The insurance adjuster finally showed up yesterday. He said they had just now given him our name, even though we have called repeatedly and he has been on our street several times. Anyway, he gave us a check on the spot to get the repairs started. He said the approved method is to tear out every bit of sheetrock, which includes tearing out the kitchen and bathroom cabinets and my built-in bookcases, but not, oddly enough, the brick hearth. Then he said that the company would give us the money to do it, but whether we do it or not is up to us.

I honestly don't think there is any mold growing behind my kitchen cabinets. I don't see any sign of it where there is sheetrock and not wood, like under the sink. And my beautiful granite consigned to the landfill? --- arrgh! The builder drilled holes in the kickplates under the cabinets. No one has seen any sign of mold under the cabinets, and our plan has been, and probably still is, to use a microbial spray, then repair the kickplate.

I don't think I ever mentioned here How I Saved the New Furniture. (I feel heroic, so it needs a title like a serial installment of Wonder Woman.) The Professor had already left town and I was trying to deal with everything. I really didn't expect a storm surge but I was afraid some rain water might seep through the patio doors and damange my brand new Ethan Allan furniture -- the very first good furniture I have ever owned. So while my 88-year-old mother sat and watched helplessly, I shoved 2 encyclopedia volumes under each leg of the couches, then rolled up the Oriental rug and hefted that on top of a couch. When the Professor tried to take the rug off the couch by himself, he couldn't. He said he will be very careful about picking any fights with me now that he realizes how strong I am. (Still Mitey Mite!) He told the story to the insurance agent, whose response was "Then you'll need to claim the encyclopedias." I hadn't even considered that, any more than I considered claiming all the yarn that got wet.

There are some small rewards for all this hassle. My vacuum burned up and when I went to get a new one (some things won't wait for the insurance guy), I discovered that they now come in red. If you have to vacuum, you might as well have something bright and cheerful to do it with. The dryer, which we think was the main culprit for letting water in the house through the outside vent, still works but we're pretty sure it won't for long. I intend to buy my very-first-ever-in-my-whole-life matching washer and dryer. And I can get those in red, too!

Chula is feeling better now, too. I had to force the vet to do a urinalysis and the poor little cat had a very bad bladder infection. Between the fluids to rehydrate her and the antibiotic, she started feeling good enough to notice that she hasn't eaten well lately. She is making up for it now, demanding food every 2 or 3 hours. That's okay, I'm just so glad she's going to live.