Pencil (Part Deux)

-another guest post by Bart-

This whole situation is one that I hope that no one else has to go through. One of the more unfortunate tasks that you have to do after this type of event is to look through many boxes of your stuff labeled “Owner Review”. This basically means that the restoration company does not think that they can cost effectively restore or clean the item and that they are noting it as non-salvageable so that the insurance company can reimburse us for it. A good example of something that falls into this category is a box of markers. Yes, they could take the time to individually clean each marker but it is more cost effective to just buy a new box. OK, that makes sense.

So today was my first foray into the world of “Owner Review”. After looking through boxes with candles (I sure don’t want any of those), art supplies, Easter egg dying supplies, etc… I looked down and saw it…

Maybe this picture will pass muster

In my last post (you know the one with the fabulous pictures…) I talked about my pencils that had in college. What I neglected to say is that I was not exactly sure where both of them were. But, alas! THE SECOND PENCIL HAS BEEN FOUND! Unceremoniously, tucked between an old cloth napkin and book that I was supposed to read for work, was the second pencil. I snatched that thing out of the box and held it up in victory only to have the construction guy in the next room look at me and step away a foot or so.

So even though Bill-the-construction-guy did not understand the importance of the moment, I did. It is these little moments of victory that keep us going on this journey. Thankfully those moments are coming more and more frequently. Summer will be here soon. If I close my eyes and breathe in I can just about smell spring. No, wait… that is just an air freshener that spilled in one of the boxes.

See you tomorrow…

Thumbs Up – 2^nd pencil (of course), getting Doodles (our rabbit) back from one of our fabulous neighbors that have been caring for him, getting out after being stuck in the house for 36 hours due to the snow, finding out that the rest of our clothes will be delivered next week from the cleaners, two of Julie’s best friends stopping by for a surprise visit.

Thumbs Down - looking in boxes of our ‘stuff’ that others consider non-salvageable, Kirkwood streets department (the first plow hit our street at 6:30 pm)