Monday, January 19, 2015

Failed. Fire. Inspection.



Guys,

I failed the fire inspection.  I had to wait a few days to write this because I was so mad, and if that anger seeps out still, just ignore it and consider this an advance apology.

Here's how it went down.... She rings the doorbell, my dog starts barking and I'm thinking I hope she likes dogs.  I usually forget about Bailey because she's normally so quite, but if she doesn't like her I can just stick her outside.  She comes in and I apologize about Bailey assuring her that she will calm down in a minute or two.  She starts telling me about how she has dogs and cats and its fine because she loves them oh Bailey is just the cutest dog... So I think, geez she's a lot nicer in person than she had been on the phone.  Maybe she's just more of a face to face person...

Turns out she's not really a face to face person either.  I asked her where she'd like to start the tour/inspection figuring she'd want to see the bedrooms.  I start to head that way (which is straight ahead but on the left side of the house from the front door).  She says no ma'am we'll be going this way and only taking right hand turns.  What?  I'm not sure if she's serious or not.  My house isn't that big (I promise you'll know when you've gone through the whole thing) but I comply not wanting to upset her.  So I say welp, this is the living room... Is there anything you want to see? She says we'll go through the whole house. I said, yes well I meant like anything I can point out or show you in each room?  She says just please stay to the right... What in the world? Where do these people come from? Whatever.  So I just keep walking, pointing out the living room then dining room until we get to the laundry room...

Obstacle 1: The dryer.  She says please remove anything next to the dryer, there can be nothing next to it.  So I said ok I can move it and start to walk out towards the kitchen and she says "I'll wait"... Ok... I'm in work clothes, a skirt to be exact, and my dryer comes out and touches a wall.  So the only way I can get the stuff on the floor next to the dryer is to crawl on top of the dryer and reach down with my arms.  It's like a dust pan and old doorknobs sitting there but I'm having trouble reaching them because my arm's aren't that long.  I finally get it and she's like, please also get the ironing board.  It's against the wall not even touching the dryer but sure, I'll move it.

Obstacle 2: The Fire Extinguisher.  The paperwork says that it has to be a 5 pound dry chemical extinguisher.  Her call before the inspection said to make sure it was hanging visibly in the kitchen with the top not higher than 5 feet off the ground.  Check and Check.  Of course, she doesn't even check to see what kind of extinguisher, she just asks me where the receipt is... I told her I didn't realize I needed it and I probably threw it away.  By probably I mean definitely.  She said, well when did you buy it?  I told her a few months ago when I was preparing for this inspection and no where on anything does it say to even keep the receipt.  She said well it needs to be taped on there so we can see when it expires.  Cool, I'll get right on that.

Obstacle 3: The escape route.  Thankfully she didn't want to see me actually crawl out the window (this time) but I would imagine that's because I couldn't get them open.  This one was probably my fault, I should have assumed she'd want to see the windows open, but in my mind I figured she'd just want to see there are windows we could use should we need to.  Lets be real, if there is an emergency and they don't open, you're just gonna break them.  That's what I'm thinking anyways but she wants to see me open them and to ensure there is nothing in front of them.  All my windows have something in front of them.  My room has a small 2 drawer file cabinet in front of it, but it's below the window and not blocking it really... I could easily get out without moving it.  In the foster room, there is a big window with a little bookshelf in front (not covering the window at all, its entirely below the window) so I say, wouldn't it be more helpful for a little girl to have this so she can crawl on top of it then out...?  Ma'am there can be nothing in front of the escape windows... Also, the escape routes were posted on the back of the doors (because they are ugly and no kid is gonna read them anyways) but she says please move them to below the light switch.  I said well it just says in each room... Hotels have them on the back of the doors.  "Like I said, below the light switch..." Sigh.

Obstacle 4: The smoke detectors.  The paperwork says a working smoke detector in the bedrooms and the hallways leading to the bedrooms.  It doesn't say anything about all being the same kind, same power source, nothing.  So each bedroom she's testing them and in the hallway she's like is this part of the others?  "What?  No.. It's hooked to the power but not the same one as what's in the bedrooms.  This one was here when I bought the house then I added the ones to the bedrooms."  "Are the ones in the bedroom battery operated or power?"  "Battery."  So she says they all need to be the same, all battery or power.  Well no one told me that. I said I don't understand, if they are all working what does it matter?  If there is a fire, we will know about it.  Isn't that the point?  "They need to all be the same."  "Ok, but they all work and they are all in the places they should be so why does it matter?"  She couldn't give me a reason which was so annoying because it doesn't make any sense.  Idiot.  So then I just start nodding and just saying ok...  She then tells me to please call her to re-schedule but that she probably can't get back out here for another 2 weeks.... Ok. Great. Looking forward to it.

"Oh, and here's a satisfaction survey.  If you don't mind filling it out and giving it to me when I come back out or mail/fax it in to the info on the back that would be great."  Gladly.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Fire Inspection

The fire inspection is happening today!! The last item on this checklist for licensing that has had a million things on it!  Fingers crossed its easy like the health inspection and she just kinda checks the house.  The lady who is doing it said about 30 minutes, but after the home study, I'm not holding my breath...

In case you need some ideas for your home, feel free to pin this to your Pinterest or just save this page as a bookmark for decorating ideas ;)

Safety First!! Evacuation Maps and Fire Extinguishers

The things she'll mainly be checking (per our phone convo):
  • Fire Extinguisher is a 5lb (dry chemical) hanging visibly in the kitchen with the top of it not higher than 5ft off the ground
  • Smoke Alarms in all bedrooms and hallways
  • Evacuation Route and Emergency Disaster Plan posted in all bedrooms and common areas
This is the Fire Marshal's Checklist... I have all this stuff but hopefully we don't have to actually do the evacuation drills or open the windows and make sure we can crawl out of them.... however I wont be surprised at this point if we do. 


Friday, January 9, 2015

Forever

If you've never listened to Kari Jobe, you should.  She's one of my favorite artists.  I love this one particular song even more for many reasons, however the main reason being Isaac's spoken word solo.  I know it's long so if you want to fast forward a bit, about 7 minutes in, Isaac starts his spoken word and I love everything he says.  So I wanted to post the words (below the video).  Not because he's the worship pastor at the Village where I go (which I love) but because there is so much truth to what he's saying.  And in this ever changing world, I pray this is what people learn to lean on.

Most of you reading this are probably already praying for Jan, but as I was listening to this I just had this image of this playing in her head, truly resonating in her heart during what's to come and standing firm on all His promises.  Because listening to this song I feel like I can do anything.  Not because of myself, but because of the one who comes behind us and before us.  Thankful that He is not only in our today, but our tomorrow as well and that nothing that comes to us surprises him. 




"If there are words for Him, then I don't have them
You see my brain has not yet reached the point
Where it could form a thought that could adequately
describe the greatness of my God
And my lungs have not yet developed the ability to,
release a breathe with enough to agility to
breathe out the greatness of His love
And my voice, you see my voice is so inhibited
Restrained by human limits,
that's hard to even send the praise up
You see if there are words for Him,
I don't have them
My God, His grace is remarkable
Mercies are innumerable
Strength is impenetrable
He is honorable, accountable
Favorable, He's unsearchable yet knowable
Indefinable yet approachable
Indescribable yet personal
He is beyond comprehension
Further than imagination
Constant through generations
King of every nation
But if there are words for Him,
Then I don't have them.
You see my words are few
In trying to capture the one true God
Using my vocabulary would never do
But I use words as an expression,
An expression of worship to a Savior
A Savior who is both worthy and deserving of my praise
So I use words
My heart extols the Lord. Blesses His name forever.
He has won my heart, Captured my mind
And has bond them both together
He is defeated me in my rebellion
Conquered me in my sin
He has welcomed me into His presence
Completely invited me in
He has made Himself the object of my sight
Flooding me with mercies in the morning
Drowning me with grace in the night
But if there are words for Him,
Then I don't have them
But what I do have is, good news
For my God knew that manmade words
Would never do, the words are just tools
That we use to point to the truth
So He sent His son Jesus Christ
As The Word, living proof
He is the image of the invisible God
The first born of all creation
For by Him all things were created
Giving nothingness formation
And by His words He sustains
In the power of His name
For He is before all things
And over all things He reigns
Holy is His name
So praise Him for His life
The way he preserved in strife
The humble son of God becoming the perfect sacrifice
Praise Him for His death
That He willingly stood in our place
That He lovingly endured the grave
That He battled our enemy
And on the third day rose in Victory
He is everything that was promised
Praised as the risen King
Lift your voice and sing
For one day He will return for us
And we will finally be united with our Savior
For eternity, eternity
So it's not just words that I proclaim
For my words point to The Word
And The Word has a name
Hope has a name
Joy has a name
Peace has a name
Love has a name
And that name is Jesus Christ
Praise His name FOREVER!" -- Isaac Wimberley

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

No placement, yet...

To keep everyone updated, I still have no kiddo yet.  It's been hard to get my fire inspection done.  We had to reschedule once which turns out was a huge mistake.  I cant even get the lady that was assigned my inspection on the phone now.  I've been told that any requests they got before/during the holidays might have been scheduled for after the holidays which is why they are backed up.  How many of these could they possibly do though?  Turns out, this is the same team that does fire inspections for restaurants, apartments, work places... all kinds of buildings.  So a one man house probably doesn't come high on their list.  Anyways, that being said I'm still waiting.  Once that is done, I'll be completely done with licensing!

To be honest, my head is all over the place.  I'm tired of waiting and I feel like this process has been such a beating.  I mean, I knew it would be, but I think they try to make things difficult at times.  I feel like it wouldn't be that hard to let parents know up front what takes a long time, so I could have prioritized it at the beginning of the process.  I waited on the fire inspection because I wanted the room setup, but for this particular inspection, they just need to check safety stuff which could have been done a while ago...

Depending on how long this takes to do this inspection and get the report turned in, its going to be cutting it close to my cousins wedding at the end of January.  The weekend after that, I'll be in Austin for IF:Gathering.  So I think now we're looking at beginning of February before a kid arrives... Womp Womp.

Prayers are welcome... I'm starting to get antsy and the waiting is just making me doubt.  My head is all over the place.  I'm getting stressed about summer school among other things and it's several months away.  I wanna throw up.



 
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