Presenting the Merchandise Mart on the Chicago River -- a magnificent example of Chicago's architecture from the 1930s. It was the largest building in the world when it opened. Marshall Field (of the department stores) built it, but for many years in more recent history, it's been owned by the Kennedy family. It's still in use today for a range of things, from retail to Illinois Institute of Art. Tonight, the golden lights became red and green for the holiday season. Taken sort of outside -- one foot inside, one on the balcony. Tonight I went all the way outside to photograph it with the new color scheme. Progress!
Thanks for putting my wide angle of the city on PP--so rarely happens these days and I was quite excited to see it there. And also for your comments and visits to P3's harrowing adventure meeting the dog, Sadie.
Fire Saga -- some twists and turns (for my documentation, no need to read further)
The good:
1. Demolition will be done by Wednesday
2. We are still healthy and like our temporary home (who wouldn't?).
The not so good:
1. The inventory is still not complete so we don't know what they are saving and see too many depressing things being tossed. Current contractor trying their best to insure items that should be saved are taken care of properly. Those responsible for content removal are not returning phone calls.
2. The 'bad' company who did not finish the inventory had left artwork in a closet instead of taking it out to be cleaned -- which would have had it in the 'toss' pile. These included hand-made beaded artwork from Burma -- no way to replace and perfectly able to be restored, the one rug they had told me could be saved we found rolled up under the to-be-discarded furniture.
3. When the insulation was removed, it was quite wet. When the demo workers got down to the ceiling, they could see water damage to it from an extensive leak in the roof.
4. New insurance adjustor now involved in the 'not fire related, but fire revealed' roof problem.
5. Nothing can be done to move forward with interior until roof is fixed. And uncertain who will cover that cost -- hopefully condo insurance.
6. Realizing how poorly constructed the condo was and the range of problems we would have had down the road. Fire revealed both life threatening and building-damaging short cuts taken by builder. How can someone be so uncaring about the quality of their work?
6. New adjustor is coming out to house at 8:30 in the morning so hopefully will know something soon (this probably belongs in the good things section but can't bring myself to put it there).
Lovely vivid night time shot. Fav. Sounds like progress, albeit slow, with the fire saga. Slightly drastic way of dealing with a plumbing problem, but hey, if it works.....Bet you'll be monitoring the quality-assurance during the "re-build".
OMG Taffy. A leak in the roof?! By the time they have gutted it all, it will be almost a total rebuild! So sorry that they have not taken care of your things. After the rebuild, you will feel so much safer! This is a lovely shot BTW. I love all the even tones, with the golden lights shining out. Fav
Beautiful, atmospheric shot.....love the reflections of the golden lights in the river that bring my eye right back to the golden horizontal light banding at the top of the Merchandise Mart. It almost looks like there is a mist rising in the distance ready to engulf the buildings.
So sorry about all this mess, and welcome to my world! You have to watch builders like a hawk, especially when the fee is fixed, and it is all about the profit margin. I am so glad you are enjoying your new home because I have a feeling this might take longer than anticipated as they find new things in the construction that need to be addressed. I really do hope that any of your possessions that have sentimental value can be salvaged and restored. I know I would be totally heartbroken over it.
OMG Taffy, just reading your post makes me realise that I've missed out on something VERY significant. A fire? In your house? Oh no. I hope you're all ok and that everything will get sorted, eventually, How sad to lose some of your precious possessions. :-( This is a beautiful photograph of Chicago and I love the golden glow.
Wow what a fabulous scene!! The golden tone, the lights on the top of the Mart all reflected in the river. All those other twinkling lights - love it!! Fav!!
So sad to read about your further delays and heartache!! So many of your treasures which could have been saved tossed aside by uncaring workmen!! Makes me so angry for you!! Now the further problems with the actual building coming to light - one thing after another for you. This look like a long drawn out time for you Taffy. AT least you and Jim are safe and in a lovely apartment - that has to be the most positive thought!! Big hug!!
Ah, the daily dose of lump-in-my-throat -- an involuntary reflex when I see scenes of Chicago. I'm wondering if #6 above should go on the good list (as in the issues were life-threatening but have been revealed prior to taking any lives). Does that mean the insurance won't cover those damages?
A most beautiful cityscape. Love the golden tones. How stressful post fire has become with the substandard building and contractors, must be awful to lose some irreplaceable treasures :)
Absolutely stunning capture of the city and amazing colour. Sorry to hear of the loss of your treasures. Continue to encourage yourself through this transition. FAV
I love watching HGTV sometimes and there was a program where they went in and fixed the bad construction of contractors. Also they show where people cover things up in old home remodels. Really sad that people treat others like this. Glad that you have found a lovely spot to decompress from all the tension over the condo.
This is an outstanding shot, love the tones, lights, composition, variety of building heights, Fav. Item 6 is a problem for many folks who own condos. Greed is the main factor for poor building quality...less $ on materials but sell at a high price. I'm so sorry for all of your problems.
So lovely. Very different to my hotel view in Malaysia right now! Sounds like you are having a challenging time.........I'm sending you some good energy to keep you going!
The golden glow from this building casts a friendly light in this area of the city, and likely more on this cloudy, rainy evening. Way t'go on the progression in your advancement out onto the loft. That's no easy feat, braving heights. Another heavy sigh for what you're enduring with your home and its contents. I'm afraid I would've demanded to be involved in the sorting of the damaged belongings. No one but you knows what's ruined beyond repair. Giraffe with a missing leg would've been just fine, not trash.
Fav - love the rainy day feel to it. Re condo: wow, if the insurance companies start fighting, will the restoration work stop until they figure it out? We had a fire damaged house on the street behind us sit for over two years because do insurance claims.
Hopefully with all those things listed that didn't go as well as you would have hoped, things will start to be more positive in the handling of your personal belongings! Even with all those bads listed, it is good to see that you haven't lost your desire to take beautiful photographs!
Goes from bad to worse! At least it will all be fixed before you move back in. I would be very upset, as I'm sure you are about the things that got missed or thrown away when repairable. Some people just don't care.
Anyway, well done for getting out onto the balcony. Love your golden shot. btw did big danbo ever turn up? Fav
@shepherdmanswife Thanks for asking...he never did show up. I had him in the hotel room, definitely. With P3 and Little Danbo on the dresser. Then, he was gone. I'm hoping someone wanted him so much that he has a nice new home. I'm just hoping he didn't fall off and get tossed -- since I've used him in so many stories, he'd become symbolic for me of the loss from the whole fire, I think. And yes, balcony is my goal...to do it without fear! So far, I'm accepting just 'doing it'!
I really like the photo, Taffy! Fav! But more importantly I feel like you have been victimized twice. It is a shame that the original builder didn't build to the proper standard and as a result the damage and cost to repair increase. I am really sorry that you have to go through this. My thoughts are with you!
The golden lighting that you have positioned so well in the frame is the focal point, but then there is so much to explore around it. I thing you could do a whole 365 without leaving your apartment, but obviously hope you move back sooner rather than latter.
Another beautiful shot Taffy. And I think you are making great progress on your balcony adventures :)
And I used to install alarm and communication systems in new and old buildings. Sone of the short cuts and dodgy work I saw was amazing. At least I know companies I will never build with. And I may have missed it, but is there any sign of big Danbo?
And fave of course :)
@karlow75 Thanks for the Fav, Kane. Sad to say, Big Danbo appears to be gone for good. I am very hopeful that someone saw him in our hotel room and thought they could provide him a better home. But, I'm also a bit worried that he might have fallen off the dresser and inadvertently, if the cleaning staff didn't realize who he was, may have been swept away. That would make me feel just awful, given that he has 'starred' in so many of my stories. I know he is inanimate...but I've always been a fan of stories like Pinocchio and Velveteen Rabbit!
@francoise Thanks for your visit and comment (and the shared lump in throat!). Sadly, right now the insurance folks are claiming that because it wasn't an immediate disaster but a slower case of damage, they are not responsible. We're investigating further, but we've had to move forward with the roof work on the assumption that it will be out of pocket -- not good news today so can't move it to the good news section, sadly!
@mwbc Thanks for the comment and visit, Megan. Re condo and insurance, so far they've been working fine together okay. But for the rooftop, we have to pay out of pocket now for that. Bummed to say the least!
Stunning shot! The saga of your fire leaves me speechless. The company that's responsible for recovering and cleaning your belongings sounds like a bunch of criminals!
OMG Taffy you are certainly being put through the ringer! But I do see the good in your report as well. Keep strong and don't let the bastards get you down. Even if you have to pay out of pocket it has to be shared by all tenants. It's their roof too. If there is so many violations it would seem like that would be some recourse even if's just a civil action to recover some of the money! Someone should be accountable somewhere. It things were done and not up to code were these things inspected by code enforcement.? Maybe you need to talk to a lawyer! Praying harder that things ease up.
@janiskay Thanks for your kind thoughts and encouraging words. We are a two unit condo, and the rooftop deck is ours alone (we share, but it is deeded to us). So even though it was the builder's fault, we have no recourse (and neither do the insurance companies re the fire) as it is past the 10 year limit. There should be accountability but this is Chicago...there is none in circumstances like this.
Look at all the amazing shots from your new view! I love you recent city shots. I'm glad you shared your good thing/not so good things list. I have been thinking about you and hoping things were going OK with the clean up and insurance part of this nightmare. Good luck going forward. If anyone can handle this trial, it's YOU!
Great shot. Love the colours and reflections on the pavement (?). I think I should send you a safety harness so you can have both feet on the balcony. LOL
Taffy you are such a trooper! In spite of all the ups and downs you're plugging through the best you can. I admire that! What a gorgeous view! I'm not really a "city person" but views that this still make me see how a city can be beautiful and breath-taking! And personally- there is a good reason your senses tell you to be afraid about going out on a balcony that high up! Beautiful capture!
Glorious repeating rectangles, lights and tones... I'm so sorry about the setback... Must be so frustrating and disheartening... Tomorrow's another day - may it bring you new hope and a clear path forward!
A beautiful shot... echoing the chorus of comments above. I like all the twinkling lights of the windows. They remind me of all of the individual lives clustered in this cityscape. I am reading about your journey, especially the loss of Big Danbo and your irreplaceable goods, with sympathy. I just can't imagine. Good luck with the balcony shot! :)
When my girlfriend had a house fire, the cleaners tossed so many things into a dumpster. Her husband had died only 5 months before and every day she and her son went through the dumpster and pulled things back out that were keepsakes from her past. i hope you are able to salvage some of those things as she was able to. It is heart wrenching to go through this and those comfort things help make it better. I don't really understand how it all works. Are you allowed to do that?
By the way this photo is fantastic!
@vickisfotos Oh, Vicki, what a very sad story! I'm sure we could do the same and at least, our new contractor is very respectful of our stuff. The original company dropped the ball and left things in the house. So, the first step is content collection (for repair, cleaning and restoration). When all content is out, then they do mitigation (stopping things from getting worse by pulling carpet and taking down drywall etc. Mitigation means all kinds of stuff from ceiling and wall infrastructure ends up on the floor and furniture so anything left in the house is considered unsalvageable trash. The problem is, our content collection folks dropped the ball totally when they learned we weren't hiring them for the rest, but the mitigation etc company didn't know that. When we went to the house we saw all kinds of things that should have been removed. So now, that's what they are trying to help us with -- getting out the things that the other company should have removed but didn't. But we can take whatever we want from the house if we want to clean and repair it ourselves (not realistic for a lot of the stuff). We've taken things that we can handle easily -- a special hand towel from France, little things we can wash several times to get the smell and dirt out. Anyway, more than you probably wanted to know! I'm learning a lot!
Another fantastic shot of the view from yo9ur balcony and well done for venturing out there.
So sorry to hear your ongoing saga. What a dreadful time you are having. Everything takes time I am sure and one day you will be able to look back with a sigh of relief.
Oh my goodness just catching up on your total nightmare of the last couple of weeks, what a terrible thing. But so glad you're OK and things moving forward despite the setbacks.
@taffy thanks for the explanation...so much that has to be learned as you go through it. and in different states and different insurance companies, I am sure it works a little different as well. When I went on fire calls with Red Cross, I saw so much, but I only worked with them through the first few days. One of the things we gave out was a sheet on how to was the smell, etc out of the things they were able to keep. I am sure you have figured it all out by now. just curious...did Red Cross show up?
@vickisfotos The fire chief on sight, the night of the fire, asked if we needed any social services which would have meant the Red Cross would have been contacted. Since we declined, they didn't come out -- but they were definitely available if we had needed them. The ones that did show up were unnerving -- people sort of lined up wanting us to hire them to do content removal, etc. Really weird -- they apparently listen on scanners and show up AS the fire is going on!
the fiery glow of light in that building seems ominous, as beautiful as it is. are you obliged to pay the cleaners if indeed they neglected or didn't do a good job or a decent job that was at least acceptable to you? also, if now it's been found out that the workmanship on your condo was not up to par, are you able to go after the builders if the insurance won't pay up for the repairs? it seems that no one wants to own up for their misdeeds (the way i understood it) and mostly just preying on poor victims like you just so they could make a buck! i hope favourable resolutions are on their way soon. i take it you and your husband are both in good health, otherwise the stress of all these could only further the damage. take care.
@summerfield The condo workmanship is a huge problem. There was a housing boom here in the late 1990s and 2000s which is when we bought the condo -- original owners. The builder has since returned to Ireland where he was from, having done the building during the boom and leaving when things turned to more of a bust. So we don't have recourse there -- and neither does the insurance company. The company cleaning our fabrics is amazing and so skilled. Each item they've sent back has been treated with care, clothes (even sportswear) stuffed with tissue and covered in plastic. A suitcase they returned that I thought might be impossible to clean because of the smoke smell is as good as new. They are paid out of insurance, so we don't lay out any money at all for their work and we have the right to reject anything we are not satisfied with (which has been zero so far). The cleaning/removal company who took the stuff from the house and creates the inventory, suggesting what is and isn't salvageable, is the one that distributes our stuff to the fabric, electronic, and other specialists, then collects it back and stores it until we move back home. They have been notably slow and uncommunicative. They wanted to be our construction company too, and really dropped the ball when we didn't choose them, leaving valuable things in the house that might have ended up thrown out if we hadn't caught it. But we don't pay them either and our adjustor for our personal items is the one who mostly works with them and is on top of the situation. Then, there is our contractor who does the building and they, too, have been fantastic. All our 'disappointment' in the way people are working can be traced to frustrations with the condo insurance (different than ours) and the content removal service. It's interesting to compare some of the amazing and supportive companies/people we are working with and the two that really stand out as not being of the same quality. Overall, my faith in people is quite high through this experience. But it's creepy, as you noted, to see how easy it would be for people without resources and good insurance to be totally victimized. You really need advocates, I've learned. And it shouldn't be like that.
Oh no, a lot more not so good things today, not so good at all! Hope it will get sorted soon and they can go and build again! Good on you for going further out to the balcony! This is a very pretty shot and thanks for sharing a bit of history aobut the building!
November 28th, 2014
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building inside and out.
So sorry about all this mess, and welcome to my world! You have to watch builders like a hawk, especially when the fee is fixed, and it is all about the profit margin. I am so glad you are enjoying your new home because I have a feeling this might take longer than anticipated as they find new things in the construction that need to be addressed. I really do hope that any of your possessions that have sentimental value can be salvaged and restored. I know I would be totally heartbroken over it.
So sad to read about your further delays and heartache!! So many of your treasures which could have been saved tossed aside by uncaring workmen!! Makes me so angry for you!! Now the further problems with the actual building coming to light - one thing after another for you. This look like a long drawn out time for you Taffy. AT least you and Jim are safe and in a lovely apartment - that has to be the most positive thought!! Big hug!!
Anyway, well done for getting out onto the balcony. Love your golden shot. btw did big danbo ever turn up? Fav
And I used to install alarm and communication systems in new and old buildings. Sone of the short cuts and dodgy work I saw was amazing. At least I know companies I will never build with. And I may have missed it, but is there any sign of big Danbo?
And fave of course :)
Great the lines and lighting.
By the way this photo is fantastic!
So sorry to hear your ongoing saga. What a dreadful time you are having. Everything takes time I am sure and one day you will be able to look back with a sigh of relief.
Sorry to hear about your fire saga...sounds terrible. I hope it's all resolved soon.