Posts of updatedness, the 2013 edition - part one: After the flood
So! As you guys are aware, back in May we got flooded out of our flat for the second time in five years. We lost every scrap of furniture save for two desks, and even the white goods got written off this time out. In keeping with post-flood tradition, here's a picspam of the chaos, as captured by my phone.
This is the culprit of the problem; when the drains out on the main road back up, obviously the water has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is invariably my patio. This had been happening periodically over the last couple of years, but never to the extent it did when we first moved in eight years ago, and 'Drain Doctor' were out often enough clearing the drains that I'd stopped giving it any real thought *snorts* More fool me, huh?
To demonstrate how high the water got outside - plus, that fuzzy white area at the bottom of the picture? That's flowing water, coming through a gap in the wall under the windowsill. That was the most bizzare thing about it this time; it wasn't just coming in under the doors, it was actually coming in through the walls!
This is the hallway outside my front door, which anyone who's actually visited me will recognise shows that it was coming in from the other side of the building as well as in from the patio; the door leads to the side wall where the bedroom windows are, on the opposite side to the living room and kitchen.
This is my living room carpet, taken during the first hour or so of the flooding since the sun was down before the council got their arses in gear and called Welsh Water out (How was I to know they expected me to do that? Morons...) You can see the patio door reflected in the water.
The hallway, dead-centre of the flat, during the flood, and the next day showing the tide marks as a result.
On the upside, the council did agree to find us somewhere else to live - initially as a temporary measure, but by July we were offered the chance to stay permanently. You can bet we accepted! While the new flat's not much different in layout, and possibly even a little smaller since I can't fit a double bed in my room, it certainly feels less oppressive than the old place. The living room has a heck more light, being up on the top floor, and the ceilings are incredibly high - such a difference from being in a basement, let me tell you!
I took a whole load of photos of the flat when I first got shown around, mostly for reference purposes when planning my replacement furniture, but those aren't worth sharing. I'm one more IKEA trip away from being ready to take shareable pictures, since I need a few more bookcases! *laughs* We still have lots of boxes hanging around, and I've yet to purchase rugs (not bothering with carpets this time), but otherwise we're pretty settled now. The only headache is that when my new team manager came by for her first 1-2-1 meeting with me, she was concerned with the fact I had my workstation set up in the living room; this, she felt, was a security concern - despite the fact I don't take any calls, and keep an almost paperless workstation. In order to resolve this, I ended up having to move my system off the big desk I have set up in a really nice, well lit area of living room, and reassemble the little desk work provided in a corner of my bedroom! Where there's about as much light as the living room of my basement flat! *sigh* So I am now spending pretty much my entire day in my bedroom. You can imagine my joy...
On top of that, she also triggered a review of the policy with regards dependants being present during working hours - with the final decision that it's absolutely unacceptable without another adult to take responsibility for them. So, after a year and a half of being able to work even if Rowan's on school holidays, or sick, or there's a teacher training day, I now have to look into childcare options again! Or take unpaid leave if he's too sick to go to school *quitely fumes* It's not like I don't understand where they're coming from, I'm just so frustrated 'cause it was working so well for me! I was hoping to up my hours soon, now that I don't have to do the school run anymore, but at this rate I'll be working those extra hours just to pay for the sodding holiday camps! *sigh* I was allowed to have him home with me this summer, since the situation was under review, but not from here on out. Plus the poor sod was lonely, since he's used to having me in the living room with him, even if he has to let me to get on with my work undisturbed.
Still planning to get someplace else to live, if only to be closer to town, and hopefully have a separate room in which to work, but it's not as desperately urgent as it was in the spring. It's been lovely this last week, actually, being able to pop down to the district's shopping centre before Rowan arrives home, whenever I've needed a few bits and peices. I used to have to do that on the way home from school, which wasn't a problem as we had to get the bus from Albany Rd anyway - and I do miss having daily access to the shops there, which are so much better than around here - but it wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient from the old flat. So, y'know, every cloud and all that...
This is the culprit of the problem; when the drains out on the main road back up, obviously the water has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is invariably my patio. This had been happening periodically over the last couple of years, but never to the extent it did when we first moved in eight years ago, and 'Drain Doctor' were out often enough clearing the drains that I'd stopped giving it any real thought *snorts* More fool me, huh?
To demonstrate how high the water got outside - plus, that fuzzy white area at the bottom of the picture? That's flowing water, coming through a gap in the wall under the windowsill. That was the most bizzare thing about it this time; it wasn't just coming in under the doors, it was actually coming in through the walls!
This is the hallway outside my front door, which anyone who's actually visited me will recognise shows that it was coming in from the other side of the building as well as in from the patio; the door leads to the side wall where the bedroom windows are, on the opposite side to the living room and kitchen.
This is my living room carpet, taken during the first hour or so of the flooding since the sun was down before the council got their arses in gear and called Welsh Water out (How was I to know they expected me to do that? Morons...) You can see the patio door reflected in the water.
The hallway, dead-centre of the flat, during the flood, and the next day showing the tide marks as a result.
On the upside, the council did agree to find us somewhere else to live - initially as a temporary measure, but by July we were offered the chance to stay permanently. You can bet we accepted! While the new flat's not much different in layout, and possibly even a little smaller since I can't fit a double bed in my room, it certainly feels less oppressive than the old place. The living room has a heck more light, being up on the top floor, and the ceilings are incredibly high - such a difference from being in a basement, let me tell you!
I took a whole load of photos of the flat when I first got shown around, mostly for reference purposes when planning my replacement furniture, but those aren't worth sharing. I'm one more IKEA trip away from being ready to take shareable pictures, since I need a few more bookcases! *laughs* We still have lots of boxes hanging around, and I've yet to purchase rugs (not bothering with carpets this time), but otherwise we're pretty settled now. The only headache is that when my new team manager came by for her first 1-2-1 meeting with me, she was concerned with the fact I had my workstation set up in the living room; this, she felt, was a security concern - despite the fact I don't take any calls, and keep an almost paperless workstation. In order to resolve this, I ended up having to move my system off the big desk I have set up in a really nice, well lit area of living room, and reassemble the little desk work provided in a corner of my bedroom! Where there's about as much light as the living room of my basement flat! *sigh* So I am now spending pretty much my entire day in my bedroom. You can imagine my joy...
On top of that, she also triggered a review of the policy with regards dependants being present during working hours - with the final decision that it's absolutely unacceptable without another adult to take responsibility for them. So, after a year and a half of being able to work even if Rowan's on school holidays, or sick, or there's a teacher training day, I now have to look into childcare options again! Or take unpaid leave if he's too sick to go to school *quitely fumes* It's not like I don't understand where they're coming from, I'm just so frustrated 'cause it was working so well for me! I was hoping to up my hours soon, now that I don't have to do the school run anymore, but at this rate I'll be working those extra hours just to pay for the sodding holiday camps! *sigh* I was allowed to have him home with me this summer, since the situation was under review, but not from here on out. Plus the poor sod was lonely, since he's used to having me in the living room with him, even if he has to let me to get on with my work undisturbed.
Still planning to get someplace else to live, if only to be closer to town, and hopefully have a separate room in which to work, but it's not as desperately urgent as it was in the spring. It's been lovely this last week, actually, being able to pop down to the district's shopping centre before Rowan arrives home, whenever I've needed a few bits and peices. I used to have to do that on the way home from school, which wasn't a problem as we had to get the bus from Albany Rd anyway - and I do miss having daily access to the shops there, which are so much better than around here - but it wouldn't be anywhere near as convenient from the old flat. So, y'know, every cloud and all that...