Lake House Diaries 9

     As the day progressed, it became apparent that the Lake House was going to get a major up-grade. Bedding and some furniture had been "water damaged", curtains that had been make shift window coverings to block the morning sun were damaged, and most drywall in most areas needed replacing even though only the bottom two feet had been soaked. The choice of 1" louvered window blinds was made, a vast improvement in both appearance and functionality. The basement ceiling light fixtures apparently had a bit of water in them and instead of a minor cleanup, new fixtures were required. 

    John left with a smile on his face later that afternoon, and he was not the only one smiling. Tod and Kris discussed it as John was driving away and came to the apparent conclusion that John was working on commission. The bigger the claim, the bigger his paycheck. But, it was also the reason insurance rates were high. The Lake House was the recipient of a generous insurance company, but would also be the victim of higher rates in the following years. But at the time, it looked good for Greg and Ethel and their whole family who would all enjoy a much enhanced vacation property. 

     Tod and Kris measured all the windows for blinds, and filled in the details for Greg and Ethel before they left for home that evening. They assured their in-laws that all the details and paperwork would be looked after by the "boys" and they only had to worry about their garden and perhaps providing coffee breaks for the workers who were scheduled to come the next day. 

     Workers soon turned into worker, singular. The clean up and emergency response team had done their work and now the restoration would begin, all done by one man. a jack of all trades and certainly not master of any them. He was slow, and not very thorough, but he was personable and Greg got along well with him. He was a listening ear for all the pioneering stories from South America and that is all Greg needed to make him content. The sundeck was still very usable and there was many a story told over Ethel's homemade deserts and coffee at mid morning and mid afternoon. They soon fell into a routine and it seemed the project would never end. But it was OK because they had the whole summer and nobody was going anywhere.