No More Singing in the Shower

posted by Leann Sweeney

Some of you who don't live near the Gulf coast may have forgotten we had a hurricane last year. His name was Ike and he did bad things to many, many residents. A big hunk of roof came off our home but that was already covered by a tarp (FEMA did come around) when I got back into town after fleeing north. That tarp is whthe first thing I saw when I pulled into the driveway. The next thing was my gorgeous backyard shade tree pulled up by the roots. My huge tree. If it had fallen in the opposite direction, the damage to our house would have been disastrous. We were so lucky. The picture at left was taken after my husband cut off about twenty feet of branches. We lost gutters and shingles and little stuff, not near the damage many people sustained. And considering our high insurance deductible, we figured we wouldn't have enough problems to make a claim. Besides, adjusters were overwhelmed by people who needed help much more than we did.

But a month ago, the people next door (on our left) had their roof replaced. We called the same roofing company--they'd done the roof on our old house--and asked them for an estimate to fix what we considered minor damage. The guy came out and I think he decided that since we didn't want a whole new roof, we were small change. They never got back to us. Then, low and behold, a sign goes up in the yard on our right side. Another roofing company was about to start work there. And those neighbors looked as if they had less damage than we did. Maybe we didn't know what the real damage was to our own home.

Apparently, while they were measuring or whatever they do before they climb onto the tops of roofs and replace them, my husband talked to the crew chief. I knew nothing about this.This is important information that I will get back to. Anyway, a few days later the Dumpster arrived and the pounding and banging began next door. Now, I need to tell you a little bit about our house. We designed it ourselves about twenty years ago and I got something I always wanted: a garden bath. There's a whirlpool tub and a shower without a door--just glass bricks separating it from the tub. I LOVE my bathroom. And there are windows all the way from the tub to the shower looking out on a small garden and privacy fence.

With the privacy fence, you cannot see into our bathroom--UNLESS YOU'RE ON THE NEIGHBOR'S ROOF. And as I am lathering away and maybe even singing in the shower, I look out and see the entire roof crew have decided to work on the side of the neighbor's house that overlooks my bathroom.

Oh. My. God.

I am naked in my shower with an audience. I froze. My jaw dropped. And though I usually throw a towel over the glass bricks, that day I hadn't. Any instant cover-up was a long walk away. My only recourse was to drop to my knees and crawl below the windows to where the towel rack was. Not since termites came pouring out of the faucet (that's another fun story) have I been so horrified.

Now, back to that talk with the roof crew chief my husband had. Seems we have plenty of damage on our roof because at my husband's request this guy re-inspected it. The insurance company totaled the roof after we made a claim. And guess who's coming this weekend to do the job? That same roofing crew--my good, good friends who like to watch me from up on high.

Gulp.

Comments

[Glenda]

LOLOLOL! Years after Psycho we thought it was safe to get into the shower again.

Sorry Leann. How embarrassing! Maybe if you buy a Barbara Bush mask? Hmmmm...disguise, I'll keep thinking. : )

Glenda

[Dennis]

What a story!!! What can I say ... I'm speechless!!! I imagine you were as well!!!

[Annette]

What a funny story Leann. Not the insurance part, we know all about those guys here in the New Orleans area, but the shower story is hilarious.

[Elizabeth Spann Craig]

Ohhhh....I bet you just died! What a funny story though (to everyone else, anyway!) :)

Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder

[Sheila Connolly]

Ah, yes, communication is essential to a good marriage, isn't it? Still, your bathroom sounds lovely, when there aren't guys crawling around other people's roofs (rooves?).

[Krista Davis]

Too funny, Leann! When I was in school, the rule was that one had to shout "man on the hall" when bringing a man into a dorm hall. The story (which I always thought might be an urban? school-type legend) is that one day, a young woman encountered a team of workmen when she stepped out of the shower. For some reason, she had only a washcloth, and wisely used it to cover her -- face.