Today it’s sunny outside and life is good. For one thing, the basement is clean and dry. For another, I have telephone and internet service. It was nice to come back from vacation and get back to my computer. And, just in case you’re wondering, there really aren’t any guys in our basement – not any more. But I’m grateful to all of the ones who spent time down there after the downpour three weeks ago.
First, there was Justin Castleman, our plumber who lives down the block. In spite of all the calls he received that night, he was Justin-on-the-spot when he got the message that our basement was flooding and was there anything he could do.
In the 37 years we’ve lived in this house, we’ve never had any real problems with flooding. (Dottie King, of Hales Corners, remarked how, over the years, she has come to value sump pumps more than jewelry.)
Although there wasn’t anything Justin could do to help us out with our failing sump pump at the moment, he gave us the telephone number of two flood clean-up services and advised us to call right away, to be at the top of the list. The first number we called gave a constant busy signal, but the receptionist at the second one, Flood Busters, assured us that someone would be out that night to survey the damage. I waited until after 11 with several reassuring calls from “Don” telling me he was on his way, after completing stops at several more homes.
By that time, our telephone wasn’t working either, so I learned the value of my cell phone to keep in touch with Don and everyone else who would help solve our basement flooding problem.
Compared to hundreds of other people in Southeastern Wisconsin, our problems were minimal, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful to all the “guys in our basement” over the ensuing days. In addition to Justin, who came back to clean out the sump pump and install a new back-up system, and the Flood Busters team who lugged giant machines into our basement to clean up the water and dry it out, there was our insurance adjuster and the guy from AT&T – the flooding had caused a short in one of the telephone connections. (The following week our telephone/internet service were again interrupted, but that turned out to be a problem with an outside line. We just returned from vacation, and I truly appreciate my resumed Internet service and a chance to get back to blogging!)
An incident like this makes me appreciate all those people who have the knowledge and skills to deal with minor catastrophes like ours – and the major ones as well – to clean things up and make things work. For me, it’s a lesson in humility and gratitude. Thanks guys!
