Finally fixing it

It has taken a good 7+ months and further detoriation but today they are finally here to repair the side of the roof between my little computer room and the next door neighbor's bigger bedroom. (I still need to update on what happened there, right now it is vacant.)

Back in August a man came to inspect this area. He said he was checking to see if it needed to be replaced and thought it did so if he could just stick his head out our windows for a look and feel with his hands, he'd be able to say he inspected it. He said that it needed to be replaced. Arjan and I are praying that in the end there will be so much that needs to be fixed on this old building, from the early 1900's that was last renovated in 1986, that they will decide to tear it down and build anew. That's fairly common, especially in Rotterdam, for buildings that are of no historical value. By doing this we have a better chance of getting a better place to live, we'll be put on the Urgent list and better helped. (You'll learn about this when I write about next door.)

Nothing happened and we went along with the cats being entertained by the birds that want in there and experienced no leaks, which Arjan suspected we would. It all changed last week when it rained most of the week and was very windy. All of a sudden I was sitting in here one day and this is what happened:

a piece of rotted wood dropped down and hung outside my window. Lovely. So a different work guy came to look at it in the rain, again looking out our windows. He even tried to pull the piece of wood off but one stubborn nail held it there. I was surprised because the wood looked so ragged and would just sway in the wind. The man said he'd have to come back when it dried out. As it hasn't rained since Sunday, it is now good and dry. So this will be no more:


The men are right outside my window drilling, sawing, making a racket, talking, the one was just singing, and frightening the cats out of here. The poor birds that found dwelling behind the bricks up there will have to find another place to call home.

See the wash hanging out in the first picture. It's definitely an advantage in this nice weather.

Tijd om te boodschappen. (Time to do the weekly "big" grocery shopping.)