So I stopped by my parent’s today after work to help my mom with a few things.  I brought along the camera so you guys could see the damage that was done to the inside of the house.  Pictures say a thousand words.. so my narrative might be sparse.

This is what I was greeted with at the front door.  How Welcoming…

The house was very eerie and still.  My mom had tried to explain to me the damage the smoke had done, but I really didn’t get it until I saw it for myself.

Can you see how scorched the ceiling is right below the railing?  And look at all the soot on the floor.   Here is a closer look at the hall and the coat closets.  This is the area that took the brunt of the fire as the hall lead to the garage.

Can you tell that there is still a rug on the floor?  Look really hard and you can see the outline…

Here’s the view into my dad’s office.

The fire fighters had to open the wall up to get a better angle at the fire, as this room shared a wall with the garage.

Amazingly the oil portrait of my grandfather that hung on that wall was left with only one spot of soot.

Here is the Kitchen.  Not very appetizing is it?

Here’s the back stairs in the family room.  Again it shared a wall with the garage.  There used to be a antique vase that was left to my dad, in the corner of the landing.  I found it mixed in with the insulation, shattered into hundreds of pieces from the impact of the explosion.

Now back to the front entry.

See all those little dots evenly spaced on the ceiling?  Those are the drywall screws exposed.  This happened in several spots around the house.

Look at the carpet!! It pains me…  Guess I can stop feeling guilty now for spilling that red blush all over the carpet in my bedroom 17 years ago.

Now let’s go upstairs..

Here’s what use to be the hallway to my brother’s room.  And here is my room.

Can you see the imprints left of the walls where photos use to be??

Look at this Mirror- YUCK!  And that is just from the smoke.. not water.

My parent’s bathroom is just as gross.  This was the last stop on the smoke’s trip through the house.  Once it got here it had no where else to go.  Notice how it settled along the top of the baseboards, especially around the toilet.

These photos below are prime examples of just how hot it got in the house during the fire.

Now back to the outside…

I was positive that this pile of rubble had to be hiding some sentimental items that were still salvageable.  A little digging and we found these..

These photos were no loss. (what-up 8th grade perm and braces?!?)

But my Sesame Street Vinyl was..

We also found a handmade baby blanket that my mom made for me and my brother and some dresses that my mom wore when she was a little girl.  I am hoping to be around when the bulldozer comes to move some of the heavier items from the pile.  There has got to more things hiding that the fire spared!!

Each day that passes I feel that my parents are adjusting more and more to the challenge ahead of them and that a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos is not far off.  A good friend has offered them a place to stay for the next 6 months or so, as word from the contractor is that they shouldn’t expect to be back in the house any earlier than January.  My mom has been busy selecting rental furniture and they should be moving in this weekend.

Thank you to all for your well wishes during this stressful time.  My entire family is grateful to the out-pouring of support from friends, family, and neighbors.  I will definitely continue to post updates as the rebuilding process continues.

admin Being Thankful