The studio flooded!

So on Jan. 13, 2009, I walk into my studio and guess what? I can hear what sounded like a huge waterfall running behind my walls and I have water up to the top of my shoes! YIKES!

This was totally bogus. I quickly call my plumber, Michael, (you're awesome!) start crying as I realize what was happening, then try to figure out what to save first and take outside. arrrrghhh!


The water restoration company, J & M Environmental come to take over. They pumped out about 125 gallons of water that morning and started the drying-out process.

Thank God it was in the 50's and sunny, pretty mild for January in Sacramento.

People kept slowing down in their cars looking, as if I was having a garage sale.

This is how much soaked into the walls.



The Calvary arrives...

with lots o' energy-sucking machines to dry out the studio.

We had 4 huge dehumidifiers and about 6 mega fans blowing air around the studio for a week. Going down there was like entering a super hot and muggy wind tunnel. Some of you can attest to that.

After a week, I called my good friend and fellow photog Jonathan Orfanos, in a panic saying, "They are moving everything out of here. Now."

With a crew of 4 guys and in just a couple of hours, they had just about everything I own to run my business in boxes...going bye bye
:- (
Everything had to be moved out and the flooring pulled up before my studio turned into a mossy rainforest.

And wouldn't you know it, the sky started clouding up and turning dark AFTER everything was moved outside, and after a week of sunshine.

Guess what was under my pergo laminate flooring??

Yes, asbestos tiles from the late 50's... Good times.

This is how my studio looks when it is outside. In case you ever wondered.

So next comes the asbestos cleanup crew.

Once you get suited up, you stay in until you are finished.

One of the guys going in said he would take a few pics for me (since we weren't allowed to go in)

Quite the preparation process to enter the building

I had never seen anything like this...

How many doorways do you have to unzip to get into??

The clean up continues...


Where the broken water pipe valve was - and where the flood originated from.

Wow. Looked like a trucker's party outside my place.

And then it started raining. Do you ever have days when you feel like you can't win?


Tom took off to rent a u-haul to take our stuff to a storage unit, and the studio is officially sealed off until the asbestos abatement guy says it is ok to re-enter.

Our good friend Neils lends a hand

Of course the creek started rising.

Getting everything to the storage unit.


And then about 5 days later, out storage unit was broken into, and the stuff that didn't have water damage was robbed and vandalized.

The Citrus Heights Police were right on it.

Moving forward: My good friend and fellow photog, and house painter extraordinaire, Ian, comes over to repaint my walls. Nice job!

I guess I should have offered him lunch sooner.

Next step: New floor. Thanks to my former employee and friend, Kelly, we got a sweet deal from Tile 2 Stone in Rancho.
She also recommended professional tile installer, Patrick, to tackle the studio next.
And he did a wonderful job. I already have him lined up to do the stairs, and my kitchen and guest bathroom. The old linoleum we had just doesn't go with the new tile. You know how that goes.