Baby Debi is 23!!!

Our little baby girl Debi turned 23 yesterday, December 6, 2005! We are so proud of her!

Debi works full time at Jackson South Hospital and is also a full time honor student at Florida International University.

Five more months until she get married and also graduates from FIU the same week!

State Farm....I Have Better Neighbors!!!
State Farm Insurances slogan of "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There" is not ringing true in my ears. After Hurricane Wilma hit on the 23rd, on September 24th, I reported our damage due to a tornado and the storm. (See the attached picture of the metal that looks like ribbon from my screened pool patio.) I was told to call back the next day for a claim number. I did so and was told it would be about 1 to 2 weeks before an adjuster would come out. After two week, I called...and called. One time the woman told me that she would settle the claim over the phone. I told her I already had a roof estimate and a pool screening estimate. When I told her what they were, she said there was not way to settle it over the phone and she asked me to fax the information to her. I did and no further word from her. Finally, after calling again, a person informed me that they had mistakenly placed me with the wrong unit and they had me living in Texas! They gave me another number to call and I did only to find out I needed an emergency agent number which I did not have. I then called my insurance agent and told him the story and he called and provided me with the number. I then called back and left a message for the mysterious Chad who was to be my adjuster. In the meantime, every time it rained, I have five rooms leaking and wood warping besides missing the entire pool enclosure that blew off my house....metal and all!

After 29 days, two gentlemen, Louis and Gary called me at work and asked if I could meet them at my home as they were the adjusters from State Farm. I was thrilled and left work and was with them for three hours while they measured, took pictures, etc. and I provided them with all our documentation, invoices, estimates, etc. They left and told me I would hear something in two days. After two days, I called received a call from the famous Chad who was trying to make an appointment to come and see the damage as he was the adjuster from State Farm! I already told him that the other two were there for three hours and he said he would look into it.
Come to find out that State Farm did not know who was out there or where all the documentation was. They had lost everything!! Now I begin a fax war and continue to fax as they keep saying they never received things. In the meantime I am getting more frustrated at the condition of our home and the lack of response. We had sent three set of faxes which we have confirmations for that they can't find!

Finally...relief! They send us a settlement offer over the fax! $9,000 for a tile roof that I have an estimate of $51,000.00 to replace. Other items such as the central air that is laying in the yard were not even on the list. Now they told me to go online and research a company that would probably make the tiles for my roof to match as my roofer has stated that he could not match the concrete tiles I have! Forget about the underlying leaks......they want to patch the roof only! What a joke.

Anyway....it has been a comedy of grave errors and STATE FARM IS NOT OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR!
Now we are supposedly on an "URGENT" list......two days and waiting.......the saga continues!

Delia Mae Pierson has a Special Day!

On Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 3 p.m. Ms. Delia Mae Pierson, daughter of Deanna Pierson was christened by Father James McCreanor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Homestead. Father Jim had a hard time with the name Delia (he wanted her to be Della) but when corrected, he said her name beautifully with his Irish lilt. Father explained the reasoning for baptism or christening in the Catholic Church and also explained that when we come into the world we wear white and when we leave the world, our casket is covered in white by a cloth named the Pall. His talk was enlightening and enjoyable.

Delia's Godparents are Debi Meneses and Mike Mowry. Delia is the grandaughter of Herb and Patty Pierson. Great Grandma Angie Pierson was also in attendance. The event was attended by a throng of family and friends who were there for this very special young lady.

Delia's heirloom gown was antique design in white eyelet with a flower and cross design and scalloped hem. The bodice was hand smocked in a trellis pattern with pearls. Her collar was diagonal trimmed with tiny white satin bows with a pearl. The sleeves were also scalloped on the hem and trimmed with a white satin bow and a pearl. Delias's hat was also hand sewn from the white eyelet and was made so that on her wedding day, a few snips of thread will turn it into her wedding hankie for something old. Delia's gown and hat were made with love by her adopted "Auntie Doris" who is her Godmother's mother.

THEY CAME!!!

The Invisible Insurance Adjusters!!

After waiting and waiting for 29 days, State Farm Insurance finally showed up yesterday at our home. I guess you can say miracles can happen. This was after being told I was priority for the damage and someone would be out within two weeks (yeah...right). I hounded the company with countless phone calls this last week and finally sent them a very demanding letter. They spent three hours at my house taking pictures, measuring, etc. The man's comment was...."Gee I haven't seen a pool enclosure totally disappear like this and the cement tiles from the roof fly like they did in this storm. You must have had a tornado!" I'd only been telling them that for three weeks!!!

Now we get to wait another two weeks before we hear anything on the claim. In the meantime, we are still faced with a $19,000.00 deductible but I guess I should be happen that we well surpassed that mark.

POWER RESTORED ON BIRTHDAY!

PICTURE - No...that is not a dock, it is my friend's back porch and yard after Hurricane Katrina in early October. It flooded a portion of her home. She has endured so much and has waited 15 days for electricity after Hurricane Wilma.

It finally happened! My friend Barbara received power last night, November 7, 2005 (her birthday!) about 7 p.m. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I placed a sign on her fence yesterday morning begging for power. During the day, one of the power men from West Virginia whom I stalked early in the morning showed up at her house and said he would see who he could get out. No one came. On my way home from work I once again heard the buzz of Barbara's generator. After I passed her home, I found a Florida Power and Light truck and did a U-Turn so that I could pull over and talk with him. He told me he said nothing would happen today and I was crushed. About 20 minutes later Barbara called me to tell me that there was an FPL man up in a bucket truck fixing her transformer. He even hooked up her meter and then came back to check on her before leaving the area. Maybe stalking does work! If you hear of a crazy woman in a red truck with a Red Hat Mama license plate stalking power people, "You don't know me.!"

We Need Power!!

Since the passing of Hurricane Wilma, many of us have been with out power. Our family waited 13 days. We still do not have phone. My dear friend, Barbara, has been through so many trials this year with the death of two immediate family members, flooding from Hurricane Katrina and now, even though her neighbors have power all around her, she has none and is being overlooked. Today is Barbara's birthday so I placed this sign on her fence this morning at 8 a.m. Maybe we will get some action!

Halloween Antics at the Law Office of John P. Maas

The Law Office of John P. Maas in Homestead, Florida went back to the 50's for Halloween. The employees donned poodle skirts, saddle shoes and pink jackets for the day. The boss was forced to take the employees out to lunch as he did not dress up as a "greaser" for the day.

In the photo left to right are front row, Erika Vento and Lupe Bozelle. Back row is Angie Ore, Lisa Woods, Gina Amador, Carol Morales and Doris Meneses, Office Manager. A great time was had by all.

MAY 6, 2006 - SAVE THE DATE

Our baby, Debi will be marrying Eddy Ruiz on this date. Debi is a full-time college student at Florida International University and works full time as an administrative Support specialist in Risk Management at Jackson South Community Hospital. Debi will also graduate the same week as the wedding!

Eddy earned a master's degree from Florida International University and is employed by Beckman Coulter in Miami as a software development engineer and also is an adjunct professor at ITT Technical Institute.

The couple will be married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Homestead by Father James McCreanor.