Nervous

Just as we've finally begun to get things back to a semblance of normalcy around here, the sirens went off again. 

We bought a new car over the weekend and went to Nashville to pick it up from the auto auction, only to find on our first day home that we couldn't get it out of park.  Had to get it up to Cedar Rapids to find out that the previous owner had spilled pop in the gearshaft, which necessitated a fifty-dollar cleaning.  I bought spring flowers to put in the garden at the front of the house and dug holes today amid bits of broken glass.  On Sunday we discovered the lawnmower, which was in the garage when the tornado hit, doesn't work.  The insurance company underestimated the cost of repairing the roof, which means that we have to fight with them about adjustment before we can begin any kind of repairs.  I have a feeling the roof is not going to be the only fight we'll have with them--the contractor said we will not be able to rebuild the garage the way it was (the only thing the insurance company will pay for) because the old concrete pad is cracked and buckling. 

The backyard looks like we had a demolition derby back there:

Last night we were awoken by some very close flashes of lightning and thunder.  I figured we weren't in any real danger--our spanking-new weather radio would have gone off if there'd been a tornado spotted--but B and I both had trouble getting back to sleep.

This evening, as we were finishing dinner, the tornado sirens went off again.  This seemed pretty odd to me, as the sun was out.  We checked the local TV stations and saw that there were tornadoes spotted just to the north, near Solon: 

The litttle cancer-like spots on the radar reminded us that yes, it could all happen again, and this time maybe we wouldn't be so lucky.

It's been a long, long month, but we're coming out of it.  Next door scaffolding is going up to replace the neighbor's roof.  Across the street the crushed house is slowly being demolished.  We will never look at clouds the same way, but I did get my rosebushes planted today, in a little break in the rain.

Comments

[Brenda]

I'm so sorry! Amazing how things aren't over after the storm. No one thinks that way, including the insurance companies. I hope things start looking up for you soon! As for the possibility of it happening again, one of the many reasons I wanted to move back to WI from NE! Tornadoes (storms in general) scare the living daylights out of me!

[Cindy]

Things are rarely simple with insurance companies, unfortunately. Hang in there. This, too, shall pass.