Attempting Normalcy

To begin I figured I would try to take you through what the old apartment looks like and guide anyone curious through what happened with the fire and how.

-This is the bathroom which, as you can see, was totally engulfed. In here you can see the bathrooms of the other units in the four-plex. Note the lack of walls or ceiling. When I opened the bathroom door the night of the fire this was all aflame.-

-This is looking through the non-wall to the other apartment. As you can see, you and the person in the neighboring unit can now take tandem baths. No more lonely nights for you!-

-The landing upstairs. As you can see there is no ceiling. Just tarp. Very leaky tarp. The ceiling is scrapped in the patio outside. You can't see it here, but the floor is covered in debris and ash. These stairs were already a super steep death trap now they're wet and crowded too.-

-My kitchen. It's totally flooded due to the copper water pipes melting. The cabinets on the far wall look okay but inside everything is melted or exploded. That hole leads to the other apartment where the fire started in their kitchen due to a stove (due to it being faulty or old or just due to someone cooking inappropriately, I have no idea.)-

-Looking through that hole in the previous picture you can see the starting point of the fire. The stove is gone, taken away for investigation I guess. The fire started here, traveled up the vent into the attic, and then spread back down into all the walls.-

So as of now I am currently still residing with Elise. Still meeting with adjusters. Still waiting to hear back from apartments (stupid holiday weekend delay). So on and so on.

Right now I'm doing my best to keep my mind preoccupied. It's actually not that hard because when you encounter something in your life that's all encompassing like a death or natural disaster I think your mind tends to avoid mental and emotional conflict. Contrary to what your therapist might say avoidance and transference are comforting tools.

I've been cooking to keep myself busy. Elise and I made jam the other day, and while it wasn't wholly successful it seemed to bring me back to a place of life before the fire which is welcome. This and copious amount of video games and sleep consume this drawn out weekend in which I can't get anything done due to everything being closed.

Almost everything that is. I did take the cats to the vet. I wanted them checked out for smoke inhalation and they needed their shots. Right now they live in a cold garage which I'm depressed about as I wish I could treat them better. Had the cats not woken me up the night of the fire I might not be writing this. My vet in in Davis, a good half hour away from where I'm staying but it's a veterinarian I trust.

-This bread is the embodiment of all that is right with the world. Also, notice the lack of the bread being burned down due to a faulty oven in the unit next door. Always a plus.-

Afterwards, I quickly swung by the Farmer's Market for a few things for dinner. Comfort foods. The Davis Village Bakery makes a delightful garlic and Parmesan bread that is, quite frankly, one of my favorite foods on earth. Pungent, sweet, and attached to many fond memories it is a food that I happily stuff myself with until sick.

-Purple Haze carrots. While earthy and sweet, I'm a bit bummed that they don't give you a buzz as I could use it. Stupid lying pothead scientists.-

Another plus of this particular market is the appearance of interesting produce. Being so close to UC Davis, a major agricultural and biotech university, all kinds of new produce are being developed. The seeds and given to local farmers and then the shoppers get to purchase and eat them. I picked up a new variety of carrot called Purple Haze (only in Davis, well, maybe Chico or Berkeley) and am told it tastes like a cross between a carrot and a beet.

I wish I could type something a little more engaging or clever. Right now I'm sort of tapped out of reality. I'm in Borders again, using their Wi-Fi to check my email and other such things. I'm just trying to attain some semblance of normalcy.