Jerry,I am so sorry to hear of this.We live in a sad world.I wish we could all come up there and sort hooks.Ray
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Jerry,I am so sorry to hear of this.We live in a sad world.I wish we could all come up there and sort hooks.Ray
Ray,
And, you would all be welcome, if you could stand the mess. Slowly, we're getting things back into place. The cabinets needing their glass replaced have been hauled off by a buddy of mine-- Yes, another fishing "cronie" --as he dabbles in stained-glass work, the roll-top section of my tying desk is now at another "cronie's" wood-working shop-- he's been known to work a miracle or two with wood --and we've thoroughly scanned the floor with as powerful an electrified magnet as possible and now have all hooks retrieved... or, so I hope. At any rate, the Speaker of the House and our youngest daughter and the cat all are coming back home to stay tonight. Things are liveable again, but there's still clean-up work to do.
I can't begin to express how much your support, well wishes and offers of equipment, materials, et al have meant to my aging self. It's a boost to my sagging morale right now, as I still am having a difficult time fathoming why someone would do this. I was raised with certain ethics and an approach to my fellow man... or woman, and I've always tried to live by those standards-- being generous when I could, always giving more than asked for or expected, and just being there whenever a friend needed me. I've taken on cancer and kicked its backside, and tried to stand tall in the face of burying two of my four daughters, something NO parent should ever have to do. So, WHY??? Why this? Why now, when I'd been given a reprieve from the cancer wars? It tends to shake one to the core...
Enough... My friends, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You've shown me more kindness, generousity and good will in the span of a single day than I've been privy to in a very long time... except for my "cleaning crew." They've all been absolute "rock stars" in keeping me going and helping me shore up the homefront. I only hope that I can one day repay you all for that which you've given to me. It's an act of faith restoration that I will carry the rest of my days...
Be well, my friends... Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "Captain Hooks"
Jerry,
One thing to remember is to take this in stride. You need a positive mind set. With what your body has come through, you need to make sure your mind stays calm. Stress can wreck you body. You are in remission and you need to make sure you stay in remission. Stress and being upset can cause you harm. You are going to come through this and all will be fine. All will either be repaired or replaced.
Once you get everything pretty much back into shape, make a list of what you need and either send me that list by PM or post it here on FAOL and I feel confident that what you need will be provided. I have extra vises and other equipment that I will be glad to send your way. This equipment may not be of the quality of what you lost, but, it is in good working condition and beats nothing.
Just keep the Faith, be calm and know that your needs will be taken care of. Send the list....
Warren, It's not that they won't pay for the second claim, they will but, then they would drop them because of being a high risk and he would be put into a high risk pool and would end up paying a higher premium for the same coverage with another company if any other company would pick them up. My wife and I have gone through this with damages caused by Mother Nature to our house. It sucks royaly but, it's there choice. After all, the insurance companies aren't there to protect us, their there to take our money and protect themselves. What a scam these insurance companies are.
Jerry, your post really made me angry. The last time I encountered something like this was when I was helping Homes For Our Troops build a specially adapted house with state of the art features to make it accessible and useable by a young vet who had become a quadriplegic in Iraq. There was lots of signage posted about what the construction project was. Over 4th of July weekend, thieves broke into the container box there and stole all of the contractor tools in it. Animals!!
In that case, Home Depot heard about the theft and quickly donated a full set of replacement tools, without seeking any publicity on this good deed.
Let us be your "Home Depot" on this by letting us know what equipment and supplies you need replacing. Do NOT think of it as asking for charity. Instead, you are giving us the privilege of feeling good about helping out a fellow fly fisher. I think the response will surprise you, help restore your faith in the overall human race, and give you the good vibes you need to stay in remission.
Trust me on this. 8 years ago, my family experienced a much different, but equally devastating, crisis. The amazing support we received from the fly fishing community still influences the way I feel about the human race today.
Brad
Nicely done Brad. I can help out with a vise. It is a basic vise but works
Scott,
I'm covered on the vise end of things, thanks to a very kind and generous FAOL'er who decided that karma, paying it forward and friendship were far more important than his own financial picture. And, oldfrat, I hear what you're saying. Everyone here on FAOL already has thrown me a proverbial "life preserver" and emotional safety net. The "list" thing just doesn't seem right to me, as I tend to be more comfortable as the "giver" rather than the recipient. And, I know that I'll get duly chewed out for letting my Scot/Irish/Polish pride get in the way. Come tomorrow, I'll give everyone an update on any immediate shortages, and we'll go from there.
Brad, thank you for just making the offer. Once again, my "fishing buddies" near and far offer to swoop in on a rescue mission, much as the "cronies" who've all gone home for the evening for some much deserved rest. If I know them, they'll be back before first light...
Have a good night, everybody.. Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "Captain Hooks" the weary and headed for the rack...
DATELINE: 6:40 AM ON FRIDAY, THE 25TH...
The final push to get things buttoned up around here begins in less than an hour. "The clean-up crews" are all coming back this morning. And, when the first light starts to break, I'm going to grab an old Coleman lantern out of the shed and head out for a 30-60 minute "river walk," just to clear my head. Wandering the banks of the river when the tracks are still fresh and where the sounds of the AuSable River fill the air lets me know that I'm alive, and helps me to get my head back into a better place.
And, not to worry... I won't be going alone for most of it. I'll start out that way, but "Doc" and my youngest daughter, Jesse, will soon catch up. I can't seem to shake "Doc," as he shares some of the same fears as WarrenP. Retired or not, he was my chief oncologist for a number of years, at this point serving as another "fishing cronie" and "resident worrier." My primary oncology care now rests with his daughter, a fine doctor in her own right and one that's been at her parent's "river place" much of this week, just to keep an eye on me. She also made sure that I slept last night.
I'll update with any needs for materials, equipment and the like later on today. That is, if any "contributors" here on FAOL will allow me to send you something in return. It may be flies, lines, or basically, "who knows" items. It would make me feel better to "exchange" a part of me for you to remember than would a strictly "one-sided deal." Just having you all to chat with over these last few days has meant the world to me.
Later, my friends... The brutal cold and the great outdoors are calling... Jerry, aka hairwing530, aka "Captain Hooks"
I wouldn't wish your illness on anybody, but how lucky you are to have doctors that are also your friends.