Albany Park Flood Recovery and Barack Obama

(Our personal Albany Park flood story, complete with pictures, starts at Albany Park Flood- Record-breaking Chicago rains. )

What a gorgeous fall day in Chicago! The city looked great last night for all of the Barack Obama election festivities, and it is exciting to anticipate a "Midwest White House" and a lot of attention to our city over the coming years.

I was touched by the emotions of middle-aged and older black people as they reacted to Barack Obama's election. I grew up in the 50's and the 60's. All of us, white, black, and everybody in between, have come a long way in terms of tolerance and acceptance. Older black people grew up in a time when they had to struggle to go to school, struggle to get voting rights, struggle to eat in certain restaurants, struggle to live. I don't know that anybody who grew up back then, those of us in our 50's or 60's or older, could ever have imagined that a black man could be elected President. It doesn't really matter of what political persuasion you are; Obama's election is an amazing statement about this country. I wish him (and all of us) the best.

But this isn't a political blog. So I'll continue with our attempts to get our lives back in order after the Albany Park flood of the Chicago River.

We have sewer/drain insurance. We still do not have the money from the insurance claim. Well, we almost do, but our bank has a hold on the check. The frustration of trying to deal with this insurance check has been just overwhelming. We were told that banks often put 10-day holds on such checks because they often "come back". Why would an insurance check written by a corporation come back? I also wonder if banks are holding onto things longer (not making the funds "available") due to the whole credit fiasco.

I think I will call the insurance commission today and at least lodge a complaint. And the FEMA people have left Northeastern. I guess if we still have questions, we have to use the FEMA hotline.

It's overwhelming. I think I said that already.

(Next part of the Albany Park Flood Story: Natuzzi Leather Sofa Meets its Maker )

Insurance adjusters and wet carpeting

(Our personal flood story, complete with pictures, starts at Albany Park floods-- Record-breaking rains. )

Well, we do have a drain/sewer rider to our Homeowner's insurance. It's not going to cover anywhere close to the total loss, but it's a beginning.

The insurance adjuster was here today, taking pictures, looking things over, and he said that our home was the worst one he has seen during this last round of storms. But he admitted that he didn't have any homes to look at on the 5000 block of Monticello or over on Avers.

We've got approximately 48 x 25 square feet of wet carpeting over 48 x 25 square feet of wet carpet padding. I'm scoring it into pieces approximately 4 x 4 and hauling them up the stairs one at a time. Then we can start pulling down the wallboard.

After we get the furnace and the hot water heater up and running, I hope that we can get a new washer/dryer. Mine were old and they didn't work that well. I had to bail the darned washing machine every 2-3 days. Then we can figure out what to do with the structure of the family room.

Meanwhile I'm exhausted and I smell. Just keep your distance if you see me! (Our deodorants, safe in the downstairs bathroom medicine cabinet, made it through the storm. They were above the water line. But I smell anyway. It must be hauling garbage and carpet pieces and no hot water for regular showers.)

(Next part of the Albany Park Flood Story: Chicago River overflows: Recovery- The Second Week. )