Sicknote
An update on Mrs L. Eight days in hospital, and the medics got on top of her infection. They found e-coli, which can be very nasty if untreated, but would not alone cause those sky-high indicators. There will be further investigations, but as an out-patient. The antibiotics have knocked the stuffing out of her, so there's a lot of sleeping going on. It's wonderful to have her home. We're planning a couple of nights in a local spa hotel at the beginning of September. A sort of reset.
Fire News
For most, the fire is old news, or even a diverting trip out of the city. People marvel at a completely normal landscape that suddenly becomes a surreal film set.
We've caught up with some who suffered significant damage and some who lost their homes. They're getting on with things - the avalanche of tasks that come with finding somewhere to live, rebuilding a house and navigating the reams and reams of paperwork associated. It's heartbreaking, and at the same time affirming. How lucky we were. I feel guilty at complaining about dealing with insurance claims from my undamaged office.
Our wreckage has been mostly cleaned up. The burnt stuff removed and parts repainted. We're waiting for insurance clearance before doing any rebuilding. Right now, I have a home claim pending and a travel claim for our cancelled trip to Krakow. The travel insurance company asked me to prove that Ryanair doesn't do refunds...you would have thought a travel insurance company might be familiar with the larger airlines, no? Admin, admin, admin.
A friend describes insurance companies business model as selling you an umbrella and then taking it away when it rains. The government has said that it will cover anything that the insurance companies don't, which strikes me as a really stupid thing to say just as claims are going in to those insurance companies. I imagine that pursuing the government for payment might add ever new layers of complexity. That said, the government did very quickly pay us emergency compensation for having been damaged. Unexpected, and most welcome.
Assumption
Friday, August 15th is a holiday here (and many other places). It celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. It's one of the larger holidays in Cyprus, and falling on a Friday, this will be a big weekend in the village, with people trying to put the fire behind them, ironically by eating loads of meat cooked over hot charcoals outside.
Weather Alert
It's blazing hot here, with a red warning in place. Golf courses are suspending tees after 10am, and working outside is forbidden. Shade temperatures are topping 45C (113f). That's hot. I'm holed up in the office, with the occasional trip to the pool.
Reading
Along side "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying" by Marie Kondo (more on that tomorrow), I have been reading "Civil Disobedience and Other Essays" by Henry Thoreau. Of its time, but thought-provoking even today.
Right - I'm off.
Have a great week and be nice to each other.
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