Life Suckage (Flooded Basement)

[Thorin]

Yeah, that's the silver lining CowGirl said, too.  Although we didn't really go through all of it, most of it is just bagged up and sitting in the garage gathering mildew as I type.

[Mr. Analog]

Hopefully the kids gave you guys some help clearing out the stuff

[Melbosa]

Sorry to hear that man... I too had flood damage while you were away, but I caught mine before it went to far.  I won't be submitting a claim as mine was only a half inch of water and not all over the basement.  Mine was due to my sup pump's float getting stuck and not kicking in.  My weeping tile filled up and then it started coming in from every corner in the basement.  But once I got my sup pump working again it was gone in a matter of a few hours.

My sis-in-law's place in Mill Woods was another matter though.  She has no sup pump, no back flow valve, and barely weeping tile... she had 1.5' of sewage water in her basement and hers (like yours) was fully developed with 3 bedrooms and an entertainment room.  That was a fun night of clearing her basement out and watching reno/garbage trucks go down her street every 10 or so minutes.  She lost everything in the basement and hers will have to be completely gutted as well as maybe ripped up in and around the house as they install a sup pump and new weeping tile.

Bad timing I guess for you... what did you learn?  Never ever ever take vacation   Just kidding.  Sux a-hole, and I feel for ya man!

[Mr. Analog]

I can't find that NYT article either.  I've been looking, but internet sleuthing's not working today.

My bad, it was a New Yorker article:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2012/07/02/120702crbo_books_kolbert

Now, I don't agree with most of what's in here but an interesting read anyway...

[Thorin]

Yeah all the kids worked.  The oldest is gettin' some muscles, so he helped me with the heavy stuff.  The youngest got to pick up little pieces.

My bad, it was a New Yorker article:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2012/07/02/120702crbo_books_kolbert

Now, I don't agree with most of what's in here but an interesting read anyway...

Interesting read indeed.  I force myself to lean towards the Matsigenka view of the world - kids should be self-sufficient and able to help out the family because this will help them in life and will certainly improve their self-esteem.  If they happen to like the jobs they do to help the family, so much the better (I only chopped about a third of the wood we burned in campfires this week while camping - the rest was done by three excited girls).

As for the clutter generated by children, that's a 30% increase in things per child in only a few families in Los Angeles who would probably be considered upper middle class.  Not everyone enables their children to have 165 beanie babies.  A much broader study with, say, ten thousand families cutting a swath from poverty to upper class would be more interesting and a lot more revealing.

Anyway, kids need love and attention, but they don't need personal attendants (well, healthy kids don't).  Hearing "No" and being expected to take care of themself and help others will make them a much better member of society than getting them in the best Ivy League school in the country.  But hey, Americans seem so focused on being the richest instead of being the best, I can see why that piece was written the way it was.