Sunday, May 10, 2015

Unforeseen Circumstances, i.e. Life





Some of you may already know that I have recently sustained significant damage to my home. A toilet was left to overflow for approximately eight hours before it was detected and the flow of water stopped. This happened in a first-floor bathroom. This is, of course, devastating enough news, but more so when you know that my well-equipped office and enviable library of several thousand books lies in the basement.

I had not planned for a water feature in my basement office... definitely not a roaring waterfall.

So much like my pleas for patience earlier this year while I tried to die from pneumonia, I have to beg for your mercy once again. My battle with the insurance company has just begun, and every piece of furniture in my home is serving as a book press to salvage what I can of my library. Damage to main level wood floors is significant; the basement ceilings are even worse. There are so many dehumidifiers going simultaneously in this house - some old, some borrowed, some newly purchased - that you would likely turn to dust if you entered my front door. I am perpetually thirsty.

If you have taken just one lesson from my blog, it is this: Life is Messy.

While I tend to insurance woes and home repairs, I am also learning a great deal more about the man that is Harold James "Brighton" Daugherty, my grandfather. The man fascinates me in ways no other relative or ancestor has done before. His existence finally has allowed me to realize my place in my extended family. Traits and characteristics that set me apart from those who surrounded me in nearly five decades of life suddenly make sense because of finding this man.

There is an amazing story to tell. The tale I have spun thus far regarding my search for this man pales in comparison.

Indulge me with a little more patience, and I promise to take you places you have never thought possible when you started this journey with me. You will experience romance, adventure, intrigue, and awe. But you will also join me in some very, very dark places.

I will be back as quickly as I possibly can.

I promise.

31 comments:

  1. We love your stories. They are so worth the wait. So sorry for your troubles. I'm thinking, after this horrendous rain, your rainbow is gonna be beautiful cause you wouldn't have it any other way.

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  2. Michael,
    I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles. Pretty devastating, but not something you can't get through. We'll be here ready to read your stories whenever you can get back to your writing. Good luck with everything.
    Diane

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  3. Whenever you are ready, we will be here. Sending good wishes and helpful thoughts your way.

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  4. Wow--what a hassle! So very sorry to hear about the mess; there is not a much more daunting environmental problem than water damage. Good luck--watch out for any mold spores that may be growing; no more pneumonia!! We will all be waiting....

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  5. My heart aches for you at the thought of the damage and loss to your home and library. My thoughts are with you as you deal with the havoc...and the insurance company.

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  6. Reading your post I couldn't help but recall Longfellow's poem, "The Rainy Day."
    ..."Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and dreary." I think you're due for a bit of sunshine in your life.

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  7. Wow, that is awful. I can only begin to imagine how distraught you must be about your library and your home, not to mention your peace of mind. Somehow it seems the gods are conspiring to keep you from telling and us from hearing your story. Hang in there.

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  8. My heart hurts for the damage to your beloved books. Like best old friends. May your restoration be successful.

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  9. I'm so sorry that this has happened to you. It is hard to understand how much damage water can do to a structure until you experience it for yourself. I hope you can salvage most of your research and books, and that the insurance company battle is not too bad. It's just an expensive way to build up suspense for your loyal readers awaiting the next installments!

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  10. Must get the flow control thingie on my toilet fixed immediately: now on way to hardware store. Thanks for posting update for those of us who are addicted to your stories, and, by extension, your well-being. Actually, as awful as is the mess you're facing, I'm relieved it is *only* a minor flood, trashed floors and ceilings, and I imagine, soggy books you've spent years accumulating. I hope you can replace them. It's much better than some of the things I imagined on your behalf, and I am happy that you and the people you care about are well and safe.

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  11. So sorry, Michael.
    Having gone through a flood, I now get nauseated when seeing news stories of flooding or hearing about it happening to anyone. Floods are just terrible.

    In my case, I lost some furniture and some things I treasured, but my genealogy research was in plastic totes and my huge book collection was stored in a safe location. Hoping that I can copy the family pictures I had stored in a suitcase that I laid out to dry.

    Ate the loss of my cellphone, a digital camera, and a diamond earring, stolen either by the men tearing up the carpeting when I had not yet been allowed in or by someone entering the apartment which they left unlocked when they left, but they are replaceable.

    Just a horrific life event to go through, so you have my sympathies. Hope you can locate perfect copies of your books online, and I would recommend attempting to get the ins. company to replace as many as possible. So sad! Hoping that you didn't lose geneaogy records/discs/harddrives, etc.

    It was good time to ask myself which possessions are truly necessary/important to me and which I can live without, and to begin downsizing. Some of the things I once liked are no longer that important; and now that I don't read as much, with genealogy research and computer time, I'm having to assess which books I want to move and which I need to let go. It can be like choosing between one's children, sometimes, but I've learned a lot about letting go and what I want for the future through it all.

    Best wishes for getting squared away and "back to normal", and hopefully you can get enough rest and take care of yourself. There's no rush necessary for continuing your saga. We'll all be patiently waiting, knowing that the adventure will be worth the wait.

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  12. Like anonymous above, I have been through this too. It takes a lot of energy both physical and emotional. Your blog has been exceptional. We have waited before and we can wait again. We understand. Take care.
    Chris.

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  13. Michael, so sorry for this disaster -- I guess the really dark places of your grandfather, are trying to be matched by the events in your life. Now Life, time to calm down and add no more tragedies to Michael's life!
    I'll hold off on shipping duct tape to Judy Russell while you recover.
    Time for your fan club to be patient -- thanks for letting us know what is going on.

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  14. So sorry to hear about your home. What a nightmare! Yes, I will be waiting patiently for your return. Make sure you take care of yourself through all this. Home repairs can be such a pain in the butt. Take care.

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  15. Hello, I wanted to inform you that someone copied (via bot?) parts of your blog, you can find the copied version here: http://hoosierdaddywaitingimpatiently.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. That copied blog is really odd. I can't work out why someone would do so unless it is because they are hoping to pick up ad revenue by siphoning off hits. But I didn't see any ads, so I'm clueless.

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  16. Addition to my last comment: I hope that you could save many of your books, that the situation is already better for you and the insurance company compensates some of the damage here. Good luck with everything!

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  17. Are you going to make this blog into a book. FASCINATING. I heard you at dinner at Jamboree! Wow! What a talk. You are AMAZING!

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  18. Its been a whole month.. I hope an update is coming soon!

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  19. Thinking of you and hoping for the best. What a terrible stressor for you.

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  20. Been waiting patiently for your next installment and hoping that it will appear soon. It is your own darn fault for having a story that is so compelling that people just can't wait for your next episode! Hoping also that you've gotten the damage to your home under control. Wish I could've been in SoCal for your appearances at the Jamboree and any others you have been to since your last bit of the story appeared. I think you are scheduled in Ohio soon, I hope I can make it!!

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  21. Are you writing a book about your experience? Is that why you haven't updated us? If so, that's great, I'd sure buy it. But don't leave us hanging here!! :)

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  22. We've missed you, Michael. Hope all is well with you - please don't forget us! This cliff-hanger is killing us!

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  23. What a disaster! Even more so since it happened in your office, where lots of work takes place. I hope everything has been settled now, and that it does not happen again. I'm looking forward to hearing more of your stories soon, Michael! Take care!


    Nathan Riley @ Steemer Atlanta

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  24. Michael, Looking forward to hearing you speak in Sacramento on Tuesday, August 25th at the Sacramento German Genealogy Society's meeting. Thanks for your spell-binding blog about your family research. I hope you're recovering from the flood in your office and will soon be able to give us another update.

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  25. Hope all is well and can't wait for more. It's like a drug...you hooked us and now you must supply us! :-)

    CWJ

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  26. Saw a picture you posted from Sacramento CA cemetery

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  27. Its been almost 5 months since the last story post.. are we ever going to get the rest of the story? I'm sure like many others, I still check back almost daily looking for an update... selfishly hoping you didn't get a book deal, and then we will have to wait years to read about the reunion..

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  28. Just want you to know that we are still waiting for the rest of the story. I hope your home damages have been resolved. Can you kindly give us an indication of when you might post again?? Thank you!

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  29. Basements are a terrible choice for storage. Even a ground floor apartment is not safe from the bad choices of folks living above you, or the occasional catatrophic hurricane.
    My books, computer, mail, vital records, and financial documents were on the 2nd floor of my apartment when Katrina struck and an idiot politician sent the pumping station operators away, instead of keeping them safe in his command center. I was stuck in California for two weeks, unable to fly home. Practically anything on the first floor of my apartment was waterlogged and moldy by the time I found it, while thousands of books and magazines were safely sealed up on the second floor. I carted them out in a wheelbarrow. My neighbor was not lucky: he lost his roof and all of his belongings.

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  30. Wishing you well. I read this entire blog today, after learning that you have Nusbaumers in your tree! I, too, have Nusbaumers and Schraders (originally named Shröder, who settled in Hocking County, Ohio.) Your story has been riveting, and I look forward to hearing more!

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