bad day, good ending

Some time in May, during our year long back yard construction project, our contractor managed to damage a water line causing and additional 42,000 gallons of water to flow. This water made its way down the slope and into our neighbor's garage damaging personal property and the structure itself. Thankfully we have a good relationship with our neighbors and the discussion was very civil - we were responsible, we'd pay. That said, we never did the due diligence to find out what putting in an insurance claim would mean (for us / for them). So we did things the old-fashioned way, we wrote a check and shook hands.

Then the bill came.

Then I contacted AAA.

Then things got uncomfortable.

It's no fun being called a liar, which is what my neighbor did. He claimed I lied when I said the insurance company wanted to send their own contractor out. I may have made a comment about them not liking that he just "hired his guy", who is an unlicensed contractor, but that's me being the messenger. So I got home early yesterday (my computer had crashed at work and the tech guys said they'd have it to me at 10 a.m. monday, or Tuesday at the latest (WHAT?). By 4 p.m., with a loaner that wasn't working, and being in a mood after hearing about the neighbor, I left work and headed home. A group of SF friends were heading from the city by ferry to Beer Revolution in Oakland (my backyard). I ran in, grabbed my bike and peddled hard down to Jack London Sq. I made it in 15 minutes. I was booking! I kept passing a white BMW, whose driver kept yelling out to me, "I love how you signal! Stay safe! I should be out there on a bike!" So I'd pass him, he'd pass me, we'd chat along the way and then I arrived at The Revolution.

We Oaklanders love our city - the SF fog had been held at bay and we were on the deck enjoying the sunshine and various assorted beers. Also, a place down the street delivers food to beer revolution so we ordered dogs and frites (veggie dogs). Then my friend Kaya called and she was on her way to the Best of the East Bay party held by the East Bay Express newspaper. It was a very fun event - three music stages, numerous food and craft booths, vendors, food trucks and the like. Immediately I spotted CupKates - the cupcake truck and ordered four cupcakes (two S'more and two Salted Caramel). I knew I'd be John's hero bringing home the cakes.

We then grabbed a couple of tac0-truck tacos from the Whole Foods mobile cart (delicious) and then packed it up to head home.

After a crappy day, the beer, food, cupkates, ride, all helped relieve the stress. I arrived home happy, healthy and sated. It was a good day afterall. Oh, and John talked to the neighbor, who apologized and we agreed to pay half of the cost of the repair and call it a day - sometimes throwing a little money at the problem works.