Hey there, Grotesqueteers! Let me start off by apologizing for the appalling lack of updates to this website in general, and the blog in particular. If you follow me on Facebook, then you're already aware of the multiple disasters that have occurred this summer. Just for fun, let's list them out:
1. Collapsed sewer line: this happened right before some dear friends' wedding on June 18 and took 25 days to fix satisfactorily. Highlights of the adventure included numerous calls to my Home Warrant company, interactions with 3 different plumbers, and a massive excavation project. For nearly a month, we were unable to shower, flush the toilet, or run any of the sinks. Yay!
1a. During this time, we also experienced a major storm which took down numerous trees in our area and were without power for 4 days. Not only was this inconvenient, but it also delayed the sewer line repair.
2. Defunct water heater: the old unit died about a week after the sewer line was finally repaired. Luckily, this was a relatively easy fix...for now...
3. Radiator died in the Subaru; cost $500 to replace.
4. Coffee maker died. This really hurt.
5. A massive rainstorm dumped 9 INCHES of water in our neighborhood in one 30-hour period. This resulted in a TON of dirt/mud throughout the basement, as well as a great deal of water damage. I'm still unsure how deep the water got overnight, but we found water in the clothes dryer. The storm also took out the brand-new water heater (which took another 2 weeks to repair after going back and forth between the Home Warranty, the plumbers, and the gas company) and killed the furnace/central air unit (somehow the motherboard, which is appx 20" off the ground, got wet). During this time, I was unable to use my studio, which is conveniently located in the basement. Not only that, but a lot of materials were damaged and had to be thrown away. 6. I hit a pothole. No biggie, right? WRONG. This thing drove the rear right suspension architecture up through the floor and into the hatch of the Subaru. The insurance adjustor said he'd never seen anything like it. The BEST part is that my full coverage insurance decided to pay me zero dollars despite my full coverage, saying that the damage was worse due to corrosion on the frame...and they don't pay out for "wear and tear." Added funtimes included fighting with Medicaid to cover my mother's nursing home care (this only took 8 months), the demise of my digital SLR camera; and fleas on the *indoor* cats.
I may change my name to "Job." Sooooo, website maintenance has fallen by the wayside. So has most of my artistic output, housecleaning, and tolerance for bullshit. On the one hand, I am much less likely to freak out about bad news than I was at the beginning of the summer. On the other, my ability to think any farther than one week out is completely shot. I'm still without a car, but that may get resolved this week. And so it goes...
Anyway, onward and upward! I refuse to stay down for long. After all, the Baltimore Taxidermy Open is happening this week, and your intrepid heroine is going to compete with a VERY special project. Stay tuned for more!
