A break from the mundane

Monday was typical. It was around 5pm. I was writing a grocery list. We just found out Collin had an ear infection and he was resting in his room. Mike was on his way to the pharmacy to pick up Collin's medicine. It was pretty gray and miserable, one of those days I wanted to move far away from Oregon to some place where 65 degrees was considered cold. Just as I'm debating our meal plan for the week, there's a giant crash and the house shakes. Out the window a massive Douglas Fir limb lay across our porch and Mike's work car. Another tree crashes down over the power line. My immediate response was to run upstairs in a panic to check on Collin. He sat in bed with a confused look.

There's a knock at the door and the neighbor, a retired fire fighter asks if we're all right. I'm obviously in bit of shock. Our steps are completely blocked by tree branches and debris. The neighbor managed to climb over Mike's wrecked car and make his way up here. He offers to call 9-1-1 and shortly after the fire crew shows up which is all pretty amusing to Collin. He's all smiles and mesmerized by the lights. Oh to be two.





The fire guys clear the debris and branches off our stairs with chainsaws so we have a path out of the house. I hold my hands over Collin's ears while he continues to be entranced.









Because the power line is strangling a tree our electricity obviously disconnects to make it even more fun. At this point, I've gotten a hold of Mike in a shriek as he tries to calm me. "Don't worry Lyssy," he said with a good amount of cheer in his voice. "You guys are safe, it's not my car, it's the city's and it's the neighbor's tree so their insurance will cover it."

The gawkers are out in force with their cell phone cameras and the news crew is on its way. I do not want to be on the news. Why? Because anytime they interview someone on TV, that person looks a) cracked out, or b) stupid. I preferred not to be quoted as "Uh yeah I was just sitting here and the tree came down. It sure did take me by surprise." Dumb stair at camera.

Thankfully Mike pulled up and ends up telling the news guys not to film us because he's a cop, etc. so on the news that night a stunned looking neighbor we've never met gives her story of our house with pictures of our sad porch and stairs.

Mary Ann comes over to pick up Collin for the night while we try to take care of this mess. Friends in the neighborhood offer us a place to sleep and dinner for the night. We end up eating a delicious meal, drinking wine and sleeping in a comfy guest room. Not so shabby. Meanwhile Collin gets to hang out with his grandparents for the night.

The bummer of the night (besides the whole tree falling on our house) is we find out it's considered an "act of God" hence the neighbor is not responsible and it falls on us (thank God for insurance!!) The next day we get in touch with our agent and start detailing everything that needs to get done. After that things happen pretty fast. The arborist and his crew come and clear away the tree in a matter of minutes. A contractor is at the house building a new rail to be within code and checking out our porch and roof for possible replacing. The car is towed, the windshield completely shattered. Mike's boss asks him if he can drive it to work and Mike laughed and sent him a picture. Needless to say he'll get a new car.

That night after having dinner with Jon and Mary Ann (and are so grateful they spent a whole day with our cranky toddler) we head home to our house which supposedly will have power restored. Instead we find a note from Pacific Power saying the electrician's work needs to be inspected by the City before they can turn our power back on. It's cold. I'm in disbelief and Collin hears a lot of words he shouldn't repeat. I put him to bed in several layers of blankets and Mike calls the electrician. Apparently there were some communication issues and the letter he sent went to the wrong power utility. Luckily he comes back to our house 20 minutes later and restores the power for us. The next day he says Pacific Power will come by and do a permanent reconnect. Do I have any idea what this means? Nope but I'm just happy we have power.

By Wednesday things were finally normal. Power is restored for good. Our Internet is back and we're waiting for our estimate tomorrow. Once we get that hopefully we can get things fixed as soon as possible. We're looking at the upside...it'll be a chance for some remodeling and refinishing on the outside of our house! Meanwhile we would really like to compel the neighbor to cut down the rest of his tree. It's leaning against his house and according to the arborist, it's damaged and rotting and it will fall down. It's only a matter of time. Only this time it'd go straight across the street into the neighbor's roof.

You can bet when we move, I'll be looking carefully at the surrounding trees. We know it could have been much worse and are grateful to friends and family for stepping up and helping us out! I now welcome the mundane back.