The ability to see the absurdity of others is an easy ability to master. The ability to see your own absurdity requires a companion with great insight, tact, and love.

It is of priceless worth to be able to acknowledge that life is innately ludicrous and to respond to the insanity of those around you with laughter and good humor.

It is of inestimablely more worth to be able to acknowlege that this means everything you do and say is also inherently laughable and respond accordingly.

WEF2, Here’s the items that were delivered damaged by the dry cleaner:

Horse, burnt

Unicorn, burnt

Slip, scorched:

Pillowcase#1, burnt

Pillowcase #2, burnt

Pillowcase #3, scorched

Party Dress, burnt

Table Doilie, scorched

Synthetic Fill Pillow, water damaged, scorched

Pink Shirt, Stained (the next three items were stained by something blue as they were soaked)

Shorts, stained

Trousers, stained

Robe, burnt

Polo Shit , scorched (Can’t see it on this first picture; for ID only.

Shirt,burnt

Sofa Cusions, water damage / misshapen

We’ve had most of the stuff delivered that was salvageable to the rental house, but we could use some help on reconciling the list that was salvaged with the list of items that were destroyed. There are some items that I don’t recognize from the description, so even though they didn’t get delivered, I don’t know if they were in the house when we had the fire or not. We want to make sure nothing is missing and unaccounted for. The following is a short list of furniture in that category and I’d like all of us to look at it and tell me what you know about each of them. Some may be in West Virginia, some may have been put in storage by WEF2, and some may have been thrown out. It would be particularly helpful if the person who actually took, stored, or threw out to let us know so we could be sure. I’ll get into the storage soon, and WEF5 and I will have to go to West Virginia in the near future and see what’s there.

WEF5 and WEF6 have seen what’s there so if they think of some other items that we’re not sure about, please add them to that list.

Here’s the list

1) WEF5’s really beat up old leather chair that he brought back from Gould.

2) The short leather couch that was in the basement.

3) The light-colored indoor chaise lounge that was in WEF2’s office on the second floor.

4) The large wide wooden bookcase which was (when I left for Baghdad and before we put up the walls around the laundry room) in the basement against the wall on the opposite end from where the TV was, underneath the circular fluorescent light.

5) The small cabinet on wheels (black) for stereo components. we didn’t have any stereo equipment in it but we did have some record albums (if you can remember what they are) in it. It was also in the basement next to the bookcase listed above.

Please respond to this post even if you don’t have any information on these items, so I know you’ve seen it.

Warning: Parental Advisory– the following contains some images of a graphic nature that may not be suitable for fans of stuffed horses.

First things first:

Yes Mountain Lion and Tigie made it.

Alas, Horsie did not .

I’m still pretty busy with adjusters and contractors, but I thought I’d take the time to provide some photos that WEF5 took of the WEF Headquarters DC. Stand by for future posts asking for WEFers’ assistance with some questions about what was in the house at the time of the fire so we can figure out exactly what was lost.

Here’s the front door:

the other side, inside the foyer:

The foyer ceiling, looking back at the closet:

The front room wall, looking forward:

Front room ceiling:

Another view of front room ceiling:

The mantle in the dining room looked like it did pretty well:

But the window in the dining room did not:

Dining room ceiling:

the stairs and banister look ok:

Wall of Mom’s office/Terry’s room:

Same room, other wall towards the hallway:

Attic, looking forward from the top of the staircase– This is the small room:

Attic, looking through the “wall” into the larger room., at the forward corner of the house. Note where we lost some of the brick fire wall:

Another view of the larger room, showing the wall dividing the living area from the storage area:

Looking into the storage area:

Basement, not sure exactly where:

Basement ceiling:

Basement ceiling, again:

If you’re depressed about our house, just look at the one next door where the fire started:

Or even better, the back of that house. Not much left:

Finally, on a more positive note, here’s the rental house in Arlington we moved into today.