Jagged

I'm still miserable with pain from my temporary computer set up at work. I'm limiting my computer use where I can.

This is texture of the jagged remains of my old bench seat, smashed by the weight of a prowler a week ago. (He's since been arrested by the police and is in custody).

After work I decided I could cope with calling EQC (Earthquake and War Commission). I'd never heard the outcome of my assessment from the 4 September earthquake. Turns out I'm in the medium damage category which came as a surprise to me. I guess repair costs mount quickly. I'll be in the same category once my new claim for the February earthquake is assessed, just more extensive and expensive.

It was a long call with some frustrating moments. I have some clarity but are left perplexed over other things. I accept it will take 6 - 9 months to assess me from the February earthquake and likely 2 - 3 years before I see Fletcher's Construction who have the contract to fix my level of damage. That's ok. It's a huge job and my home isn't falling down.

I have a couple of cracks (non-structural) inside where the wind whistles through. The obvious interim fix is for me to photograph the damage, then buy a silicon filler from the hardware shot and plug the crack.

"Oh I don't know about that".

"There are weather boards on the outside, I have a breeze blowing through".

"Yes, but is it a matter of health and safety?".

"Of course it is! How do you think I'm going to keep my home warm, dry and weather proof?".

She remained unconvinced but you know what I'm going to do.

Amazingly she told me if I no longer had a stove I could cook on post-quake, I couldn't go out and buy another stove and be reimbursed by EQC. But if I didn't have a fridge I could go out and buy another. EQC judges lack of a fridge to be a health and safety issue but lack of cooking facilities aren't.

Who thinks up this madness?