[heheheheh rats. so gross.]8529 Victory Lane (the rats were next door, thank goodness!)
Our first *untouched* house. What a mess. The flood completely covered this house and everything was ruined. Here are a few pictures which I won't caption, b/c it's just what a house looked like before being touched. The first one is a rosary which stayed in place and survived. Powerful. The last one is the bedroom, kind of spooky and Titanic-like how the bed is still made, just lifted and displaced and ruined. The pink stuff everywhere is melted insulation, from when the attic just FELL onto the ground floor.
This house was overwhelming and I think we all felt that when the day began. We were going to dump all of this person's belongings in a heap and demolish their house. Incredible. Since it was Thursday, we didn't think we'd get through this house; however in one day, we got through the front two rooms, part of the kitchen, and most of the sunroom.
Of course, we had fun, too (necessarily!). The night before, Sarah had said to me that she thought Patrick was so cool and that she would marry him so he could stay in America (he's Korean). The Carson City ladies - Raelene, Susan, and Teri - thought that was hilarious so they suggested a lunchtime wedding cermony. We were all cracking up as Patrick and Sarah "exchanged vows".
[(L) Ring Bearer Raelene and Champagne Lady Susan. (R) Exchanging vows: "I will cook you meat every day! (reference to Patrick's comment earlier in the week about how much he loves meat.]
[(L) the happy couple, haha! (R) 'carrying her over the threshold']
This was probably the height of our hilarity all week...at which point we came crashing down to reality as the owners of the house showed up. We all shut up and gave each other 'holy crap' looks.
They were a retired, sophisticated couple. They pulled up in a nice red pickup and got out of the car. It wasn't a minute before both of them broke down. "No more tears" the woman said, "but they keep coming". They had only come back for pictures. "48 years of marriage, 34 years in this house. We only want pictures." The man couldn't take it anymore and took a walk around the block. They're now living in an apt in Baton Rouge, about 1 hr away, and she said she hasn't yet found 2 of her aunts. She has 3 kids, all of whom are married, all of whose houses were destroyed, too. Everyone in the family is displaced all over the country. Still. Still. 8 months later.
