The weather this winter has been odd. Sleet, snow, ice. Below freezing temperatures, high winds, then it’s sunny at sixty degrees and mild. This weekend was hardly an exception to this new rule, as it brought on heavy wind and rain. Rain, I love the sound of droplets hitting the fire escape. It brings back memories of kettle drums playing at the Shirley Heights BBQ in Antigua. Dreaming of Antigua in my Sunday morning sleep-in, I was roused awake by the drip-drip-splat of raindrops coming through the ceiling falling onto my hardwood floors. That is never a pleasant sound. And certainly not when you’re planning to leave on a flight to Los Angeles in 72 hours.

The water dripping in the living room came through a light fixture. I unscrewed the bulb, removed the covering and was doused with debris-filled water as if the roof were a colicky baby, vomiting. I shut off the fuses and moved all the furniture out of the way.  The leak in the bedroom came later in the afternoon. I’ve been playing phone tag with the contractor so the hole from the original leak is still open and visible. In that moment, I realize that I’ve lived with a hole in my ceiling for a year (c. 12/2016).

Where on earth does the time go? But I digress…  

I call Kinga to let her know I have to postpone a visit to sunny California. Then I cancel my flight. This makes me sad, as I was really looking forward to girl time in warmer weather where I would not have to wear a jacket.

When I check the local forecast, I see this week is set to be milder than most. A perfect time for roofers to come and assess the problem. With no time to waste, I start my research for reputable roofing companies. I ask for recommendations on Facebook, NextDoor, and Brownstoner.  I scour the forums for advice on flat roof repair, the debate of patching vs. a full tear off and replacement, the number of estimates to collect before making a decision. I compare the recommendations to reviews on Yelp and Google Local.

I am the queen of spreadsheets especially when it comes to collecting content ideas and data. And so I do what I do best and create a master project plan. Then I start calling folks to schedule site visits and gather estimates.