Norbert

Oh dear!

Tropical Storm Norbert hit us!

wall of dust (driving home Saturday evening)

the sun was obscured by the dust and clouds;
it seemed like an eclipse!

It rained 5.6" in Chandler, where we live.

We haven't had that much rain since 1933 (and I wasn't living here then - ha!)

There was a LOT of standing water everywhere -
but because our soil is porous and dry, it soaked in quickly.

standing water in the backyard (it came half-way up the patio - eek!)

There was a LOT of lightning very close-by.

Before and after the storm, it was HUMID . . . urgh

73 degrees with 94% humidity

And boo!  Our house got damaged!

Latex paint prevents stains, but holds water behind the paint . . .
Greg is poking a teensy hole in the paint to let the water drain out

damage where the wall meets the ceiling

It's hard to tell from the photo, but the floor boards are warped now

 more lovely little blisters near the ceiling

The after-party was beautiful, though!

We also have a couple places like this in the master bedroom.

We've been having all sorts of fans running and we just ordered a dehumidifier (it's muggy in the house in spite of us having the air conditioner set to chillier than usual so it's running more).

I talked with our insurance agent, and the adjuster came out yesterday afternoon and cut us a check to get these things repaired.  It's not a terrible thing because some upgrades will necessarily take place (example - because the dining room wall is a continuous wall throughout the entire great room, that whole huge room will be repainted after the wall and flooring are replaced - same thing in the master bedroom.)  It will be a bit of a hassle, but the house will be fine!  We also will be getting our roof looked at - there wasn't any storm damage, so insurance won't cover that, but it's getting close to the end of its life and it's probably time to get it replaced (we have lived here almost 18 years, and a roof in Arizona doesn't usually last more than 20).

So that's the latest info about the Priem family!

On to the adorables . . . 

Claude likes to watch the world pass by.

She was prowling around Greg while he was working at the hall desk the other day, and when I put an extra chair there, she decided she wanted to be by him.  So cute!

And she likes hair . . . 

Guess whose hair that was?  Yep, mine!

 I found a neat carpet-covered arch at Target, and the cats like it.

Juvy decided to take a nap underneath it.

Allistair likes the stack of books - sometimes it's just really difficult for a kitten to hold his head up!

 

This is slightly blurry, but the disturbed look on his face is funny to me - 

"Mommy, why aren't you doing more yoga RIGHT NOW?"

I hope you made it through Tropical Storm Norbert with minimal damage!

You'll be hearing about our adventures in construction soon!