The Little Leak that Could ( Did I Say it was Over?)

Ok so, the Steamatic guys came back today and unfortunately the loud machine didn't get rid of all the water.

Since the walls were still wet, they resorted to cutting to expose the damaged areas. And once they started cutting it seemed like it just kept going.


Apparently, the problem was the newspaper that someone so brilliantly insulated my house with. The newspaper was wet; in some places it was soaking wet.





First it was the ceiling and the portion of the wall over the window (and around the window too).

Then it was a little bit of the wall to the left of the window, and finally it was all the way to the floor.





Kobe came in once in a while to check on their progress and, once satisfied he went back to his post in the living room.

So, when they finally opened up all the affected areas, they installed fans, connected it to a dehumidifier, and put plastic sheeting over it. I am not going to say this is the end of; I learned my lesson. But I must say this was one industrious leak!


Eryka

Best Ear Plugs Ever! (the Leak Saga Continues)

Hey,

Remember that "little leak" I mentioned. Said it stopped once they removed the ice dam on the roof, no problem. Yeah, well I was wrong.

First, let me say how glad I am that I DID call the insurance company instead of considering it a "done deal" when the water stopped coming through the ceiling.

My insurance company sent out Steamatic, to check for water damage. Anyway, after a careful inspection, they said there is still water in the ceiling and in the wall over the window. The water also ran into the light fixture which caused electrical issues.


So, rather than pulling out the wall and part of the ceiling, they would make some small holes and use a machine that dries inside the wall etc. And the machine would have to run 24 hours a-day, all weekend, to work effectively.

Well the funny thing is that the machine is loud. I mean a special kind of loudness. Like VERY LOUD. It is like listening to a serenade from a vacuum and a steam whistle brought to you by the awesome power of THX. 24-hours a day.

They suggested that I check into a hotel for the weekend, but I found a more cost effective method to deal with it. Ear plugs.

Not just any ear plugs though, the pharmacist recommended Mack's Ultra. And I have to tell you, these things are amazing! They blocked out everything! I slept through the night every night and was able to clean the kitchen while the thing was going. I also tried to stuff cotton in Kobe's ears, but he was having none of it. And after a while I figured he would let me know if his ears were bothering him. Any way, they should be here to pick up the stuff tomorrow. So that should be the end of it.

Eryka

Got a Real Surprise Yesterday!

Hi all,

Yesterday, I had just finished mopping the kitchen floor, when I felt water dropping on my shoulder. Yep, my roof was leaking. It wasn't a huge leak, but any leak is a bad news.

Instead of panicking, I lept into action. I put a bucket under the leak and went to the Service Magic website to find a roofing contractor who could handle emergency repairs. The first guy wanted a ridiculous sum of money to "come out and look at it" then he want an even more ridiculous sum to "come back and fix it!" During that conversation, another contractor was calling me. After a bit of discussion and a call back, he said he had a guy in the area who could be there in 10 minutes.

According to the guys that arrived, I had ice dams on the edge of the roof--I thought they were just icicles-- and they melted, thus getting water under the shingles and stuff. So while the guys were up on my roof shoveling off the snow and removing the ice, I went into the attic space to see where the water was coming in. By the way, these guys charged less that the first guy wanted to "come out and look at it" and they stopped the leak with in 2 hours!

Any way, back to the attic. During my inspection, I discovered that my house is insulated with newspaper from the early 1900s. Yep, that is right, I found out that 80 and 95-year-old copies of the local paper, business journals, etc. are lining the inside of my roof (and nothing else). The contractor said that was what was causing excessive heat loss, which leads to the ice dams. But still newspapers!!

People keep telling me that I might find some valuable pieces in there. I did find a mention about the pending release of "Birth of A Nation," it was really fascinating. So I will be careful with the removal.

So now, I'm working with the insurance company to get the area fully dried and eliminate any mold. But that should go pretty smoothly. Of course, now I have to figure out how I am going to get the attic spaces insulated (there are three of them). The Owens-Corning website said installing insulation would be an easy weekend project, but I think I will take a class at the Home Depot first.

Ah well, at least the roof isn't leaking anymore!

Eryka

P.S. Kobe helped to: He tried to inspect everything that fell off the roof.

Knit Out & Crochet at MOA has been Cancelled!!!

This just in: Knit Out & Crochet 2010 has been cancelled. I repeat, it has been cancelled!

Like many Minnesota knitters, I have been looking for information on Knit Out & Crochet with no results. We get a bit of heresy here and there, but nothing concrete. Well I just confirmed it with Lion Brand via the Lion Brand Facebook page:


"Lion Brand Yarn: Hi Eryka, Unfortunately there will not be a Knit Out & Crochet at the Mall of America this year. Additionally, if you would like to inquire about other Knit Out & Crochet events, contact the Craft Yarn Council of America." ( I re-typed this since I couldn't paste it, but you can go to their Facebook page to see the original.)



So there you have it. No Knit Out & Crochet this year. We will just have to hold on tightly to our memories of 2009. Of course, there is Yarn Over 2010, sponsored by the Minnesota Knitters Guild. I have never been, but I think I will attend this year. Let me dig up a bit more information on Yarn Over and I'll share it later.

Eryka

Ready to Go?

Hi, all

This was the sight that greeted me when I opened the door to let Kobe back in from going potty this morning. Yes Kobe is sitting at the foot of the back porch stairs in the snow, WHILE its snowing and he STILL wants to go for his walk.

This was after a snow storm that lasted two days. The roads hadn't been fully plowed yet...people still hadn't shoveled their sidewalks.

But how could I resist? I had to take him. Just around the block, but I couldn't resist that face.

The Perils of Broken Promises

All week, I have been promising Kobe I would take him for a walk. Unfortunately, everyday, I found something else that I needed to do instead, so the promise rolled over into the next day and the next. But not today. Today Kobe took matters into his own hands (or paws if you will).

First, I must say that Kobe is a good dog and responds well to commands off-leash. So I felt completely comfortable letting him out (off-leash) in the front yard with me while I shoveled the front walk and stairs. And he was cool for a good long while too.

Then, he suddenly started trotting down the sidewalk in the same direction we start our regular walks...I thought he would come back when I called, but he didn't. Kobe trotted down one block, then another, turned the corner and was on his way back up the other side of the block by the time I caught up with him!

The funny thing is, he wasn't running from me. He waited for me when I asked him to, stopped at every corner and checked for cars...the works! When I got him back home, I promised him I would take him out later today. This time I kept my promise for fear he would just take himself for a walk again!

Eryka

Spreading the Yarn... and the Love

Hi all,

About a week ago I started teaching a few friends how to knit. To my surprise, my friend Lyneys really took to it. Here she is with her first scarf. Finished in just one week!!

I taught her the knit stitch and how to cast off. This weekend, we are going to practice the purl stitch and casting on. She is going to do another scarf in stockinette stitch.

Eryka