The Friday Five, 5/22/20: 5 things I've been up to this week

Quarantine, end of week 10. Can we please go back to last week, where my greatest concerns were getting some exercise and wondering why my meal boxes were one day late?

On Sunday, around 5:30pm, it sounded like it was raining hard outside; I went to the 2nd floor of my condo, and everything was soaked. It was "raining" in my kitchen, too. I called a neighbor and she showed me where the water shutoff switch was, but by then, everything was wet. I had to file an insurance claim (luckily I have homeowners' insurance) and then the remediation/restoration people came out with fans to start the drying process.

The cause was actually the hose that connects my washer/dryer to the water—apparently it's a 24/7 "live" line, and the hose, which looked very old, had split. My washer/dryer is very old too—probably about as old as I am—and luckily is still functioning, though now I'd like to get a new one sometime this year, hopefully when stores reopen.

I've been living in a hotel this week but my last day here is tomorrow, and then I have to go home to a chopped-up house. The same company will (hopefully) be back next week to put it back together again, including drywall, a new kitchen and upstairs bathroom floor, and probably painting. And maybe carpet. The previous owner put in a new kitchen floor, and when they took that out, due to water damage, they revealed the lovely previous linoleum floor ... probably circa 1987, when the condos were built.

old and new kitchen floor
left: my "original" kitchen floor; right: my "new" kitchen floor (tiles from I think 1987)

What I've been up to this week:
  1. Living in a hotel. Originally, my insurance was only going to have me in a hotel until Wednesday, but my condo is uninhabitable with all of the fans—yesterday the thermostat said it was 96 degrees. I asked the workpeople if I could turn on the A/C but they actually want it that hot, so everything can dry. I've been living at the Candlewood Suites, nearby, in Troy, and it's been very quiet here, which is good for working; however, I feel even more isolated than I did in my condo. My insurance also gives me a per diem for food each day, so that's been a little nice, at least; I've been eating some good takeout from places like Estia, La Saj, and Crispelli's. I move back to my condo tomorrow, though, and the fans should hopefully be gone. I've also been taking precautions and wearing a mask in the hallways, because I've seen some people here NOT wearing a mask, including the front desk person one day ...
  2. Traveling between hotel and my condo. I have to let the workpeople in each day, and I was also dealing with a plumber at one point too. I've also been grabbing extra clothes and whatnot, and some stuff from my fridge and freezer. My bedroom is kind of a mess right now though and it's hard to access my armoire—the workpeople moved it off to the side of my room to access the carpet. 
    1. Working. Amidst all this I've still been working at my full-time job. The hotel is nice and quiet at least, which is conducive, and I think it's good that I'm still on a schedule of sorts. 
    2. Eating out. Because I have to ... my hotel room is a 1-bedroom suite and has a kitchenette, but there's only a teeny stovetop and no oven, though it does have a dishwasher. So far this week I've had Shake Shack, Estia, La Saj, Crispelli's, Panera Bread, and I'm hoping to do Sy Thai tonight for dinner. For breakfast I was eating almond milk and Cheerios, but then I found a toaster here, so I've been doing my usual challah and jam. 
    3. Trying not to freak out. It's been super, super stressful. I am *trying* to take things day by day but I hate not knowing what the future brings. The restoration team has been really great this week so far so I'm hoping that continues next week. A lot of friends have reached out, as well, and I am lucky to have a good amount of support in my life. 
    My lovely living room with exposed walls
    My lovely living room with exposed walls

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