd had water on the concrete under the cabinet before but we had thought it was due to the grading outside. I'd personally taken buckets of dirt to change the grading this past summer so we thought the issue was fixed. Not so. I listened again and heard a steady drip drip drip drip drip. Oh oh.
A little more investigation was needed so Scott cut a hole in the wall. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Scott called the insurance company who said they'd send someone out the next day. I gotta say, when I brought Katie home as she was unwell on Wednesday morning and saw the text on the van in front of my house... I started to wonder if things went sideways.


Katie commented that of course it's a disaster, they didn't spell clean up correctly. The crew had begun covering everything in the rec-room (now looks more like a wreck-room!) with poly and then had a look in the boxed part of the ceiling (the painted part, not the stippled area).
Meanwhile, back at the office I asked our GM what he knew about this sort of thing. He said the crew would have a look, then the adjustor would come out, he/she would arrange for sampling to be done, our furnace and ducts would be cleaned and while the testing/repairs were happening we'd likely need to go stay in a hotel. (How about in the Bahamas?!)
What actually happened was the disaster guys found mould... the insurance gal said that they don't cover mould stuff as that's not an 'on-the-spot' concern - she said "it's maintenance". Okay, let me get this straight, we're supposed to randomly punch holes in our finished walls checking to be sure the pipes are holding?!?


Scott opened up the stippled part of the ceiling to begin the pipe repair/replacement. He held a broken end in his hand and when he took hold of a section a little further away it snapped. Faulty pipe perhaps? The adjustor will be here later this morning.

If you enlarge this photo you can see the mould on the 2 studs closest to the wall.

Scotts already been thinking about his letter of complaint if the insurance company doesn't accept the claim. It will go something like this: I'm a Paramedic in the City of Calgary and for the Province of Alberta. If we respond to your home because you are suffering from a heart attack kindly note that if it's this type, this type or this type we'll help you but if it's this type you'll have to look after it yourself. You shouldn't have been eating the greasy food and leading a sedentary life - IT'S MAINTENANCE and we don't cover that sort of thing.

UPDATE ADDED: The adjustor came, looked and agreed that they would be responsible to cover the repairs. Praise the Lord! The only downside is that they won't be able to begin rebuilding (new studs, drywall, paint & stipple) for 4 weeks. In the meantime Scott is just about finished repairing the pipe and then we'll be able to wash dishes again!

I Dream of Camping

Last weekend we headed out to Sandy McNab to scope out the 'new and improved' camp sites, not that it's time just yet, but it won't be long. This campground has added power to it's sites and has enlarged them as well. It makes it easier for parking as well as opening slides and awnings, not to mention giving more space for spreading out a little.

Happy dog... (all photos can be clicked on to enlarge them)

There's something animated about this tree and I couldn't pass by without capturing it.

Man and dog

Sliding down a hill sans a sled.

Lean on me...

Monkeying around

Me and my sister... ahem... my sister and I.

Skiing

The girls have taken ski lessons at Canada Olympic Park twice since Christmas and this was the first time we'd been out as a family since then. (I'm hoping the pictures on my phone will upload so we can get photos of Scott in here too!) There was some 'fussing' over falls but when we turned skiing into a game - tag - the distraction was great enough to cause great fun for all.

The girls did brilliantly, well we all did, just in different categories. Scott did brilliantly in tumbles!

A good day was had by all. Look, no mittens! Oh, and note the helmets on the girls. Emily and I went to this same hill this past Friday with her grade and it was the first time I'd been offered a helmet EVER. I'm glad for this though - I did accept - and thankfully didn't have any need for it. Better this way than not having had one and having needed it.

Bubbles Capuccino Crawford

In the second week of January the girls spent some Christmas money and added four feet to our home. Four very small feet. Introducing Bubbles Capuccino Crawford!

EDIT - Bubbles has had a name change... well, more of an addition really. She now shall be known as Bubbles Capuccino Panzerotti Crawford! :)