What are these pictures?
We had a storm last night.
These are the pictures of the flooded office. Servpro is coming out with fans to dry out the wall, we will likely have to replace a chunk of the drywall, and we will have to work with the fans for the next 3 days.
The equipment in the study failed, probably due to a lightning strike, despite numerous surge protectors, so the receiver that connects all of our entertainment options is refusing to turn on. The power supply is working, the receiver isn’t. The tech is coming out tomorrow.
My office computer has quit. It worked yesterday, but today it took approximately 2 hours to the point where I could write this blog post. I couldn’t open PDF files. I couldn’t print out the contract. I couldn’t open an image file. I couldn’t access email. I am periodically experiencing a severe slow down, where I can’t even move my cursor.
We are on a deadline. We lost yesterday, likely will lose today, and I’m not sure if working with fans will be feasible. Shout-out to awesome Servpro people for getting here superfast. I told them I would give them a plug, so if you are flooded in San Marcos area, ServPro will come out in 24 hours.
Gordon has spoken firmly with me, so when we are done and the fans are up, we are going to Best Buy to purchase a new desktop. That is the only choice at this point, because Geek Squad will take forever and a half to fix the current desktop and since we bought it 2 years ago, I am not sure it’s still under warranty.
Fuck it all.
It is loud.
In light of our current situation, we will not be able to do the great big Hugh bonanza we were planning. We will be releasing some cool stuff om April 1st, but unfortunately preorder and cover reveal might have to be postponed by a week. This wasn’t how we were hoping for things to go, but this is how it is. We will strive to still deliver an Innkeeper installment.
PS. Anna, your book will be going in the mail today and Brandon, I’m working on the file for Nicole, if the desktop holds.
Wow. That massively sucks. Mother Nature can be a real bitch.
Will maud still come up tomorrow?
Damn, almost got first comment
Self-involved much? I can’t decide if you are for real or a troll…..Wow….just wow.
Come on, don’t even ask for that. That should be the lowest of priorities right now. ?
Hang in there!! Hopefully once the immediate issues are dealt with, maybe a way can be found to channel the water away from your office. I remember how happy you were to have the separate office when you moved at Christmas!
Oh that’s a crappie situation. Sorry your dealing with all that mother nature B.S.
So sorry for the trouble you are having.
Take care of the major things first. We will wait for the reveal and the next installment of SotB, maybe not patiently but we will wait.
Ditto
Ugh! What a drag. Puts a damper on your Easter too. Sending the power of positive energy your way. Good luck with the new computer, I was skeptical of the miraculous self healing, so probably works out for the best there.
The fact that you would even consider putting snippets up for us in the middle of so many issues is stunning. Thank you! You are awesome!
That sucks. I hope for you this was a onetime event. At least you did not lose your data.
Don‘t stress out, the BDH will be patient.
Do what you need to do regarding storm damage and computer. We will survive without Maud for a few days.
I appreciate the Maud installment coming despite all of your problems with Mother Nature. Good luck! Hope everything was backed up adequately.
Dang. Just remember it could always be worse . . . and likely will.
It happens we understand. Don’t stress to much. It will be ok… I hope things get better.
Thank you for the update. Take care of yourselves and your business. We’ll be here! All the good computer juju!
Flooding is terrible. ServPro is amazing. Having gone through a week of fans running at work due to another business having a massive water leak I’m going to say for sanity and avoidance of a headache, if you can work somewhere other than that space, do it.
This totally sucks for you. I am so sorry.
Oh man, that sucks! Get a zippy new desktop though, so you can play the new Warcraft expansion! 😀 Hope things work out for you
Oh. You are great. I’d be in the corner, weeping or raving, possibly considering a bottle of whine after being sober for 30+ yrs. OK. You lost some time, but you’ll get a new desktop and a gazillion more surge protectors. You are the Authorlords! And I’ll go read Maud’s fight again. Deep breaths for all of us. ??????
Oh no!! So sorry for the headache and wallet ache of all these storms. Hope you guys get up and running soon!!! good luck!
So sorry to hear of the damage. Hope everything works out. We’ll understand if sotb is delayed.
So sorry. It is bad enough when my garage floods, and I don’t have to do any work down there. Take care of yourselves, we can wait 🙂
Just stay safe. Always glad to see anything from you all.
What a pain…hope everything dries out soon ?
May I recommend a vacation? This could be a sign. I’ve read that you enjoy Florida. When the going gets tough…the tough hit the beach.
My basement apartment flooded last year. Fortunately for me it was minor enough for wet vac and 4 fans running pretty much continuously for a week to take care of the problem. Even that was a pain so I’m feeling massive sympathy for you guys. I hope everything works out more smoothly over the next month. You deserve a break!
Stay safe and dry. I hate flooding. Get a Mac. Seriously. Happy shopping.
I swear,,, when it comes to houses you are cursed.
You need to talk Mike Holmes into moving next door to you.
Maud can wait,,, take care of the deadline stuff. I’m so sorry this happened to you.
That really stinks. Wishing you dry and functional electronics.
Oh man that is so harsh. How soon can you get someone out to evaluate what caused the flooding and fix it so it doesn’t do that again??
Major kudos for persevering and not just chucking it all in the fk it bucket.
I understood it that the massive rainstorm caused the flooding – how would you approach fixing that?
Building a moat around the property might be an idea, but probably it’s not covered by zoning laws …
French drains and burried cisterns for the run off. Lots of good exercise digging ditches! I hope the clean-up and repair go well. Thank you for thinking of us. Happy Easter!
That bites. And getting hit by lightning must have been unnerving.
Stay safe and pick yourself a nice desktop! Hoping everything else works itself out for you.
Ugh! When mother nature hits man does she hit hard. I feel your pain.
I live in apartment with 1 upstairs neighbor who went away and left their heat off… their pipes froze and the heater burst. I was away for the weekend too. Came home and didn’t realize what was going on until the next day when we woke up to soaked carpets and a crying ceiling. We had to have a giant fan going for 3 days non stop. My little girl has autism and loud noises are her trigger. It was a stressful time. In addition my television that was only 11 months old fell off the wall and impaled itself on my half constructed baby gate. :(.
Hope things get better soon!
Oh, man, that blows. We had that happen to our law firm with a huge lightning strike that killed a bunch of our electronics, thank goodness for insurance – which by the way may well cover some of your losses as well. We had to get a whole new phone system, recover data (it was very expensive back then), buy new computers, replace lots of things, even our coffeepot! Good luck and I am sorry you are going through this.
I’m very sorry for all of your storm troubles. I am glad that you’re moving quickly to prevent mold growth though.
So sorry you just seem to be pummeled with one thing after another right now.
//Deep breath, dons flame retardant suit// : Don’t worry about the Hugh hoopla or the Innkeeper installment. We are (mostly) adults and we can wait patiently. Your health and sanity – and dealing with the mess – must come first. That you post to the blog in the midst of all your turmoil is amazing in itself.
And Go ServPro! Wonderful customer service like that deserves a shout-out. I hope it scores them lots of business in the near future.
Good luck! Be safe, and take the time you need. We will enjoy your products when they come and think good thoughts for all of you in the mean time!
Did the drains back up?
Wow, that sucks. Best laid plans and go awry and life can intervene at anytime, and often at the most inconvenient of times. Having suffered through the aftermath of flood damage before (mine from a burst water pipe) I know the clean up process is a pain and everything takes longer than you think. Take care of yourselves and focus of anything urgent. Maud and your fans (sniff, sniff ?) will wait. Best wishes
Well, Hugh’s a self-publish so while the deadline exists, it’s not like Avon or Ace are on your back. Yes, it’s a monumental annoyance but you, the kids, the dogs and cat(s?) are presumably fine. I do have to wonder about the quality of construction in Texas, I’m in DFW and lose electricity way more than I ever did North Dakota or Minnesota. And the winters were more severe when I lived there.
Take care of yourself. We will be fine.
Sarafina, I understand your concern about the building quality in DFW. 😀 I live in Fort Worth. The apartment I’m living in right now was built in the 1950s, and I get surges. However, the electricity doesn’t go out unless someone or the weather hits the transformer. I used to live in Tulsa, OK. The city had to bury their electric lines due to the massive power outages Tulsa had due to the weather.
What a mess. I hope the office flood was a random thing and you won’t have it again. Oh and you forgot to mention the massive dog cleanup you had to do as well!
So sorry this happened. How awful and hair pulling inducing. Best to your clean up, new tech, and getting back in action soon.
Ack! Hope the fans help and the new computer isn’t too much of a hit to the wallet and that the whole mess gets sorted out!
How truly awful for you! Wishing you a speedy recovery from all things currently plaguing you.
p.s. I dealt with serv-pro in Washington state a few years ago and they were amazing. They saved my house sale.
Sorry, sorry, sorry!
Good luck with all the garbage you must deal with.
Sending good vibes and prayers your way!
Don’t worry about us. Just take care of YOU during this mess. Those fans are terribly loud. Breathe. We have your back.
Wow, that really bites. I hope everything you have to do to get your office back up and running goes smooth for you.
You really do not have luck with houses and flooding. Was there signs this has happened before? I hope the fix isn’t too bad.
For my part, I don’t think you should push yourself over Innkeeper. I remember Hugh came about as an April Fools joke so focusing on that seems more important.
I hope all things come together well.
FLooding is my worst nightmare, so here’s some good luck from California. Seems like french drains (or a big-ass moat!) might be in your future.
Take a little R & R once things dry out and don’t worry about the BDH – anticipation is part of the fun!
Oh no! That’s a nice mess to have to deal with. I hope it gets sorted soon and that you can find some time for a much needed break during or at least after…
Wow – that is a really bad time. Don’t worry about Innkeeper do what you MUST do. The BDH can wait.
Sending hugs, fans, and towels. And wine. Lots of wine.
comiserations – hope you get back to normal soon. We had the same over here in the UK with regard to our router box – we went through three replacements before we got our broadband back which included the feed to the sky box (TV stuff) as well as the computer and wifi access to the rest of the world…
Off topic…I don’t always stay up on stuff, so anyone can answer: What is “BDH”?
Book Devouring Horde
The Book-Devouring Horde. That’s the designation for the Authorlords’ (Ilona and Gordon) fan base. Don’t know who came up with the term, but I’m a card-carrying member (if they had cards).
As kitkat9000 and Tina in NJ said BDH = Book Devouring Horde. The name came about when, if I remember correctly, the second Innkeeper book came out. I remember those of us who were commenting about the book at the time were wondering what we should name ourselves. The Horde part came from one of the groups Dina had as guests at the inn. The book devouring part is because we are all insatiable with Ilona’s and Gordon’s books and want more, more, more!
All are welcome to join.
I don’t remember the details, but the name was pretty popular – but so was Bouda Babes. The authorlords eventually put it to a vote, and Book Devouring Horde became official, probably because Bouda Babes referenced only the Kate Daniels world.
Holy geez, that massively sucks — I’m amazed you’re as calm as you are!
As a contractor, I have a question — (not that you need to answer this)… but do you know how the water got in? If it’s simply an overwhelming amount of water that didn’t drain off your property, that’s one thing, but if it’s a grade issue where your lawn is sloped toward the house, this may keep happening. [I wish I were there–I’d send people out to help you.]
Fingers crossed on all the repair / replacement / drying out.
I’m sorry for the troubles!!! That is super frustrating 🙁 Did I miss a release date for the Hugh book? Sending tons of good vibes your way just so you have more peace and calm moving forward. ?
A plan was mentioned where the Hugh book would be released before Magic Triumphs is published in August, but no firm date was stated.
Every where we have lived we have had to put in French drains around our homes.
My brother has the misfortune of both. The one side of his house once in a while floods because the drain gets clogged… on the other side, it was graded wrong when they moved in. He hired someone to put in a new patio, and they did it wrong twice. We very much miss my grandfather, who was not a contractor but had more knowledge, skill, and work ethic than 90% of the contractors I know. He could also get the whole family organized and working together, which is somewhat worse than herding cats. Cats usually don’t use power tools.
Definitely take the time you need to get things taken care of. Patience is hard but we will utilize it and wait for more stories.
French Drains. . .
It is a poor planning issue. The house is stucco, and there is a concrete drain that runs right next to it. We didn’t pay attention and didn’t realize that the roof slope facing the drain, which is only a foot wide, had no gutter. We have a very large number of trees on the property, most of them oaks, and there must’ve been a large volume of leaves on the roof. The storm washed it down into the drain and the drain became clogged where it meets the fence, because there is a large grate there to keep dogs in and skunks out. The water rose and flooded into the office.
It’s not a huge flood, it’s just annoying as hell. From now on, we will check that drain regularly to make sure we don’t run into the clogging issue.
Excellent news! No need to do major landscaping. Had something similar happen when our gutters got full of pine needles after several days of high winds – then heavy rain. Got into our attic and started running down the wall in my office/library. It’s such a helpless feeling. But then hubs put a hole in the ceiling with a screw driver and all was better – after cleaning up the water, wet plaster & dust.
Well, that part is a relief to hear! Is shopping for gutters on the list now, too, or will that make much difference?
Oh, man, that so sucks. I’m so glad for you that it’s not a major renovation / regrading requirement. Fingers crossed that the minor repair / replacement of computers are as painless as humanly possible.
We owned a huge, gorgeous Victorian when we lived in DC, we used it for our home and law office, and also had a rental unit. On the third floor there was an ornamental balcony (I wish I could lay my hands on a photo, the exterior was beautiful. We discovered that the renovation and upkeep by the prior owners, not so beautiful. That ornamental balcony was terribly designed, instead of being against a normal wall it was against an ancient double hung window that went down to the FLOOR. We moved in and the next day there was a downpour. We came in from an errand and realized we could hear the rain IN THE HOUSE. Not from in the house, IN the house. The drain was clogged and the balcony had filled like a bathtub and overflowed into the house. It was pouring sheets of water into three floors. We knew to clear that drain after that, but it was still a constant source of water into the house. Oh, yes, I understand your pain.
Holy crap! The storms where you are don’t mess around do they? When they come they mean to do business!
Well, shit. That’s a whole lotta suck. Here in Houston, we just got some really loud thunder last night and then devastatingly perfect weather, today. I hope some of it make its way to you!
We can wait for books. You gotta actually be able to live and work.
Hey, don’t worry about us! It’s Easter week, we all have enough comfy food to give all the time you need!
I’m sorry for the flood.
Hugs and Love for both of you,
Chiara
Also, So glad nobody was hurt!
I agree with Chiara we can wait. Bitting my tongue.
Fuck it all! But the desktop and you do what you gotta do! I’d much rather have you healthy and sane than keel over trying to rush everything out. Take whatever time you need. I will always happily wait for my favorite authors to keep their lives together.
That’s supposed to say buy the desktop not But.
Agree with Mel and others. Take care of yourselves. Thanks for letting us know about why delays well be happening, I think the whole of the DBH know that you guys are great and that some delays from you both aren’t the same as with some other authors where they just seem to stop writing for yrs and you don’t know why, as you guys are brilliant at keeping us updated.
On the plus side, you work from home, so you can be there when they’re working on the house. I’d have to take a few days off work for that.
I’ve seen the ServPro trucks around in Maryland. I didn’t realize they were national. Fingers crossed I’ll never have to call them, but if I do, at least I know one family that’s used them.
I can’t remember if you mentioned if you were allergic to mold, but make sure they do a good check around the area. If that room has been prone to flooding before, the previous owners might not have been diligent in checking for mold.
I agree with Tink about watching out for mold especially if the previous owners didn’t watch out for it. Bleach water (highly concentrated on the bleach) and air will kill any and all mold. I am highly allergic to mold (it’s genetic and learned the hard way when I was a teen). When I have mold problems, I can smell it even if I don’t see it.
Also, if you or anyone else has to clean mold and are feeling pretty out of it after the cleaning is done, take allergy medicine right away.
A good water/flood remediation company is one of those things you never want to need, but if you have one, consider yourself fortunate. We’ve had a couple of different companies at my place of work (fire sprinklers never seem to want to keep the water in!) over the years, and there’s a pretty big difference between “good” and “okay.” And while it’s terrifying to see them ripping out big sections of wall, it’s pretty much the only way to go.
Sending love. Do what you can to keep your sanity. DON’T do extra just because our enjoyment is important to us. Stick to the big picture.
So hard not be selfish here. What I heard was “blah blah wet blah floors walls fans blah blah computer blah blah Hugh blah *strive to still deliver an Innkeeper installment*” – cue great rejoicing!
But yes, what they said – take care of you, it’s not about me, there’s no way to be creative and productive under these conditions. We can wait.
See – I’m growing as a person! (crying on the inside)
Good luck!
Someone else who reads really old joke books. Or they are as old as me.
Thank you very much for the heads up. I’m sorry you won’t be able to do the big Hugh reveal when you wanted to. Deal with the most urgent stuff and make sure it’s done right. We’ll be here when you’re ready. If you celebrate Easter (and even if you don’t), have a good one.
That’s awful. I can’t believe you stuck it out on a sloooow computer to send a blog post and feed the horde. It’s fine if we have to wait for the next Maude installment. Really.
Huge hugs for making my friend who had heart surgery feel better. I already loved your books but I’m so touched that you are taking time out of your super busy and now even worse schedule to help her. Thank you thank you thank you.
When you get to Best Buy, pick up one or two UPS. We use those around the house because when we first moved in, any threat of storm would knock power out for several minutes. One for the entertainment and one for the office, at a minimum. We do have a long ( 6 ft.) power strip connected to the entertainment UPS (and mounted horizontally on the wall behind the systems) that we can connect everything to. Now when there is any sort of failure, the UPS will beep but keep on going. If it’s going to last more than 20 minutes, you have plenty of time to unplug or shut down.
Totally agree! I’m a fan of the APC back-UPS — currently have the Pro 1000 and it has come in handy too many times to count.
I also vote for UPS to protect electronics. I’ve had several lighting strikes at my old house in Vermont. Ist time it fried all the electronics. TV, Computer, printer, modem, wifi, house security system. After that, I bought 3 UPS for the replacement electronics. One for office, one for TV setup, one for home security/wifi/modem. Next time a large strike hit, one UPS got fried, but all electronics were safe. Be sure to run the house phone lines and cable lines thru the UPS too. I’d rather replace UPS at $$ then replace electronics at $$$$. When I upgraded the electrical panel, I made sure the licensed electrician put a lightening arrester. Which is another layer of protection.
Bummer 🙁
Good luck getting everything sorted!
So sorry this has happened to you. I’m glad no one was hurt in the storm. I’m also glad you got such quick assistance! Please take care of the family first, and the rest will happen when it happens. We can wait. Best wishes that everything works out!
So sorry about the electrical and flood problems. If possible you need to identify the source of the flood water and electrical damage so you can try to protect it in the future. If the water just came in under the doors, it may be possible to plan a dam to prevent it in the future. If the lightning damage was from an actual strike, lightning rods may provide future protection; if it was an electrical surge induced by the lighting a lighting arrestor may be a solution.
I am so sorry.
Really sorry to heart about that, but not very surprised when you said your office had been flooded.
Sending you warm breezes to dry everything.
That is awful! No worries about taking the necessary time, I just hope your contractors are great and get the job done reasonably quickly.
I’m so sorry to hear of your troubles. Look after yourselves, get the house sorted, get the electricity and tech sorted and then start worrying about the fans. (You can worry about the actual electrical fans to sort out the water beforehand.)
Seriously, maybe I only speak for myself, but I don’t need you guys to slave away in a water damaged house with bad electronics just so I can get my fix of literature. Do what you need to do! And come back into it once you’re in a decent living space with decent equipment.
I feel your pain. Three weeks ago my office ceiling leaked like a sieve. I have a new roof but am still looking at the open ceiling to the rafters. Luckily my computer survived. Good luck to you both.
Holy hell. I know this too shall pass but it’s gonna suck donkey balls until it does!
Donkey balls! Hah!
As a Houston person who flooded with Harvey I feel your pain! We’re still living upstairs as we wait for what’s turned out to be a very long process of restoring our downstairs. It’s a headache and with all the deadlines I’m sure even more of an issue for y’all that you didn’t need.
Best of luck in recovery! Hopefully you won’t have to replace the floor since it is tile. We went back in with porcelain flooring hoping that if it ever does flood again at least we wouldn’t have to worry about that.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re having to deal with all of this. I hope the clean up and repairs aren’t too taxing and that it all gets taken care of quickly.
Please don’t even think about Maud- granted we love her but that’s an extra, not a necessity. Delaying any or all of what you mentioned won’t hurt anyone – you do what you need to but please don’t stress. That doesn’t help anything.
Oh dear… So sorry to hear of your office woes. Hope the damp totally dries out.
Put on headphones, with a large ice tea and think of a beatuiful beach!!!!!!!
Wow! So sorry to hear about your flooding! I live in S. Austin and we certainly had plenty of rain and thunder in my neighborhood, but at least no flooding nearby. Bummer about the electrical equipment, too, but sometimes no matter what you do, computers just flat die before their time. Hang in there!
I SO hope you have been doing backups, with all of these computer problems. It might be a good thing to just put your hard drive in a different box, to see if it works better there. Or to just get a simple image of it that would include everything. Or a lot of other stuff, but you have quite a brain and don’t need me explaining to you.
I feel for you, but it must be so much worse than we can imagine – I don’t make my living in an office where so much got ruined.
I live in a village that has flooded twice – on the same day in June, 7 years apart. Once from the Mohawk River coming up , and once from so much rain that a creek in the woods dammed up from debris, then burst. No one expected water above our knees coming DOWN the hills! It moved wooden fences, sheds, trailer, and mobile homes from the force of it – a woman died, and several were injured. That was the worse – the cleanup of the clay mud.
I’m a teacher being forced into retirement, so if there is any way I could help, please tell me. Although I do realize that I am not the only one wanting to get you into a redundant back up system for all your computer work. Or just bitch to me – I’m safe about secrets.
Not sure if you have one, but you might want to look into getting whole house surge protectors. I’m in FL and we get a lot of lightning surges. In addition to the surge protectors connected to a wall outlet, we have a surge protector on our electric panel. There are some expensive ones and some less expensive ones. We put one that wasn’t too expensive on because it is readily available for replacement by our electrician. If the spike is on the power going into the house, it can help save expensive equipment and appliances.
That sucks! Good luck with the clean up and the repairs! May they be quick and mentally pain free…. As much as possible.
So sorry for you all. I had bad flooding in my house in 2008 and wanted to run away. Our local Servpro was stellar in restoring our home.
When I lived in Oklahoma I lost a tv, washer, air conditioner, and refrigerator in multiple post tornado power surges. The power company put a whole house surge protector on at the meter. It wasn’t cheap but I never lost another appliance. Then I moved to Houston in time for Allison and learned to put electronic devices at least 3 feet off the floor. I vote with the contractor Toni. When things calm down get someone to check out your drainage. Wish I could make things better but advice is all I can send.
Your strength is showing. This is a boatload of shit dumped on you. And you aren’t stopping. Hugs won’t do much, but that’s all I can do.
A boatload of those are on the way.
My sympathies to you. A little water goes a long way and those fans are very noisy. One foot in front of the other and you’ll get through this. With all this happening you should be up to three events and done now for a while. Crap happens and we will wait until you can get issues sorted out and some semblance of normal back. (I’m with Toni, check the drainage slope. ServePro might even be able to tell if it looks like a repeat water issue.)
Wow! That stinks.
At least the lightning didn’t start a fire (trying to find a bright side here).
Take a deep breath. We’ll wait until you’re ready.
Yuck! I agree with everyone….don’t worry about us. Get your office back in order and get your deadline done (if possible). I understand about the storms. DFW got them as well. I’ve learned long ago to use surge protectors with the highest possible kilojoule protection to plug in all my electronics. I use the computer surge protectors (when I can find them), and they do a really good job.
Just a thought: you and Gordon might want to get an external hard drive to back up all your documents. I got one when I was in my doctoral program 8 years ago since I was paranoid that if my computer at the time died on me, I wouldn’t have to re-write my dissertation from the beginning. It was nice to have it so I could do my statistical work on a school computer, save it to the external drive, and plug it into my personal computer at home.
It’s okay to scream now…. I’m glad ServPro is doing such a great job for you.
So glad no one was hurt. And I’m 99.999% sure you back up all your files to a recovery service, like the consummate pro’s you are. I can wait for the books. Take Care.
this sounds awful!
while you are fixing things, most power strips are not usually rated for lightning strikes, more just for surges (the ones that are cost $$$). you need a whole-house surge installed in your circuit panel to truly protect your equipment.
good luck and leave the mold to the professionals. while tempting, bleach can damage some of your building materials even further or, in some extreme cases, cause some to break down. most companies will sandblast mold away, as it damages the spore without wetting the structure again. plus, ewww, mold.
I’m sorry you’ve had this problem. Water can be very destructive. I had to call in Serv Pro years ago after my sewer line partially collapsed and puddles of sewage appeared on the floor. Tearing out the carpeting, running industrial fans, sterilizing the floor, cutting a foot of drywall around the perimeter, patching the drywall, and replacing the flooring took a while. I agree with everyone that talked about using bleach or something to preemptively kill the mold. Houston is warm and swampy, perfect for mold.
It’s also worthwhile getting a drainage specialist to check the grading around your house as the first poster suggested. When it rains hard in my area the driveway becomes a puddle. My wonderful boyfriend has spent months digging a shallow trench around the house, laying PVC pipes, installing drains, and hooking in the downspouts so that much of the water drains on the sloped backyard into a culvert. Phase II to get the other side of the driveway starts soon….
Like others have mentioned you can get a “whole house” surge suppressor installed on the electrical breaker box of some homes (depends on access to the lines) to protect them against lightning strikes and external surges from the utilities. They don’t replace the UPS and surge protector strips that shield against power surges that arise from inside the house, but they can help against lightning strikes. The estimates I’ve seen are $200-$500 and they should be installed by an electrician.
Thanks for trying to keep to the Innkeeper installment schedule with so much trouble going on. Good luck with the repairs and replacing your PC!
So sorry to hear about your water and electric issues. As others have said, be sure you check for mold. You folks look after your own welfare and don’t worry about your followers. We survive beautifully on anticipation.
I think water has it out for you guys. Uhg.
((((HUGS))))) remember to breathe, skip the Maud segment, unless that is a stress relief, heck do an outtake and purge all your frustrations. I second APC UPS power supplies, lighting rods, checking the slope, checking for mold—let the pros deal with mold, if found. You do NOT want mold to get into your bodies, it takes years to recover! On the bright side, if you do retail therapy, you should get some Easter discounts when you replace your stuff.
Oh my dears! So not needed.
People are okay? Yes. Pets are okay? Yes. House is okay? Yes?
Office needs work – ServPro’s job, then contractor’s.
Now:
Take care of your sanity: Do what it takes now and keep doing it “until better”.
Deadlines for other people: i.e. Kate 10, Hidden Legacy novella, etc. – As necessary.
Deadlines for yourselves: Hugh’s book – When possible.
Extras for the BDH: Sweep of the Blade – When there’s a free moment.
Honestly, we will be incredibly happy if you get your books out after all the chaos that has affected your production recently.
None of this is your fault. None of this.
It will get better and we’ll be here when it does.
Virtual hugs *many*
My commiserations! Equipment failinig near deadlines, key partners missing documents, important meetings with people from out of country… all snafu-d thanks to technology fails – been there, done that.
On a more practical note – unplanned purchaces of PCs and the like are never fun for budgets (be those big or small), and since this is the age of crowdfunding and direct interactions with AuthorLords and such, I was wondering what would be your reaction/opinion, if we the readers were given the option to chip in and offset the costs of buying said PC?
I would not be surpisred (and, truthfuly, be a tad meh if not) if at least 100-200 readers would be happy to give $10 or so and I personally find that, books apart, you (through the blog and community, the weekly innkeeper chronicles installments, for instance) have provided me with many positives over the years which more than match the asethetic pleasure I would get from,say, otherwise drinking two cappucinos.
Unless it’s a bad idea because it’s too much of a hussle to set up (with the deadlines, but then again, it can be set up for a later date), or for legal/tax reasons, or your personal preferences, I would be very happy to pass along a little global “thank you” (through e.g. paypal, patreon, a very overpirzed Curran POV on amazon, or some such ) for all the hard work you put in and positivity you bring to me and many others. In case this is doomed to remain a hypothetical – I’ll reiterate the big thank you for all you’ve put in, all the positives you provided, and best of luck for the future for technology and weather related phenomena.
I would definitely be up for contributing in anyway, as I am very willing to bet most of the BDH is. A “Go Fund Me” account doesn’t tasked long to set up, and the funds are available fairly quickly. If the Authorlords don’t object – I think that many of the BDH would like to help in some way, and this is one thing that we can do.
I’m so sorry about your office flooding. I would be putting my hair out too. As others have said, fixing drainage direction and I would also add extending the ceramic tile up the wall one to two feet, move electrical lines up three feet to an electrical strip(s) that goes horizontally across the wall of your office. Again I am so sorry.
I mean pulling my hair out!
I’m with Kostya – I would be happy to crowdfund a little something to get you a new computer. You are writers, and computers are your tools. You need to have a fast, reliable one.
Hang in there. We will wait. It’s always worth it.
So sorry! I saw this and reminded me of your circle of woe
Big breath, hold, release. I understand the frenzy but in reality it will be ok. Soft gentle breath. The most important things are ok. You and yours survived. No one is bleeding, there is no fire. Years back a boss reminded me, we were not brain surgeons, no one’s life depended on the next 30 seconds. Delays and gremlins and Mother Nature happens. Down the road there will be time for roof fixes, generator purchases to completely insulate power supplies. Dry wall is replaceable.
Things are replaceable, you are not. I am so glad you survived. Be gentle with yourselves. If you can, escape to a local library, log in and send out status email to all and sundry and request/require Act of Goddess delays for all deliverable. It will be ok. Breathe.
I agree with everyone. You take care and do what you need to do. We can wait.
Your computer problems sound just like a very sneaky virus I had last year. It wasn’t showing up in two different antivirus checks. I thought my computer was just old and slow until one day I noticed the desktop icons were shimmering and blinking. I went to task manager and realized that I had a replicating virus that was running hundreds of copies. So many copies that there wasn’t even enough processing power to keep the icons stable. Getting rid of it was a complicated multi-step process.
You and your family are safe. The rest is just stuff. The cleanup will be done correctly with the Greenies, but keep an eagle eye out for mold. Take care of yourselves. We will be fine if or when we get fun stuff from you.
So sorry. ? My parents had flood damage a few years back and those fans are truly shatteringly loud. Hope the repair- and renew- and replace-period goes by as quickly and painlessly as is possible…
Hugs. That was a hellacious bit of weather, so glad you guys are ok. We’ll be fine waiting while you get your life settled.
I’m sorry for the horrible frustration you must be feeling. Hope everything goes well when you get your new computer and, of course, with your deadlines.
Virtual hugs and I’m glad everyone is safe. Good luck with setting up the new system and hope things get closer to normal soon. We can definitely wait.
Have you thought about also buying an inexpensive laptop at some point as a backup work device, in addition to the main desktop? Many laptops have regular USB 2.0 plugs and monitor inputs so you can still use your peripherals if they’re working. It doesn’t need to be anything super fancy or new but would probably reduce some stress if hardware fails during crunch time or you get stuck inside the house without power.
Sorry about your flood. Those fans really work! Had a hot water heater burst where I work and came in and those fans and a dehumidifier really did the trick.
Good luck with everything! Katie
My boyfriend and I live in SA off 410/87, so we’re petty close. Friday and Saturday we’re free if you need any help. We got lucky that the freak hail storm didn’t hurt anything (that I’ve seen). Scared my dogs half to death (1 German shepherd and 2 red heelers) but they enjoyed hanging out with me inside.
Idk if you read Pierce Anthony, but this reminded me of King Fracto (Cumulo-Fracto-Nimbus) , that asshat weather demon who loves raining on parades.
An FYI for when your electrician comes in, ask for a whole hose surge suppressor. We lived in a place that the power would go out when a bird farted. Since DaHubs is a CTO of a data company we have all the electronics ever and is cheap insurance.
Daaaaang. And that’s the nicest thing I can say about all that shite! As many others have said, thank you for thinking of us, but take care of you and yours first. We will be fine and waiting for you when you dig yourselves out from all this. In the meantime, by all means FIA–sit down with a big glass of whatever works for you, vent, drink some more, sigh, drink, throw up your hands and say FIA, then go to bed. Deal with what you have to tomorrow.
I’m so sorry – sounds like rough times. Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family…
That is nasty. Hang in, we are all thinking of you!
Oh no! I’m so sorry this happened. Talk about stress. I hope you get it cleared up with the least possible amount of obstacles and horrors.
May the yarn be with you.
Well, crap — big time!! Hope all goes as smoothly as possible!!
I am so sorry!
I have been through the fans before. “Silence is Golden,” was never more true….. I recommend a hotel or anywhere else…..a daycare with screaming kids is quieter. Hopefully you won’t have days and days of the fans running constantly.
Seriously, wish I could help. As much as I love Innkeeper, and I do, take yourself to a quiet park and look at stars or something relaxing instead.
Hugs!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. It will be fun to see the cool stuff you put out on April 1st, and whatever, whenever, anything else is ready. I hope you have a pleasant and relaxing holiday as a break from all of the roadblocks.
Best to use this adventure in a plot line. It would appear random due to act of nature, but who knows what happens at Best Buy, with new computer, etc. just an idea ?
Life throws you lemons that’s when you don’t have sugar so you can’t make lemonade. It’s seems like y’all have been going over a bunch of hurdles. Today made you swear ? Or technically yesterday. I’m sorry like most of us that y’all are have had some damage to your office, but I’m glad you’re pushing forward slowly but surely. Remember to take deep breaths and exhale or have cocktail
The dogs are still awfully damn cute, though.
I’m sorry – that sounds incredibly frustrating, particularly when you’re on deadline.
please stop worrying…. everything will be allright….stuff dries up. computers can be replaced as every other stuff….you guys are safe, that. what realy matters.
you write wonderfull stories and i just love them… but do not get stressed out… timelines happen and real life is there too… this is real life.
get your new equipment, start over and things will look up!
So sorry this happened. Those storms came through here in the middle of the night but not as bad as up in your area. Hopefully you have flood insurance.
Don’t sweat it. Innkeeper can wait. All that matters is that you and your family are safe. And deadlines wait for no man or woman.
Sorry to hear that you’re having problems. Good luck getting up and running again. 🙂
I’m so sorry this has happened and I am pleased you and the pets are all safe after the storm. Hope it gets sorted quickly for you.
Thinking of you all xxx
Is that your cement faux tile floor. Or real tile? When I had to redo the bathroom due to a broken pipe instead of baseboard along the bottom of the wall I put a foot high ring of matching tile all around the room. It’s saved me wall damage at least twice since then.
I was going to suggest the same thing if there is any likelihood of this happening again.
Sorry to hear about the flood and the system loss. Just when you needed it least.
Thank you for your generosity in all things – even getting a blog out though it took you hours more than you had.
Best of luck with the new receiver and desktop and of course with your deadlines.
I hope the Easter period improves. At least there are Easter eggs, right?!?!
Stay away from HP computers if you have to get a Windows PC but would recommend a Mac they cost more but I have had a Mac Air for 5 years and it is still going strong but when I have Win PC’s replacement is every 2 years since they are all engineered to fail around that point. I would use noice canceling headphones to help with the fan noise.
Wow. Must have been a heck of a storm. Glad you are all OK. Good luck with repairs. A nice bottle of red wine couldn’t hurt.
I know I’m probably too late but I will comment this anyway. I understand that buying a new computer is probably the fastest fix. BUT before throwing the “old” one away just reset it. I do it with my computer every two years. As it deleates everything, all my bugs are gone and i have a “new” fast computer without buying a new one. The process is easy (i mean i could do it…) but it just takes time as you have to copy all your files that you want to keep to a external drive and back onto the computer after the reset.
I hope you see this and I could help a little.
Listen, you’re amazing and you’re going beyond the limits of sheer good when it comes to dealing with your fans. We are blessed, and we understand it, but now, I want to remind both of you how incredible you are.
I am sorry life sucks, but please, don’t forget how fantastic you are and think less of us and take care of yourselves.
Good luck.
So sorry – not a good time at all and hope that u r dried out and up and running again soon
If u need something to take your mind off things try the Jane Yellowrock series or the Soulwood series by Faith Hunter both totally original series as yours are
I like Faith Hunter also. She is my current go-to author when I’ve just finished re-re-rereading Innkeeper, Kate, or the Edge books.
Glad to hear you are all all right. Stay well.
I feel like us avid readers need to support your writing by helping pitch in for the aforementioned computer. A couple dollars from each of us would get you back and working and less stressed over the whole thing quicker than Kate could cook an apple pie, surely? Some sort of go fund me type of thing?
I’m all for the computer fund.. Tell me how to sign up and in.
Terrible to have this happen when there are time critical things going on. The drying fans are nothing short deafening and the air quality is a nightmare. I hope your home is water free. Please keep a good heart and know BHD sending you positive energy to boost your spirits. Somehow these things work out ok. Peace.
Feeling for and thinking of you.
Take care Authorlords.
Oh dear! I’m sorry for all this trouble that is happening. And it always comes in threes. Well you’ve got your 3 strikes so it can only get better from now on! No really I wish you both the best in these hard times. Murphy’s Law be damned!
The best solution is not a fan but a dehumidifier. I have one in the house for these purposes and it is amazing. It dries everything pretty quickly, and the bigger the capacity the faster it is.
Yup, my advice exactly. Dehumidifiers work way faster than fans, and the bigger, the better. It also makes the room more comfortable to be in. I bought this one at Amazon: Frigidaire 30-Pint Dehumidifier with Effortless Humidity Control. It worked really well drying out a wall that got wet from a roof leak. With Amazon Prime you can have it in two days.
Your plight brought back some old memories! Back in 1995 Hurricane Opal brought a foot of saltwater into my office building and left it there for several hours. After the storm moved on there were no dehumidifiers and no fans to be had within 200 miles. The water had permeated the concrete floor underlaying the carpet (which we yanked out as soon as we could get back in). We ended up having to spread kitty litter on the floor to suck the water out of the concrete and the walls. This was NOT a pleasant fix and it created a lot of dust, but it really worked amazingly well. A day or two later we cleaned up the kitty litter and went back to work. It made our office dry and habitable enough to work in for weeks while we waited our turn with the repair crews. Ah, those were the days … LOL
As others have said, the really important thing is that you and yours are okay and safe. Of course you know this, yet still F*** it all!! What a completely crappy thing to happen! So sorry for all the stress and frustration caused by this event. I hope you are able to get everything straightened out with as little trouble as possible. Of course the BDH will wait patiently for whenever you get the chance to post another Innkeeper installment. We all dearly love your work and can’t wait to read the next part – but value you both, your family, and your sanity far more!
Do what you need to do, as you need to do it. Your faithful BDH is behind you all the way! Sending virtual hugs, and wishes for a happy Easter. ???
I lived with those fans for 7 days after my house I bought in May experienced a flood situation in October 2013 thanks to the City of Austin. It wasn’t the Halloween floods but the heavy rains that ended ACL early, city’s lift station failed and dumped 500,000 gallons storm water in sewer and storm drainage systems and since my street already was flooded it overwhelmed the sewer system and came up the drain pipes. Fortunately it was just storm water but wrecked bathroom and all bedrooms. It was a soul sucking experience and those machines were tied directly to hell. But it was amazing how much water they pulled out.
So sorry you are going through it
What a mess! So glad you guys are all right, even if you’re tired, frustrated, and p****d off. Wish I could help, other than saying a prayer, but I will do that.
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry you’re all having to deal with so much going wrong at once. It sucks royally but at least none of you or your pets were hurt, so that’s at least one good thing.
I can attest that Servpro is absolutely awesome and so fast to respond! When I lived in Brooklyn, I was on the first floor of a brownstone and the landlady lived in the basement apartment. One early Saturday morning, she comes knocking on my door in a panic – one of the major water pipes in her apartment ruptured overnight and flooded her with over a foot of water which was still there because it was a recessed floor with nowhere to drain to.
Since she was Orthodox Jewish and it was a Saturday, she couldn’t use a phone or discuss anything business related, so I had to turn off the water, and search for someone to call to help. I tried a few places that couldn’t come out for a few days. Then I called Servpro and they were there within a couple of HOURS. On a Saturday. The ongoing noise of the huge fans sucks, but my god are they good at drying things out. I know it’s local franchises, so your mileage may vary, but everyone from Servpro were so polite and super efficient. I hope they get everything taken care of for you as soon as possible, so you can at least work in peace again.
Please,please,please spend your time and energy getting your physical space and head space in order to do what you need to do. Don’t worry about the BDH or the blog until everything else is taken care of.
Your photos of the wall framing indicate that that wall has been exposed to water many times. If you don’t want to repeat this experience each time you get a storm like this you need to get a trusted professional in to figure out how to keep the water from getting in.
Damn it all to Tartarus !
Also get a big dehumidifier. I bought this one from Amazon: Frigidaire 30-Pint Dehumidifier with Effortless Humidity Control. It’s a good partner to the fans, which are moving around that lovely, humid, Texas air.
Honestly, just get the stuff fixed, I live here in Texas and this years weather has been more moody than a teenager starting her period. ( I’m using this analogy cause my Mother told me she thought I was possessed ?, when I got mine) . It would be great if an innkeeper installment comes out, but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t . We all still love you guys and love what you do.
I have been fortunate in that I have responded to hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Gustave as an EMS provider and have met amazing people. In the scheme of life, this is a bump. The bump may have knock off your muffler, but it is just a bump! As far as your computer issues, switch to APPLE! I still have my laptop from 2002, and it works well.
Had 17 Servpro fans and two dehumidifiers taking up the downstairs of my townhouse after my washer water hose burst. They are loud, cause the AC to run rampant (my upstairs where I had to retreat was frigid), and jumped my power bill dramatically, but they did their job! Hang in there! If you have flood insurance, check to see if they will also compensate for the power (mine did – just had to show the spike in the bill from one month to the next).
Jeepers creepers! When it rains it pours. Don’t worry about Hugh or Innkeeper or letting anyone down. Take care of yourselves and the flood damage. Us ever loyal readers will still be here. You guys are so prolific compared to other writers producing sooooo much good quality work just give yourselves a break why don’t you. Good luck with everything. Happy Easter!????
Sorry about nature’s drama! Frustrating to deal with the aftermath, but glad everyone is safe. Might want to look at re-grading or a sump pump if the weather is common.
On the PC side, I feel like the life expectancy is declining from 3 years to about 18 months. Since I loathe windows 10, have been pondering the google operating system, wondering if that might stretch out the life a little longer. Good luck!
I am so sorry you are going through this! It’s happened to me before as well as a car crashing into my home office. The fans are loud, so you might want to get ear plugs for a while or wear noise cancelling headphones, if you haven’t already tried that.
I now use a virus software that also checks the health of my hard drive so I get a heads up if things are going bad. There is probably an app that will do that constantly, not just when you start up or shut down. Also, I switched to laptops that can connect to larger monitors so I can be mobile when I work – at one point I even had two workstations setup with a wireless keyboard and mouse and a monitor waiting for its connection at each desk. I realize how important it is to separate your work space from your living space, but it’s something to consider.
Glad no one was hurt and wishing you a speedy Gertrude Hunt repair job. 🙂
Hopefully the computer fiasco got sorted out by whatever computer gods and all is well!
As others have said, thank you so much for your generosity and sending it right back in gratitude for your brilliance, your kindness and your lovely stories.
Good luck with everything!
Aish.. this i unlucky and i feel for you. I know Life just happens but still…
The house is newly bought, you just got there and already things happen.
I just hope that there will be not another major disturbance in your lifes.
Not bad ones at last.
Thinking good thoughts to you.
Take care of yourself and your family. Peace and blessings to all of you.
I’m glad everyone is ok. Good luck fixing everything! I know Servpro does a good job! I’ve had to use them before! Though, in a different area.
Would I be completely horrid to ask after the Inkeepeeper / Maud installment for the week?
Good luck!
Best,
Mandi
Been there, done that. What a pain! It does get better. Gertrude Hunt should be taking care of this for you (I wish). Glad you are all okay. Sending major blessings.
Get your electrician to install a ‘whole-house’ surge protector in the mains electrical panel.
Get your cable company to install one inline on the cable.
Buy a UPS for your computer and consulting from a trained technician to help wire it up.
Most important is that everyone is ok. Everything else will sort itself out. We can wait for stuff to be sorted out. Enjoy the weekend!
I’m so sorry this happened. “When it rains, it pours.” You seem to be gettting hits on multiple fronts. Your computers, the house, deadlines. I hope the trip to Best Buy and the fans help you guys. I’m willing to wait on yall to get everything straightened out before you post inkeeper. We all lasted two weeks and were so gratefull for parts 1 &2 last week. Sounds like its time for another reread. Prayers and Best Wishes from a hopeful fan.
The joy of new homes! We’ve had this happen before and found that the best way to dry out the interior walls is to cut the sheetrock right above the water damage and remove it. It had to be replaced anyway, and this way we could ensure there wasn’t any mildew growing in the walls. It sucks 🙁 and it took probably 2 months until things were back to normal (anti-mildew spray all over everything, sheetrock replaced, mudded, primed, and painted; molding replaced, primed, and painted). The good news is that at least you don’t have to rip up any carpet, it seems. It’s amazing how fast wet carpet smells terrible ;x Also, in my experience with older homes, the electrical grounding is not up to modern standards. I’d have an electrician by to double check or you may be constantly replacing electronics every time there’s lightning. Our most commonly fried items were the cordless phone and the dryer ;x Good luck! Don’t worry about all of us 🙂 we’ll just be here sending well wishes your way.
I am so sorry. I’ve decided that protection from water is my number one issue while house-hunting, just because I remember Niagara Falls running through my living room and out the patio door, one huge Texas storm front ages ago. My terror of mold is very real.
May your repair people do an excellent job, the drain be completely cleared so this can’t happen again–and may no work have been lost!
My Dad’s favorite thing to say was “Nobody died, we can recover”. Wishing you a quick recovery from all disasters!
I didn’t read all the comments, so someone may have already said this, and am not sure if you will read this. . . our house had a drop-living room. We had a couch that sat in front of one of the windows. When the carpet got cleaned, I started noticing mold on the bottom of the couch. I thought it was from the damp carpet.
Well, we had a giant storm a couple years ago and our living room flooded. What we hadn’t realized was the drainage was bad on that side of the house and when it rained, the water was seeping in. That’s why we had the mold on the couch, but it was against the wall, so we never noticed. Then the giant storm hit and the room was truly flooded.
We had gutters put on (that side of the house had none) to re-direct the rain, and haven’t had a problem since (we actually re-did all our gutters and added some in front of the house too to make sure the water wasn’t just going to come in on that side). I’m not sure if that may help with the office situation, but it is something to look into so you don’t have to deal with this again. Good luck!
Man, mother nature can be a time eating, expensive cranky bitch. Here’s hoping the pain of it all is mitigated a little by all the BDH love.
Also, new computer? SSD…worth the upcharge.
Dear authorlords, I am so sorry that this happened. It will no doubt be a pain in the asyoulikeit to get it all fixed up, but it will happen…just look at all the great ‘been there, done that’ advice from your readers!
Bu you had all your precious files backed up, right? Replacing a computer is easy, getting all your data off a horked computer can be messy.
If you don’t already have backup (but you do, right?) while you are getting your new computer, be sure to include a megagig backup storage device (or else get yourself a cloud storage account).
And as I tell my students, save. Save. SAVE.
Do it with the same regularity that you take a drink of your favorite beverage while working at your computer.
But why do you have a liquid in a spillable container anywhere near that computer???
Oops, sorry, teacher-mode sometimes sneaks up and takes over!
If only you were an innkeeper, you could ask the house to fix itself! So sorry for all these troubles. Don’t worry about us readers, just take care of yourselves. Thanks for all your wonderful books!
This must be so depressing for all of you, your lovely new house just getting how you wanted it !, I would be so angry/upset/evil ,I have a hard time dealing with stuff like that, I know all things pass and this will just be a irritating memory soon but I feel so bad for you.On a side note, as a Brit I was tickled to see your Union Jack on your storage box.Chin up people xxx
No worries. You’ve got stuff to deal with so we’ll wait until you’ve got it sorted out. This is obviously more important. If I lived closer I’d come help! Take care. Gina
SO sorry !!!! …..don’t forget to buy and APC to go with that new computer !!!!!!
Thoughts and prayers !!!
So sorry for all the frustration you guys are experiencing!!! Things will get better (easy for me to say). Sending positive vibes your way.
…Ah, to be an Innkeeper at times like these would be so wonderful.
I can relate. We were caught in the 500 year Memorial Day flood in Austin. The creek that was 22′ below our house rose 26′. We had 4′ of water in the house. The force of the water was so great I couldn’t get the door open, so I passed my baby out the window to a neighbor, then followed. Even though the water was only thigh deep,it was running so strongly that it nearly took us down. As I reached my neighbor’s house, I looked back and saw the water stove in the front of my garage, trapping my car, though by then it was already under water. Needless to say, there wasn’t much left. We did the same thing, ripping off sheetrock, taking out insulation, carpet, debris (i.e.former belongings) and junk the creek left behind. All the same, we were thankful, because 13 people died in that flood and we were safe. Stuff could be and was replaced. I may have lost my wedding and baby pictures, but I didn’t lose my husband (he was away) or baby.
Good luck getting back to normal, Ilona and Gordon! I hope the Kids, pups and kitties aren’t too upset by the havoc created by the storm. I know it’s frustrating to have your plans blown up, but the BDH will happily await the next chapter when it comes out. As my mom says, no need to swivet, at least about us.
Oh man, that’s tough, flood damage and tech woes are the worst!
Love the graphic! Very apt.
Yes! This. Hugs.
I’m so sorry for your troubles. Our home is meant to be our sanctuary where we can retreat to relax and replenish. Double whammy when you work from home a when something goes wrong. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself now. Years ago, complaining about the latest water disaster in the house, a friend said “water always finds a way”. I’ve never forgotten it, as it has been proved true over and over and over again. Toilets, sinks, water heater, roof, gutters, grading, sewer back-up, tree roots, broken water mains, all causing water problems we’ve dealt with. And, never at convenient times! I remember one winter we were up on our flat roof in Michigan (how dumb is that construction!?), with an umbrella over us in the rain, using a hair dryer on an extension cord to melt the ice and dry out a section of the rubber roof so we could patch it. We didn’t like the water pouring through the light fixture into my home office. Until we got the roof redone, I got really comfortable climbing up a ladder to the roof for regular maintenance. These are the stories that seem more like adventures when seen from the distance of time. If there’s any good here, it’s that any repairs you make to your new home improve it for your benefit. Plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you improved the house. In the end, as a homeowner, your repair work is never done.
I’m so sorry all of this happened. I pray you find peace, and know your followers understand.
So sorry this happened to you. All of the things happening at once seems like a cruel test of ourselves. I hope things fall into place and you can get through this as smoothly as possible. Thinking of you and hoping for the best.
oh no. i’m so sorry. i ended up with 4.5′ of water in my basement in april of 2013, and i’m still recovering. it’s just a nightmare. i hope recovery is as smooth as possible!
You guys are sure having a rough time. Maybe your new house is suffering with negative energy left from former occupants. Have you tried sage ing? I love ? your books and all these trials are taking away from production time.(I know I don’t have to tell you that) I’m sending love and hugs. This will all turn around soon ! Thanks for all the adventures! Lory
Anybody else feel guilty because they feel like an addict jonesing for their fix of Innkeeper?
To the authorlords, sending tons of good vibes and hugs your way. Thank goodness everybody is OK, and this too will pass. Eventually. Really. I swear………..
Yes. Definite guilt. Definite jonesing. Withdrawal limited to minor twitching and compulsive refreshing at the moment, with occasional ill-tempered snapping at the dog.
Loads of good vibes and hugs to the Authorlords!
Just sending you good vibes and virtual cheer. You shall overcome! Happy Birthday to Gordon, as well!
So sad that this has happened! Sending positive energy that everything will be repaired and/or replaced with lightening speed
I can see you have already had a few suggestions re the computer just wanted to agree that solid state drives are great. Got a new computer earlier this year but could not justify the cost of a large SSD so the computer shop recommended a 110GB SSD for the programs with a second larger disc drive for data (at least I think that’s how it works).
New computer takes less than 6 secs from pressing the on button to the computer being ready for use (yes I timed it) and games and internet run faster. My dad was so impressed when he visited he kept turning it off and on just to see the quick start up, he’s now going to see if he can get his 3 yr old pc retrofitted with one.
Good luck with drying out the office.
I emptied a friend’s dehumidifier and missed her since she went downtown to live. It is so disheartening to live with the after effects of a flood. I feel for you. Watch out for a really high electricity bill.
Today I gave in and bought a new computer. I guess a new kindle is next. This one keeps freezing.
As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina you have my sympathy. Luckily we only had approximately 2 feet of water throughout the entire house. Repair wise, we found it much simpler to take the drywall out to mid-wall. This is where the 2 sheets of drywall meet on your wall and is a natural seam. It makes replacing the drywall quicker and simpler.
Outside, we had two areas that had a tendency to have standing water after a hard rain. I don’t know if you have this issue, but for additional drainage we installed dry-wells. Super simple. Just google it. May prevent future flooding. Hope this helps.
Bad Storm, very bad Storm. Now go sit in timeout until you’re called. (Lived in Tx for many years; I understand and commiserate.)
Yay You for taking care of yourself and getting a new computer!
Maybe life is telling you that you need a break. It sucks, but sitting and trying to force things to work that aren’t working is just going to increase your blood pressure. It sounds like a lovely day to go to the park for a picnic. I know you are super busy but if you can’t work then you can’t work…
Just the house damage is awful but add computer problems and wow, stress is way up! I’m with Gordon – head out and get a new, better, improved PC system. It is totally worth it! It’s a very necessary business expense – because we can’t do without your stories! (I know, suddenly it’s all about me – ha ha.) Seriously, you really use your computers so no surprise it wore out and once you get the kinks out, you’ll love having a new and improved system!
I can certainly enjoy the Hugh extravaganza as much tomorrow as today! Hope getting your office back into working form is less hassle that you’re thinking it will be!
Big. Virtual. Hug.
So sorry to hear of your misadventures with the weather and your losses connected with it. Things will work out and you will once again land on your feet in due time. I feel for you as we were survivors of Sandy a few years back and losses here were substantial. Having lived through three weeks in winter without heat or electricity and to top it off an additional two weeks without heat until the utility company says it’s safe to turn it back on makes you appreciate the things we take for granted on a daily basis. Wishing you and yours all the best with everything.
I hope computer advice is not in the annoying department. But your hard disk may be fragmented which is why things as so slow. There is Microsoft utility to defrag the disk and of course it takes forever. For instructions go to Microsoft.com and search for disk defragmentation. Another tact is to have another hard drive. Then do a disk to disk copy periodically then swap in the newly copied hard drive. The new disk will be defragmented when it is being copied. Do you have network attached storage (NAS)? NAS is great for backups or putting files that are needed on different computers.
Also it is more secure to setup nonprivileged accounts to work and web surf in. If you go with the one that Microsoft sets up at install, that account is privileged. That account allows all kinds of havoc to reaped on the computer. But you can go into Control panel and create nonprivileged accounts to work in. That are more restricted but will allow you to work and web surf.
As far as electrical goes, it may be the surge protectors that got toasted and not the equipment attached to them. After all that is what is suppose happen. It may be worthwhile to start with replacing surge proctectors before the other equipment.
You shouldn’t worry about installment. You are gracious to do these stories for free, so no one can complain if you need more time following an emergency.
When our home flooded in the basement family room, it made me physically ill, I was so upset. My heart goes out to you.
So sorry to hear this. All best wishes for speedy and low stress repairs and replacements.
So sorry for the disaster that was once your beautiful office. You probably didn’t need a real-time example of “when it rains, it pours.” I’ll cherish the next installment of Maud whenever it comes out.
Ah, me! Texas weather is indescribable. No one who does not live here would believe what it is capable of- well, maybe, after Harvey. Anyway, all of us who are so blessed by your storytelling send you good Vibes and lots of empathy. You deserve a tech upgrade anyway? Good fortune and good hunting to you and yours!
It seems that it is one thing after another in your new domain. Have you considered an exorcism? Surely someone has developed one especially for electrical gremlins.
Ok Sometimes there are odd things that happen. In my daughter’s house a switch controlling an inside and an outdoor light stopped working. Replaced the switch, No good. Hired an electrician. He said there was a problem with the junction box. Question was, where was the junction box. no one could find one. An frustrating and expensive hour later the electrician left, the switch still didn’t work and no one knew where the junction box might be. Since they absolutely had to have the outside light they managed to find another electrician who came in and began doing things electrical. After a bit he inquired, “Do you have a cat?” “Why yes, we do.” Well, your cat peed in the electrical outlet and it’s corroded the wires to the switch. He took out the box and Whew! Yes there had been cat pee and oh, yeah, that box nd everything in it was in bad, bad shape. Since the original occurrence had happened some time ago, the current felines were cleared of charges. (Sorry) But if you have a cat…
Please ask the ServPro people if it looks like there has been any previous flooding. If there was it should have been disclosed when you purchased the house. Hopefully it is just a one time deal! If it isn’t please look into a lawyer for your legal options.
Personally I would rather have the flood damage than the tech stuff – it makes me crazy! So sorry you have to deal with any of it. Life …
I’m guessing publishers are a bit different to deal with but I will read your wonderful stories whenever they arrive. Thank you to both of you for all your hard work.
We can wait, everything else can wait. Your priories are clearly working tech, deadlines and office repair. This is business and life. I’m a remote employee, have been for more than 15 years, and tech issues last 10 days had me tearing out hair I can ill afford to lose. I pay for extra high speed connections and when other infrastructure issues get in the way it kills me for deadlines. I’ll end up working double time. At times like those, everything else falls away.
Fortunately it’s not too often, but in the midst of it, it’s hell.
Hoping this is resolved quickly for you.
Appreciate all you share with us but, again, we can wait. Take care of you and the priorities.
I’m so sorry guys. Wow that stinks!!
My bookmark for a terrible day: http://heroes-get-made.tumblr.com/post/69639431849/cheer-up-post-646-puppy-edition
She has “cheer up” posts that are mostly cute animal pictures, never fails to make me smile.
Good luck!
P.s. I also agree with checking your surge protectors – if the fuse is blown they’re useless. Water will also mess up their functionality.
Oh, OH .. I am so sorry this happened to you, how distressing.
So sorry you were impacted by the heavy rains that came through the area recently. I was in Orange TX recently with a group from my church and several others from around the country. We were cleaning up homes that still had not been repaired from Harvey taking up the floor and putting up new drywall. I know how difficult it is dealing with the mess the flooding leaves behind. Hope you will have everything fixed up and back to normal soon. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends for help with the clean up. Thank you for the posts you do on your innkeeper series. I do not follow the comments but really appreciate all of your writing. Love your books and wish you much continued success.
Thanks for keeping us all posted. I hope things get better. I am so glad you are all physically safe.That being said, eat the chocolate you have been hoarding, give thanks for the help you get, and dance in the dirt as you sweep all the unnecessary away.
I am so sorry this happened to you two. I hope the repair efforts go well. Your work is so penultimate, so entertaining, so wonderful. The new inkeeper has me on the edge of my seat, every time. Your hard work is not in vain. Is the Hugh book being published or is it online? Can not wait to read it. Hang in there guys.
What a pain! Hope damage is minimal for you and your house insurance covers this!
So sorry to hear about the storm damage! Hope everything gets back to normal fast.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about the flooding and tech issues! We got hit by the hurricane here and it took forever to get things back to normal. And yes, it’s hard to concentrate with fans on high! SO, although we’re disappointed that Maud’s story is on hold, we’ll keep you in prayer for a quick recovery!
С праздником Пасхи
So, so sorry. That stinks. Hang in there.
Also, there have been some challenges around here (like my 5th kid vomiting all over me on Tuesday), so I comfort-binge-re-read all the Kate books this week. Didn’t sleep as much, but it really did bring some smiles and joy to the tense situations around me. 🙂 I hope in the midst of your challenges, it can bring y’all a smile to think of your words from even several years ago being a delight to a stressed, vomit-covered mama. 😉
So sorry you are being tested. Please take the time you need to get everything working again. Feel free to step back for a moment, take a deep breath and regroup – I know a lot of us will patiently wait until you get back to it again, your work is so worth waiting for. Blessings, take care, pamper yourself a little, ground, and then have fun shopping for your new computer.
and on my birthday too…. :'(
Another idea. Could also be future book title.
Forged in Ice
WTF was Nature thinking?!? I’m so sorry your house flooded.
If you had moved to my city/area, you would never have to worry about excess water. Well… unless maybe you bought a house on one of the rivers… Unfortunately, this area has the different drawbacks of being 1) extremely right wing, and 2) several hours away from urban perquisites like IKEA and Trader Joe’s.
Also, despite being a fairly small area, we already have an Awesome Author In Residence, Patricia Briggs. It would be rude to hog all of the best authors. LOL!
I hope the next month is less eventful for you. Thanks for all of the joy that you have brought me. ::hugs::
Why not use a secured cloud server with multiple access? This way as long as you have access to any laptop, desktop, tablet, once logged in, it’ll look like your desktop.
I was involved in b2b tech so I was just curious. Your work is precious and if you’re ever curious about a tech solution that doesn’t involve geek squad or a dry basement let me know. My husband still designs tech solutions for hospitals etc.
Hang in there! Flooded basements are manky.