13th September, 2008 (11:18 am)
The Day The Picture Says It All
I was doing well with the whole blogging thing there, wasn’t I? Almost had a pattern down. Had a whole heap of bloggy-rich material to talk to you about, questions to ask, opinions to pose. But really, none of those things matter. Not when I look at this picture and see how close we were to losing everything.
Go on, click on it - see the bigger version. Yes, that’s my back garden. Yes, that’s my lawn waving like seaweed beneath two foot of dirty water. Yes, that’s my bin languishing on my patio. Even though you can see grass at the end of the lawn, don’t let that fool you; our lawn slopes down towards the house, and the little fence you see behind the wall - see it? our one attempt at trying to prettify our garden - is actually not that little. It’s just that the flood water makes it look little. The photo was taken by my husband as he balanced on the threshold of our back door, moments before he shut it and frantically piled towels, sheets and blankets against the bottom to keep the rising water out.
I say my husband because I wasn’t here. I’d traveled to London for a meeting and got as far as Paddington station when M called me, high-pitched and scared, to tell me what was happening. M shouldn’t even have been home but the roof collapsed at his work under the weight of a month’s worth of torrential rain hitting it in a few hours and they all got sent home. I don’t know which is worse; being a hundred and fifty miles away, as I was, lost and scared and useless, or being there and seeing it happen in real-time and still being useless. But then I couldn’t get home. Train after train was cancelled and I was just stuck, stuck in that station, stuck doing nothing - and I am SHIT at doing nothing. I’m a doer. I take action. Even when there’s no action to take that’s what I do because I don’t know how to do anything else. So I was calling my financial advisor, asking about my buildings insurance - the buildings insurance I’d let lapse in May because I’m a dumbass and only renewed SIX DAYS PREVIOUSLY - and calling M, and calling my Dad, calling anyone, anything to make myself feel useful and controlled instead of stuck and stupid and scared.
Our back fence is fucked, as is our shed. I don’t care much about the latter as it was only full of shit, but our garden furniture, purchased only last year, is also FUBARed, along with most of S’s bikes/scooters/cars that you can’t see but were behind the house and to the right of the picture. Our garage was also flooded and while a good three-quarters of that was also full of crap, the remaining quarter was important; old LPs, bags of clothes for goodwill, our lawnmower, paint, tools, etc. We have our washing machine in there, too, and while it appears to be still working, I’m told that it probably won’t be for much longer.
We escaped being flooded inside our home by an inch. It looks crazy, written like that - one, single, inconsequential inch - but that’s the honest Christ’s truth. When the fire service arrived and started pumping the fuck out of this inexplicable water, the river in our backyard was lapping the underside of our doorstep. We live in Surburbia, on a quiet, 12-house cul-de-sac that backs onto a main A road. I’m told that at the top of the road a culvert burst, sending water pouring down the road, flooding cars, sweeping stuff away, and four out of the six houses that back onto the road were flooded. We were one of two that escaped with just a fucked fence and a soggy lawnmower.
So, I had grand plans to update you on the weekend I spent with two of my best friends and their partners, getting drunk and indoctrinating them into the wondrous world of Rock Band. And the weekend I went to London with my girlfriends, against my better judgment, to watch the stage show Dirty Dancing. (Afterward I wished I’d listened to my doubts; it was appalling - like really, truly, horribly dreadful - and sat only five rows from the front, I had to duck each time Johnny “Not Remotely As Attractive As Patrick Swayze” Castle turned my way as the sight of his omnipresent but unflinching erection made me want to chunder.) I wanted to talk about how strangely depressed I get when I realise people have de-linked me (I’m 32, for fuck’s sake - does it matter? Well, no, not really, but I can’t help how I feel - WHY OH WHY, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!) and how on Thursday night we went to the O2 Arena to see soul legend Stevie Wonder in concert, and M and I managed to spend twenty-four hours with each other without wanting to purchase a gun. They were good times, ladies and gentlemen - good times. But then I look at that photo taken on September 5th and everything else seems shallow and stupid and ridiculously inane.
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Comment by Bonnie — 13 September, 2008 @ 11:41 am
Oh what an arse! :( I’m sorry you’ve been affected by the floods. I’m so glad your house wasn’t affected, though. After the Hull floods of June 2007, I’ve seen the devastation it has caused up here, and some of my friends have only just moved out of temporary accommodation and back into their homes after 14 MONTHS. Thank god for that 1 inch!!!
Comment by Vixx — 13 September, 2008 @ 11:50 am
I know. We were so, so lucky.
I visited my neighbour two doors up on Thursday and it was horrific. She was on holiday when it happened, so she’s lost everything - photos of her parents, her family videos/DVDs, photo albums etc. There was over 4 ft of water in her kitchen and lounge. :(
V xx
Comment by Claire — 13 September, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
Thank God it didn’t reach your house. It’s rotten to have had all of your stuff outside and in the garage ruined, but at least it wasn’t your carpets, furniture and irraplacible belongings. We’ve had a LOT of flooding down our street over the years, but like you, have escaped it invading out house by about an inch!
Hope you can get a new washing machine before yours packs up - it’ll be a nightmare if you’re without one.
xx
Comment by sharon — 13 September, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
Holy crap. You were so lucky. At least what you did lose can be replaced eventually; could’ve been so much worse.
And again, you come to London and leave again without seeing me ;)
Comment by sharon — 13 September, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
P.S. Who de-linked you? Bastards.
Comment by Vixx — 13 September, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
I know - I’m thankful, Claire, that it wasn’t worse. It so easily could’ve been.
And sorry for not popping in for tea, Sharon. I’m so rude. :p Although next time I’m stranded in London, I’ll look you up. :)
V xx
p.s. I won’t say as I still link to them but OMGEMONOOOOO etc.
Comment by Tanya — 13 September, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
Bloody hell V, I know you guys came very close to being flooded but saved by one inch? I’m so sorry for the things were that ruined, but very thankful that your home was spared. You’re right, events and near misses like these do put things in perspective. I’m currently watching a news report on Hurricane Ike and feeling awful for the people who have had to flee their homes. :(
Comment by Jem — 13 September, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
Reading this makes me feel guilty because I have a strange fascination with flooding. Having lived a few yards away from the River Severn for 18 months, it was something of interest… something to take pictures of and talk about with friends and colleagues. I was fortunate though in that it’s just one of those things that hasn’t happened to me, and god only knows how I’d deal with it.
I feel a bit silly saying it, but if there’s anything I can do give me a shout. You know where I am.
Comment by Ashley — 14 September, 2008 @ 7:05 am
Wowww… this is really weird, actually. I looked at this picture and got deja vu and realized I dreamed of being in a flood last night.
But anyway, I am sorry about the flood. :( I’m glad your house didn’t get flooded at least. Hang in there!
Oh, and do I need to add you as a friend on Flickr to see the photo full size?
Comment by Vixx — 14 September, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Jem - don’t feel silly. I still appreciate it. :)
Tanya - I know. It does put a bit of water into perspective.
Ashley - Yes! Friend me and I’ll friend you right back. :)
V xx
Comment by starrynite — 15 September, 2008 @ 7:09 pm
Shit that is serious flooding! Glad you guys are okay.
xx
Comment by Sarah — 16 September, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
God you were so lucky…could have been so much worse. Makes you think though. Thinking of you all. Sarah xxx
Comment by Vixx — 16 September, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
Thanks, both. :) And yay for de-lurking and commenting, Sare!
V xx
Comment by Teesee — 16 September, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
That sucks ass man.
I’m half scared by that photo and half in awe.
“House for sale, 3 bedrooms and comes with an outdoor swimming pool…”
Sorry, sympathy comes out in strange ways for me. When you’re not too busy being a mother, a full time worker, a wife, a student and Guitar Hero expert, you should invent something to stop floods affecting people’s homes. I know you can do it!
Comment by Vixx — 16 September, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
I know - we dealt with it the same way. Lots of bad jokes about water features. :p And AWWWW - thanks for the faith in me!
V xx
Comment by Scarlet — 20 September, 2008 @ 11:49 am
Scary picture sweetie. Hope the weather gets better there. :(