8337 Fieldfare Way (2002-2012)

We got to the house about 7:50 on Friday and the demo guys were there preparing to demolish our house.

 

They were very nice to us - the men came and made small talk before, during, and after the demolition.  They were professional and efficient.  The whole thing was down in about one hour. Here are a few more pictures:

Look closely and see Molly's multicolored wall. That was a bear to paint!

 There's really not a lot to say about watching your house be eaten and smashed by a large machine.  Each second I stood there and watched the house disappear was more weird than the one before.  I just could not get my mind around the fact that it was my house being systematically demolished before my eyes.  I still can't believe it.  The machine tore walls and floors apart and then smashed them down into the basement.  After the whole house was smashed, the dumpsters arrived.  

FUBAR.

That was a BIG dumpster.

The dumpsters were filled, all eight of them (at least), and our house was hauled away. It now is in a landfill somewhere near Danville.  We came by later in the day and the house was gone and most of the basement itself was gone.  We returned today and saw that everything was gone, including the driveway.  All that is left is a hole and parts of the paving bricks Dad and I laid out and one or two landscaping bricks.  The bushes and plants we planted are nowhere to be seen.  The peonies that are about 75+ years old and the coral bells Mom gave me are in the landfill.  Nothing at all is left but broken rocks.  Nothing.

The girls had their picture taken on the machine that was still there.

 

Lori and the girls then went to our friend's house to see how they are doing.  There are many houses that are to be demolished in the neighborhood but the vast majority are not scheduled for demolition.  Many still have broken windows and garage doors.  Our friends had their windows blown out and their front door blown open.  The windows are boarded up for now and that makes the house dark inside and the 'curb appeal' is lessened a little.  They had a great idea to paint pictures on the boards to add some color and life to the drab boards.  They went to Porter Paints and told them of their plan and the good people there gave them the paint so the pictures could be done.  There are at least two houses who painted their boarded up windows or garage door.

 

That's Grace cheesing with my girls. I think her sister Meghan painted most of it, though...

Tonight we went to Mass then to dinner with my parents.  It was a great dinner and lots of fun.  We then went to Target to buy some needed supplies for the UnChristmas party Sunday with my cousins.  We also had to buy some supplies to stock up the rental house we have chosen.  We are scheduled to move in on Monday or Tuesday, depending on how fast we can get our things in.  Since we have very little furniture, the insurance company is renting us all the furniture needed to stock a three bedroom house.  That includes the kitchen down to plates, silverware and even a sponge for the sink.  The house is near Roncalli and Saint Jude which is nice.  While in Target it occurred to me that we are starting a kitchen from scratch.  We have no food of any kind to stock it.  I never realized the small things in a kitchen that are necessary but not what one thinks about having.  Imagine if every cabinet and drawer of your kitchen was emptied and you had to restock every little thing.  Vinegar. Can of corn.  The seasoning you like to put on meat before you grill it. All of the spices and things used maybe once a year to make that one dish requiring cumin or allspice.  I realized this as we walked down the spice aisle.  "Hey, Lori. We need cinnamon and sugar to put on my toast.  Do we have a toaster?"

As we move into the rental house a new chapter will begin.  8337 Fieldfare Way is gone and we are movin' on to the next step - rental house.  Now we can get settled in this new place and think about the next step.  I understand that after the insurance settlement the lot will be ours.  We can rebuild on it, sell it, or hold on to it.  We found out yesterday that the 4 lots to the south of us are still a crime scene and the Prosecutor may want to bring the jury down to see the site if there is a trial.  As a result, the half burned houses and blast site will not be touched until the Prosecutor gives the ok.  That may not be until after the trial and possible appeal.  It could be a year or more. That means the half burned house and pile of rubble next door will be there for the unknown future.  Needless to say, that makes the property value pretty low and the desire to build a brand new squeaky clean house next to a crime scene pretty low as well.

Molly said today as we were walking around the rental house, "Dad, this is going to be kind of an adventure!".  Truer words are rarely spoken.